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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 AR056, Baysrath 3 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 E3628 issued by the DOEHLG in consultation with the National Museum of Ireland for IAC. The fieldwork took place between 20 August and 19 September 2007 The site (35m southwest–northeast by 60m southeast–northwest) was located on marginal land between bog to the north-east and rising pasture land to the south-west and consisted of a large burnt mound/fulacht fiadh, a pond and a number of postmedieval ditches. The burnt mound and associated features were located in the southern half of the site and extended beyond the site limits in the south. The burnt mound was located immediately adjacent to a pond (c. 26m north-south by 10m eastwest by 1.2m) which was badly disturbed due to an attempt to drain and backfill it; it was filled with burnt mound material and wood from recent tree clearance. There were two well-defined, rectangular troughs; one (1.64m east-west by 1.10m north-south by 0.25m) had six stakeholes at the four corners (double in south-west and north-west) possibly representing the basis for a lining around the inside edge of the trough. No remains of the wood survived. The trough and stakeholes were filled with heat-fractured stone and charcoal-rich clays. Only part of the south and west edges of the second trough survived; a total of 17 stakeholes were uncovered at the base and projected base of the trough. These were not regularly spaced/arranged, however, in sections the stakeholes were closely aligned and therefore they may have been the basis for a lining around the inner edge of the trough cut. The trough was filled with material similar to the overlying burnt mound material. Four irregular pits were all filled with heat-fractured stone and charcoal-rich clays. All these features were sealed by the burnt mound deposit (c. 15m north-south by 15m east–west by 0.15–0.53m) consisting of heat-fractured stones and charcoal-rich clay. Two samples were sent for AMS radiocarbon dating. A sample of charred hazel charcoal from stakehole fill C61 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated result was 1025–903BC (UBA 10986). A sample of charred hazel charcoal from burnt mound material C39 was radiocarbon dated. The 2 sigma calibrated result was 1125– 938BC (UBA 15542). The identification of Bronze Age burnt mound activity at Baysrath 3 is not unexpected when placed in context of the surrounding physical and archaeological landscape. Burnt mound activity is typically located in such marginal land 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 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. The site is 200m northeast of a large ceremonial and habitation site dating primarily from the late Bronze Age to the early medieval period (AR053-54; E2517) (Channing 2007). It is possible that the burnt mound at Baysrath 3 was contemporary with phases of this important settlement in the Bronze Age.