Find Spot record MDO8021 - Mesolithic site near Ulwell, Swanage

A Mesolithic site discovered during road widening in Ulwell in 1931. Three pits or scoops were found, two of which contained worked flint and one which was full of marine shell including limpet, cockle and winkle. The flint was broadly of Mesolithic character.

SZ 02068098. Pits with mircolithic industry exposed during road widening in 1931. Finds in Dorchester Museum. <1>

A Mesolithic site was discovered during road widening works in Ulwell, Swanage in 1931. A series of three pits or scoops were found, two of which contained worked flint and one which was full of marine shell including limpet, cockle and winkle. A few fragments of bone were also recovered. The flint was broadly of Mesolithic character and included two microliths, a microburin, a serrated blade, cores and flakes. <2>

Subsequent road widening operations in 1961 did not expose any more of this site other than a few undiagnostic flints. <3>

SZ 02058098. Mesolithic site discovered by Davey and Calkin in 1931 at Ulwell during the partial straightening out of a sharp road bend, immediately opposite the waterworks. Two pits ('A' & 'B') approx 60ft apart were recorded, both of which contained a humic filling, 1 1/2-2ft thick, It was not states how deep the pits were but they both contained flint artefacts and marine shells.

Pit 'A' extended about 7ft back from the road cutting and widened out from about 18ins to 3ft, this may have been an area scooped out for a lean-to shelter although it was rather narrow and may have been a cooking hole. The pit was full of marine shells and about 230 flint arefacts.

Pit 'B' was only about 18ins wide probably also a cooking hole containing marine shells and about 70 flint artefacts.

Between pits 'A' and 'B' was a third smaller pit at the same horizon containing only a large number of marine shells.

The Ulwell site was regarded as a short-stay camping site and the flints included two microlithics, a microburin, scraper and two cores. Sample flints together with Norman Davey's (excavator) report, original photographs and section drawing of pit;'A' were in Dorset County Museum and Library. <2-3> <5>

SZ 020809. Mesolithic camping site Ulwell. Some of the (above) finds in Christchurch (Red House) Museum. <4>

<1> Calkin, J B, 1950, Annotated Record Map Corr. 6 (Map). SWX2543.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1953, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1952, 48-49 (Serial). SDO52.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1962, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1961, 89 (Serial). SDO61.

<4> Wymer, J J, and Bonsall, C, 1977, Gazetteer of Mesolithic sites in England and Wales, with a gazetteer of Upper Palaeolithic sites in England and Wales, 74 (Monograph). SWX2026.

<5> Palmer, S, 1978, Mesolithic cultures of Britain, 141-2 (Monograph). SWX1704.

<6> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/093 RCHME Inventory: Dorset II (South-East) (Unpublished document). SDO17434.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 457643 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 17 2023 7:00PM