Enclosure in Woodstown (middlethird By., Killoteran Par.)

Situated on the E bank of the River Suir (Wth c. 330m), which here runs SSW-NNE. A NNE-SSW defunct railway line and embankment overlies the W edge of the site. It was discovered in centre-line testing (02E0441) for the Waterford City by-pass during March and April 2003 by Archaeological Consultancy Services when c. 600 features came to light at Woodstown 6. These were largely pits, hearths, and cobbled surfaces, and geophysical survey confirmed that the activity was largely confined within a double ditch enclosure. Further work determined that the site was one, or perhaps two, D-shaped enclosures occupying an area (dims. c. 500m NNE-SSW; c. 150m E-W) extending N from the wetland around the point where the SE-NW Killoteran stream enters the Suir. Once the extent of the monument was recognised the by-pass route was altered early in 2005 so that the monument will be preserved in situ. An underwater survey of the river (06E0972) produced little evidence of structures in the dredged channel (Schweitzer 2009). Necessary work during 2004 involved the culverting of a stream at the N extremity of the site when 15m of a bank and outer fosse (Wth 2.9-4m; D 1.5-1.8m) were excavated, including an entrance gap (Wth 7.4m) associated with metalled surfaces. Metal-working was conducted in the vicinity and in the fosse. C14 results from the fosse indicate that it was constructed in the early 5th century AD. Later, the fosse was partly re-cut (Wth 1.4m; D 0.4m), with an outer fosse (Wth 1.5m; D 0.5m) 1-2m distant. With the arrival of Vikings the site could have developed into a longphort, a fortified quasi-urban area providing a long riverine shore where boats could be beached. A Viking warrior burial (WA009-019001-) with armour and weapons was found outside the fosses at N, and two kilns (WA009-019002-) are probably associated with this phase. Further small excavations and Geophysical survey (E2964) during 2007 identified a structure (WA009-019003-) that is probably associated with metal-working, and clarified the E perimeter of the monument (Russell 2010). Over 4000 artifacts were recovered, although less than 600 were stratified. Amongst the artifacts are silver arm-rings, silver ingots, and lead weights suggesting occupation by Viking raiders or traders, but most artifacts represented trades, particurarly woodworking and metal-working, and everyday domestic use. The presence of part of a Kufic coin, originating in Arabia, testifies to the importance of trade during the later period. The C14 dates and the lack of medieval pottery suggest that this settlemet was probably abandoned by the middle of the 11th century when occupation may have commenced in Waterford City (WA009-005----), c. 6km to the ENE and c. 9.5km further downstream. (O'Brien and Russell 2004, 2005; Russell and Harrison 2011) O'Brien, R. and I. Russell (2004) 'A Preliminary Note on the archaeological site of Woodstown 6, Co. Waterford' Decies No. 60, 65-70. O'Brien, R., Quinney, P. and Russell, I. (2005) 'Preliminary Report on the Archaeological Excavation and Finds Retrieval Strategy of the Hiberno-Scandinavian Site of Woodstown 6, County Waterford'. Decies No. 61, 13-122. Russell, I. (2007) Woodstown 6. Early medieval/Viking. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2004: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 433, No. 1705. Wordwell. Bray. Russell, I. (2010) Woodstown 6. Early Viking industrial, testing. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2007: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 524-6, No. 1861. Wordwell. Dublin. Russell, I. and S. H. Harrison (2011) Woodstown 6, Co. Waterford. in J. Eogan and E. Shee-Twohig (2011) Cois tSiúire – nine thousand years of human activity in the lower Suir valley. Archaeological excavations on the N25 Waterford city bypass, vol. 1, 53-72. NRA road scheme: Monograph 8, Dublin Schweitzer, H. (2009) Woodstown/Killoteran Medieval features. in I. Bennett (Ed.) Excavations 2006: summary accounts of excavations in Ireland, 507-08. Wordwell. Dublin. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 08 December 2010