Monument record MDO18354 - Rear of Dorchester Police Station; Pit group

A group of four intercutting pits was discovered during a watching brief on land behind Dorchester Police Station by Wessex Archaeology in 2005. Three of these pits were large, possibly circular, pits and the fourth was a smaller oval pit, from which some human bone was recovered, but it is unclear whether this was part of a deliberate burial or not. A small quantity of prehistoric worked flint, some small sherds of Roman BB1 coarseware pottery and a small amount of animal bone was recovered from the other pits. Without further information it is difficult to be able to determine the date and function of these pits. Their proximity to Maumbury Rings may indicate a connection with this monument.

A group of four intercutting pits was discovered during a watching brief on land behind Dorchester Police Station by Wessex Archaeology in 2005. Three of these pits were large, possibly circular, pits about 4-5m in diameter and the fourth was oval with a diameter of about 1.8m. The large pits were not fully exposed in plan, nor were they excavated to their full depth, two were excavated to 0.5m and the third to a depth of 1.9m. Only the smallest of these pits [113] was fully excavated. This was an oval pit about 1.8m across and 1.65m deep. Its profile and the nature of its fill is not recorded, but some large fragments of human bone were recovered. It was unclear whether they were originally part of an in situ articulated burial within this pit. A small quantity of prehistoric worked flint, a small quantity of small sherds of Roman BB1 coarseware pottery and a small amount of animal bone was recovered from the other pits.

Without further information it is difficult to be able to determine the date and function of these pits. Their proximity to Maumbury Rings may indicate a connection with this monument.

Parry, D, 2006, Land at the Rear of Dorchester Police Station. Archaeological Watching Brief Report. (Unpublished document). SDO10016.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:29PM