Monument record MDO18302 - New Cemetery, Poundbury; Bronze Age enclosed settlement

A possible ditched enclosure containing a circular post-built structure and a pit were found during the evaluation of the site of a proposed sports centre and cemetery excavated by Wessex Archaeology in 1997. The full course and extent of the enclosure, which was defined by a single ditch, was not exposed. Within the enclosure was a circular stake and post structure seven metres in diameter, which may be the remains of a round house. Within this structure was a single pit which contained some Late Bronze Age pottery. A Middle Bronze Age bucket urn was found within a hollow inside the enclosure. This appears to be the remains of a small enclosed settlement of possible Middle-Late Bronze Age date.

A possible enclosed settlement was found during the 1997 evaluation by Wessex Archaeology on the site of the new cemetery and proposed sports centre at Poundbury, Dorchester (1) (2).

Elements of a possible ditched enclosure containing the remains of a post-built circular structure were found in evaluation trenches 30 and 31. The full size and shape of the possible enclosure was not exposed, but it was defined by a single ditch between 1.5m to 2.8m wide with steep sides. A full profile of this ditch was not excavated.

The post built structure comprised an outer circle or arc of closely spaced stakeholes defining an area of about seven metres in diameter. About 20-30 postholes were identified within and outside this structure but no clear pattern could be inferred from their distribution. A single posthole outside the structure was excavated, which was 0.3m in diameter and 0.2m deep and contained Early to Middle Bronze Age pottery. A pit within the northwest part of the structure was excavated and proved to be 0.7m in diameter and 0.6m deep. Its lower fills suggested deliberate infilling after use and the upper fills contained Late Bronze Age pottery.

No in situ occupation deposits were recovered from within the area of the enclosure, but in the southwestern part a fragmentary Middle Bronze Age bucket urn with finger impressed cordon was recovered from a soil layer filling a depression in the natural chalk.

These features appear to be the remains of a small enclosed settlement containing the remains of at least one round house. The large number of postholes both inside and outside the stake ring may indicate that more than one period of structure is present. The pottery recovered from this site was dated to the Middle and Late Bronze Age suggesting a broad Later Bronze Age date for this settlement site.

<1> Grove J and Smith R J C, 1997, Proposed Sports Centre and Cemetery, Poundbury, Dorchester: Archaeological Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO9539.

<2> Gardiner, J, 2003, Dorchester, New Cemetery and Sports Centre, Poundbury. Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 157-159 (Article in serial). SDO9523.

Record last edited

Oct 12 2006 5:25AM