EDO6450 - Land off Salisbury Street, Marnhull; evaluation 2018

The evaluation was commissioned by Savills as the area was being considered for residential development. A desk-based assessment and geophysical survey had previously indicated some archaeological interest. Fourteen trenches were excavated measuring 1.8m by 30m equating to a 2% sample of the site. A 360 degree tracked excavator with toothless bucket was used. The most significant archaeological features revealed in two of the trenches were the probable remains of a Bronze Age barrow with associated cremation grave, a possible ditched enclosure and the terminus of an undated ditch. Water ingress prevented further examination of the barrow. A very small quantity of finds were recovered from the topsoil, subsoil and unstratified, comprising animal bone, pottery and marine shell. The pottery consisted of four sherds of medieval, relatively fine, sandy ware found across west Dorset between the 13th and 15th century. One sherd found unstratified was from a jar rim. A cowrie shell (trivia arctica) found in topsoil was unusual as mainly found on the western coasts of the UK.