White Castle: The Evaluation of an Upstanding Prehistoric Enclosure in East Lothian

The Rampart Scotland project conducted archaeological works at White Castle, East Lothian, a Scheduled Monument, between 2010 and 2013. The excavations revealed four major phases of activity, with the main enclosure period dating to the second half of the first millennium BC. The site's location on the main route through the Lammermuirs and surrounding upland pasture suggests its function was primarily with controlling access to grazing. The final phase of the enclosure combined two key factors: impressing visitors and stock control. Maintenance of the enclosure system was abandoned in the closing centuries BC, but the area was not deserted, and there is limited evidence for two later phases of activity in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 108 pages
Publication date: 11 March 2021
Publisher: Archaeopress

The Rampart Scotland project, which ran from 2010 to 2013, conducted a comprehensive four-year archaeological investigation at the White Castle, a prehistoric enclosure located in East Lothian. Despite being a Scheduled Monument and having undergone mapping and survey for over 200 years, this site had never been excavated before the project's interventions. White Castle was the first of several similar sites to be explored in the Lammermuir region. The archaeological evaluation and radiometric dating sequence provided evidence for four significant phases of activity at White Castle, with the main enclosure period dating to the second half of the first millennium BC. The excavations revealed a clear progression of enclosure development over time, where the design and visual impact often took precedence over mere defense. The site's location along the main route through the Lammermuirs, with surrounding upland pasture, strongly suggests its primary function was to control access to grazing. The final phase of the prehistoric enclosure appears to have combined two key elements: impressing visitors and managing livestock. While the maintenance of White Castle's enclosure system was abandoned in the closing centuries BC, it is unlikely that the area was completely deserted, and there is limited evidence for two later phases of activity on the site during the Medieval and Early Modern Periods.

Weight: 398g
Dimension: 205 x 276 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789699302