Monument record MDO18551 - Roman Boundary Cemetery, Alington Avenue, Dorchester

Evidence for a Roman boundary cemetery was discovered during excavations at Alington Avenue. The main cemetery comprises 69 inhumation burials, tentatively subdivided into a small group of earlier burials (which appear to be dated to the mid-late 2nd century to mid 3rd century on stratigraphic or artefact evidence) and a much larger group of later burials (probably dated primarily to the 3rd century, but could well extend into the 4th century on the basis of stratigraphy, artefacts either deposited with the burial or the backfill of the grave, or which appeared on a subjective locational assessment more likely to be later rather than earlier in the sequence). A further group of nine graves lay outside the phase 2 D-shaped enclosure (which contained the main part of the cemetery) but within its later southward extension (possibly suggesting that they are later in the sequence).

Found during a series of archaeological evaluations and excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, between 1984-1987. The results of the excavations have been published as a Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph (DNHAS Monograph 15). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published reports (1).

The main cemetery comprises 69 inhumation burials, tentatively subdivided into a small group of earlier burials (which appear to be dated to the mid-late 2nd century to mid 3rd century on stratigraphic or artefact evidence) and a much larger group of later burials (probably dated primarily to the 3rd century, but could well extend into the 4th century on the basis of stratigraphy, artefacts either deposited with the burial or the backfill of the grave, or which appeared on a subjective locational assessment more likely to be later rather than earlier in the sequence). A further group of nine graves lay outside the phase 2 D-shaped enclosure (which contained the main part of the cemetery) but within its later southward extension (possibly suggesting that they are later in the sequence).

Most of the 13 earlier graves were scattered along the northern boundary of the D-shaped enclosure, though four lay in the angle between the north and south western ditches, and one [3609] lay some 25m to the SE along ditch [3471]. Many of the graves in this group had been badly disturbed by later grave digging and have little surviving information. No human bone was recovered from four of these graves. Of the graves with a reasonable level of extant data, six contained burials in nailed wooden coffins (3 male, 1 female, I possibly female and I infant). Six burials were accompanied by grave goods, including coins deposited in the late 2nd or early 3rd century, hobnails, animal bones and pottery vessels.

The later graves in the main cemetery comprise a sub-group of 55 graves arranged around the same two boundaries of the enclosure. Although the graves were clearly aligned with the enclosure ditches, they all lay some 2-4m away from the inner edges of the ditches, perhaps suggesting that they were laid out in relation to a bank or hedge. A small number of graves, including the coffined burial of a dwarf, were aligned on ditch [3651] at the southern end of the enclosure and may represent a separate sub-group, although they did not differ from the main burial rite in any other way. Overall, 22 of the adult burials were identified as male, 10 as female and 12 as infants or children under 12 years old. 44 individuals were buried in plain nailed wooden coffins, and 2 in nailed coffins with iron fittings. There were three ‘high status’ inhumations. The nailed wooden coffin in grave [2020] containing an adult male aged 25-35 years, had a series of decorative iron fittings. The other coffin with iron fittings (infant grave [4306]) may actually have been a wooden chest containing the burial of an infant and a 2nd-3rd century type 2 BBW jar, and fragment of glass bottle. In grave [3664] a calcareous sandstone lid capped a nailed wooden coffin containing the burial of an adult female packed with gypsum. Grave goods included hobnails, pewter vessel, two very fine mid 3rd century or later glass vessels and possible food offerings. A partial second burial with a BBW jar lay above the stone lid, it is not clear if this is associated with the gypsum burial. A child was buried in a lead lined wooden coffin, accompanied by a type 9 BBW jar dating from the 3rd century. Organic material was preserved within this lead-lined coffin including dyed textiles imported from the Mediterranean. A further high status infant burial (aged 6-18 months) was contained within grave [579] in a nailed wooden coffin containing a very fine glass vessel. The coffin was located in an oversize grave that has been interpreted as a possible wooden mausoleum. Fragmentary remains of another juvenile (aged 6-8 years) were also recovered from this grave. This substantial grave pit lay equidistant between the two other high-status burials. The date range for this phase of the main cemetery lies between AD 200- 300/350.

The southern extension to the main cemetery contained a group of nine graves within the phase 3 southern extension to the D-shaped enclosure. Their alignment is apparently random, but a bank or hedge, or other structure for which no evidence remains may originally have enclosed them. The burials (8 adults and 1 juvenile) included 5 in wooden coffins, the remainder being in simple earth cut graves. Five were accompanied by grave goods including a coin deposited c. AD 270-330, found in the mouth of the female burial [3440]. This coin provides the best dating evidence for this group.

<1> Davies, S M, Bellamy, P S , Heaton, M J , and Woodward, P J, 2002, Excavations at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, Dorset, 1984-87 (Monograph). SDO9565.

Record last edited

Dec 12 2018 5:43PM