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Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC), funded by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through Kilkenny County Council, undertook an excavation at the site of AR057, Baysrath 4 along the proposed N9/N10 Kilcullen to Waterford Scheme, Phase 4 – Knocktopher to Powerstown (Figure 1). The following report describes the results of archaeological excavation at that site. The area was fully excavated by Fintan Walsh under Ministerial Direction A032 and Excavation Registration Number E3629 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland for IAC. The fieldwork took place between 5 and 19 Sept 2007. The site was located on marginal land between bog/marshland to the east, and rising arable land to the west and consisted of two burnt mounds of Bronze Age date. Burnt Mound I (9.4m east-west by 9m north-south by 0.33m) was located in the southern half of the site (Plate 1) and consisted of heat-fractured stone and charcoalrich clay. No trough was uncovered. Five shallow pits and an irregular shallow gully feature were sealed by the mound; however, these features were unsubstantial, irregular, and did not form any discernable pattern. Alder/hazel charcoal from the fill of a posthole associated with Burnt Mound 1 was sent for radiocarbon dating. The 2 sigma calibrated date was 1887–1751BC (UBA 10987). Burnt Mound II (15m east-west by 10m north-south by 0.2m), located in the northeast part of the site, consisted of a deposit of heat-fractured stone and charcoal-rich clay. The burnt mound sealed one pit (0.6m diameter by 0.36m depth) filled with heatfractured stone and charcoal-rich clay. This burnt mound was heavily truncated. Ash charcoal from the pit associated with Burnt Mound 2 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated date was 1207–979BC (UBA 10988). Analysis of charcoal from the site indicates that the people were gathering fuel from different types of woodland. The results indicate an environment of scrub, including hazel, the pomaceous fruitwood type, cherry and spindle. Larger canopy trees such as oak, ash and elm were also burnt. The site was located on the margins of dryland and wetland. Samples of stone from the burnt mound material identified course grained red sandstone that was quartz rich. The dominant rock type in the area is limestone. The sample is clearly a shattered cobble, indicating a secondary source, such as in the glacial tills / river cobbles. Coarse grained sandstone is typical of fulacht fiadh material (e.g. see Mandal 2004). This indicates that sandstones were deliberately being selected for use in preference to the more abundant finer grained rock types in the area. The identification of Bronze Age burnt mound activity at Baysrath 4 is not unexpected when placed in context of the surrounding physical and archaeological landscape. The marginal landscape is typical for burnt mound activity and other sites in the immediate environs are chronologically and typologically related. The site was identified as representing two phases of burnt mound activity dating to the middle and late Bronze Age. The site is important locally as it adds to the wider, more detailed evidence that has been recorded from the surrounding area.