Monument record MDO19046 - PoW Camp, Poundbury, Dorchester; Roman burials

Acland, J E, Notes on Acquisitions to the Dorset County Museum, May, 1919-20. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xliv (Article in serial). SDO9920.

Society of Antiquaries of London, 1916, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London 28, 201-2 (Serial). SDO9919.

Acland, J E, 1917, Notes on the site of an Ancient Burial Ground Recently Discovered at Poundbury Camp, Dorchester. Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries (Article in serial). SDO9906.

'Captain J. E. Acland F.S.A., as Local Secretary for Dorset communicated the recent discovery of ancient burials at Dorchester, on the north-west side of the town and camp for German prisoners of war had been formed, and in December, 1915, during some constructive work, a stone coffin and its cover were discovered. Inside the coffin was a skeleton with head to the west , but there was no trace of pottery or grave furniture of any kind. Subsequently another stone coffin and a lead coffin were discovered. In the Dorchester Museum was another coffin, identical with that first find, which was discovered in 1855 in the same site. At present excavation was out of the question, but it was hoped that an opportunity might occur at a later date.'

Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 583, 225c (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(225) Poundbury … (c) Inhumations, number unknown but including two in stone sarcophagi, and a lead coffin or lining, found in 1914–18 at the prisoners-of-war camp E. of Poundbury. In making a road and laying surface water drains in 1915 ‘between the lines of huts nearest to Poundbury, about 150 yards N.E. of the railway cutting’ (c. 68489117; Notes and Queries), a sarcophagus of Ham Hill stone with an anciently broken cover was found 2 ft. below surface. It was 7 ft. long, 2 ft. 7 ins. wide, and about 2 ft. high including cover. The skeleton had head W.; no grave-goods were found. A second sarcophagus, of which details are lacking, was found near by, but both were left in situ to await proper examination. A lead ‘coffin’ found shortly afterwards was broken up, but rescued pieces (in D.C.M.) appeared to be the top and bottom portions 6 ft. long and 17 ins. wide, and fragments of the joints. Many traces of ancient burials were found in the construction work. One of these was the skull of a child buried with a Romano-British necklet of twisted 3-ply bronze wire (1908.29.57); another was a skull and other bones found in the bottom of a V-shaped cutting showing 50 yds. from the tunnel entrance in the E. face of the railway cutting widened in 1918. (Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries XV (1917), 91–2; Procs. Soc. Antiquaries XXVIII (1916), 201–2; Dorset Procs. XLI (1920), xliv; D.C.M. correspondence (M. Jones) 1914–16, (W. H. Cozens) 1917–19.) A half-dozen or more of these burials, said to be evenly spaced and in line abreast, were seen, it is believed, some 50 yds. W. of the military hospital of the R.H.A. (now Marabout) Barracks (c. 68549100; information from Mr. W. G. Lee, 1951). These would be well to the S.E. of burials otherwise recorded in this cemetery.’

Record last edited

May 18 2020 11:48AM