EDO6652 - New Sewer at Max Gate, Alington Avenue, Dorchester; observations and recording 2013

Observations and recording by Terrain Archaeology during groundworks for a new sewer in July 2013. An archaeologist was present during stripping of topsoil. The stripped area was walked systematically and and spoil scanned for artefacts. In archaeologically-sensitive areas digging was done using a tracked mini-digger, and some areas were dug by hand. Natural deposits in the form of clean, jointed Portesham Formation chalk bedrock were encountered at around 0.6m below modern ground level. Six ditches were recorded on a variety of alignments. Dating evidence was found in only one of these ditches but it was considered that, in view of their form and alignment in relation to a field system observed during earlier work in the area, four of the six ditches were likely to be of Late Iron Age/Roman, one was modern, and another undated. A pit of probable Roman date was recorded. The form and position of a second pit suggested a relatively modern date, and a small pit or post-hole could not be dated. Two graves, one clearly Roman, were recorded in the northern part of the garden; these were not fully excavated.