Monument record MDO5459 - Romano British cremations, Cogdean Elms, Corfe Mullen

A number of Romano British cremation burials found during gravel extraction in the 19th century. One, found in 1865, consisted of a jar containing the burnt bones of an adult and was found with a coin, the remains of glass vessels, and amphora fragments.

A cremation burial was found in 1865 in the old Corfe Mullen gravel pit. A Durotrigian bead-rim jar containing burnt bones of an adult, a worn imitation coin of Claudius (41-54) and fragments of two glass phials distorted by fire, was found with amphora fragments in , ‘a gravel pit near the Cogden Elms Inn, 1865’. Several undated urns with bones were found before 1847, apparently in the same pit. <5>

Romano-British cinerary urn, glass lachrymatories and bronze coin of Claudius from Elm Inn, Cogdean in British Museum (Acc. No. 92.9.1). <1>

(Centred at SY 99409823) A cremation in a bead-rim pot found. Now in the British Museum. <2>

This urn, and two lachrymatories are in the Durden Collection at the British Museum. <3>

The siting given in auth. 2 is tentatively accepted. The site of the Elm Inn was not found during investigation, but it would seem logical that it was near the road junction at SY 9917979790: 350 metres from Mr. Calkin's siting.

Tithe maps could not be traced during field investigations and the site of the Elm Inn could not be ascertained. <4>

<1> Rivet, A L F, Annotated record map 6", 20.5.53 (Map). SDO17443.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1890, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, 22 (Serial). SDO6.

<1.1> Drew, C D, Colonel Drew's Index, Dorset County Museum (Index). SDO18316.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 01-DEC-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.1> Bournemouth Natural Science Society, Annotated Ordnance Survey Map 1:6 inch scale (Map). SDO20438.

<3> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 NVQ 05-DEC-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<3.1> Calkin, J B, Oral: J B Calkin, 5.12.55 (Verbal communication). SWX8210.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 02-FEB-56 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 601 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(25) COGDEAN ELMS, EAST END (SY 99 NE). A Cremation Burial was found in 1865 in the old Corfe Mullen gravel pit, E. of the Roman road (995982). A Durotrigian bead-rim jar of Brailsford’s class 4, containing burnt bones of an adult, a worn imitation as of Claudius I (41-54) and fragments of two glass phials distorted by fire, was found with amphora fragments in a gravel pit near the Cogdean Elms Inn, 1865 (B.M., Register of Antiquities, 1892.9-I.365-8). Several urns, undated, with charred bones, were found before 1847 apparently in the same pit (Arch. J. LXXXVII (1930), 286; P.P.S. XXIV (1958), 116; Dorset Procs. XI (1890), 22.)’

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457142 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 11 2024 7:10AM