EDO4360 - Crown Buildings, Bridport Road, Dorchester; observations and recording 1971

C J S Green was able to watch the building work and record the archaeological features during the excavation of a cellar and foundation trenches for the new Crown buildings on the site of the old Barracks parade ground, Bridport Road, Dorchester in September 1971. Approximately 50 burials were recorded during the course of the excavations, most of them being destroyed during the excavation of the cellar under the west wing. The absence of burials to the east and extreme west suggest that the limits of the cemetery had been reached on these sides. The burials seemed to be confined to a strip 25m wide running N-S across the site, and were all aligned approximately E-W. No grave goods were recovered and to the east and west sides the cemetery seemed to be defined by N-S aligned gullies. The most notable grave was located towards the centre of the site where a lead coffin was discovered. The coffin contained the skeleton of a man packed in plaster and accompanied by a head and pigtail of hair. This burial and its surrounding cemetery are described in relation to similar examples at Dorchester and elsewhere which appear to be of Christian type.