EDO3879 - Channons Garage, High East Street, Dorchester; evaluation Trench 4

Exeter Archaeology undertook an archaeological evaluation excavation during January 2001 at Channon’s Garage, High East Street, Dorchester, in advance of redevelopment for mixed residential and retail use. Seven trenches were excavated by machine. Trench 4 measured 10m x 1.2m in plan and was aligned approximately ENE-WSW, towards the eastern end of the development area. It was excavated to a general depth of 1.25m with three one metre wide sondages extending to depths of 1.6m, 1.5m and 2.5m. Natural clay subsoil was not encountered. The upper 0.5m-0.6m of stratigraphy was post-medieval in date, which overlay 0.6-0.8m of deposits containing exclusively residual Romano-British pottery. This in turn overlay a demolition layer containing exclusively 3rd-4th century AD pottery at a depth of 1-1.2m. Beneath the late Roman demolition material were at least three phases of building or floor levels, with the lower of two surfaces exposed at the centre of the trench bedded on a deep layer of demolition material. This lowest demolition layer also produced 3rd-4th century pottery, suggesting considerable activity within the latter stages of the Roman use of the site. A mortar-lined culvert or channel was located at the eastern end of the trench but it is unclear whether this was a water channel or as part of a hypocaust system. High status Roman British ceramics were found amongst the coarsewares, the likely presence of a high status domestic structure is also indicated by the presence of window glass and two tesserae.