Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

NI0791 Lisbanoe, Armagh (Lisbanoe Hill)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record ARM016:001 (None)

NMR:  ARM 016 (None)

SM:  ARM 16:1

NGR:  None

X:  685453  Y:  842343  (IRENET95)

Summary

Multiple enclosure in commanding position surrounding the domed summit of Lisbanoe Hill, overlooking Callan River and Butler River to immediate E. Bivallate for the entire circuit with a possible original entrance gap on the E of the inner enclosing elements consisting of a simple gap. A break in the outer enclosing elements to the S is probably a modern gap. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. Ramparts survive well throughout the entire circuit. Some tree cover on outer ramparts. Interior under pasture. First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Earthwork survey by Northern Ireland Environmental Agency in 1990. Excavation 100m to SE of hillfort prior to development. Post-hole with struck flint found in fill (O'Regan 2010).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -744330  Y:  7231501  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -6.6864319392393  Latitude:  54.32265020705757  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Northern Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Armagh

Historic County:  Armagh

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Lisnadill

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland   ✗
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✗
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✓
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✗
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✗
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Multiple enclosure in commanding position surrounding the domed summit of Lisbanoe hill. Panoramic views from summit, overlooking Callan River and Butler River to immediate E.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✓
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✗
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✓

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop   ✓
Coastal Promontory   ✗
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✗

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Hilltop.

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✓

Altitude:  72.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Earthwork survey by Northern Ireland Environmental Agency in 1990. Excavation 100m to SE of hillfort prior to development. Post-hole with struck flint found in fill (O'Regan 2010).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch mapping.
Other (1906):   Second edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch mapping.
Earthwork Survey (1990):   Northern Ireland Environmental Agency
Excavation (2009):   O'Regan

Interior Features

No evidence for any internal features on the surface.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✓
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✗
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✓
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✓
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

Two breaks in the enclosing elements. A simple break in the outer enclosing elements on the S is probably modern. A simple gap with a ramped causeway is apparent at the E of the inner enclosing element. This may be an original entrance feature.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:
1. Simple Gap (East):   None

Enclosing Works

The enclosing elements comprise two widely spaced ramparts separated by an average of 20m. The inner comprises a steep scarp 2m in external height. The outer consists of a scarp 1.7m high with an external ditch feature 3.6m wide and 0.6m deep.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.42ha.
Area 2:   1.04ha.
Total:   1.04ha.

Total Footprint Area:  1.04ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✓
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✗

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✓
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Murus Duplex   ✗
Timber-framed   ✗
Timber-laced   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
No Known Excavation   ✓
Other   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   Ditch associated with the outer enclosing elements.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Lett, H. 1884. Report on ancient monuments in the County of Armagh. Journal of Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland 6, 431-434.

O'Regan, C. 2010. Ballyards Road, Armagh, Co. Armagh: Results of Archaeological Evaluation and Investigation. Unpublished excavation report by Northern Archaeological Consultancy.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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