Monument record MDO17998 - Middle Farm, Middle Bronze Age Enclosure

Part of a curvilinear enclosure defined by a single ditch was found during the excavations by Wessex Archaeology at Middle Farm, in advance of the construction of the Dorchester By-pass. The enclosure had an entrance in the northern side and a single round house and a scatter of other small features was found in the interior.

A probable Bronze Age enclosure was excavated in 1987 at Middle Farm by Wessex Archaeology as part of the archaeological works in advance of the Dorchester By-pass. <1-3>

The earliest curvilinear enclosure had an entrance in the N side and enclosed a single post-ring, 7m in diameter. The enclosure appears to have been sub-divided by two parallel liear ditches. The south and east side of the enclosure had been cut by a deep V-shaped ditch, in the basal fill of which were 3 trussed burials.These burials are comparable with those found at Alington Avenue, Dorchester. The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the report and archive <2> <3>.

The enclosure was defined by a curvilinear ditch [03050] with an entrance in the middle of the northern side. Only the northeastern part of this enclosure was exposed by the excavation. Originally it may have been oval or subrectangular in shape. Inside the enclosure was a short length of ditch [03056] which may have formed part of an internal division. Overlying this ditch,within the eastern part of the enclosure,was a single post-built round house [03252]. It consisted of a ring of eight postholes 5m in diameter with a central posthole and two further posts outside to the southeast.A single sherd of Bronze Age pottery was recovered from one of the postholes. In the northern part of the enclosure (and just outside it) there was a scatter of features including three pits, a posthole and two scoops. A small quantity of grog-tempered Bronze Age pottery was recovered from the pits and several fragments of a cylindrical or bun-shaped weight were found in pit [03157].

<1> Woodward, P J and Smith, R J C, 1987, Survey and excavation along the route of the Southern Dorchester By-pass, 1986-1987 – an interim note, 79-89 (Article in serial). SDO9381.

<2> Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 73-75 (Monograph). SDO9379.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 1987, Dorchester By-pass (Excavation archive). SDO9385.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1431048 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2023 7:43PM