EDO4224 - Middle Farm, Bridport Road, Dorchester; excavation (Trench 4)

An excavation was undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in advance of development by the Duchy of Cornwall. The excavation followed a two-stage trial trenching and fieldwalking evaluation, which had identified a Bronze Age field system. It comprised the excavation of four trenches each approximately 100m x 50m in area, which revealed not only elements of the Bronze Age field system, but associated Late Bronze Age round houses, a series of early and late Neolithic pits, and some Iron Age/Roman marl pits (1) (2). Trench 4, located in the central part of the site, contained the continuation of Bronze Age boundary ditch and enclosures seen in Trench 3. An undated round house, lay to the south of the enclosures. A cluster of Early Neolithic pits were recorded at the north end of Trench 4. These contained a significant quantity of pottery and worked flint, which may part of structured deposits within these pits.