%0 Object %T Archaeological excavation report, E3613 Rathduff Upper 1, County Kilkenny. %A National Roads Authority %D %8 %E Lyne, Ed; Coughlan, Tim; Irish Archaeological Consultancy %I National Roads Authority; Transport Infrastructure Ireland %X Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (IAC), funded by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through Kilkenny County Council, undertook an excavation at the site of AR070, Rathduff Upper 1 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 Ed Lyne under Ministerial Direction A032 and Excavation Registration Number E3613 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland for IAC. The fieldwork took place between the 23 July and 17 August 2007. An area of 75m by 30m was stripped and revealed two burnt spreads on the edge of an area of wetland, at the base of a gently sloping hill. Both of these spreads were heavily disturbed by ploughing. Indeed much of the material had been moved over the years so that it filled a post-medieval drainage ditch running along the edge of the wetland, with only traces of the original mounds being found in their original locations. A number of mostly irregular pits were identified, some of which were sealed by the remainder of the burnt spreads. In all cases these features were filled by heataffected stones and charcoal-rich soil. A bipolar flint flake, a chert chunk, a quartzite rubbing stone and a possible hone stone made of limestone were recovered during excavation. Three samples were forwarded for radiocarbon dating and returned three separate dates ranging from the early to middle Bronze Age indicating that there were at least two and possibly three phases of activity on the site. There were no previously known prehistoric monuments in the immediate area and as such the identification of the site could be viewed as unexpected. However the site is in a marginal and wet landscape, an area where bunt mound sites are typically found. The presence of other burnt mounds in the immediate area confirms that it is an area that was attractive for this type of activity throughout the Bronze Age. The site is important locally as it provides evidence for previously unknown occupation of this landscape in the Bronze Age. %G en %9 Text; Image; pdf %W Digital Repository of Ireland