Monument record MWX2805 - Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Bronze Age settlement

Excavations at Bestwall Quarry have revealed evidence for Bronze Age industrial, domestic and agricultural activity represented by several hundreds of features. Many artefacts have also been recovered through surface collection.

Surface finds dating to the Bronze Age include:

Phase 2, 1993. Fields A and B: worked and burnt flint (1)
Phase 3, 1994. Fields B and D: worked flint and lower part of an axe head dated to 1000BC (2)
Phase 4, 1995. Field C: flint assemblage primarily dating to the Bronze Age, small quantities of Bronze Age pottery (3)
Phase 5, 1996: Fields E and P: large quantities of worked and burnt flint, small amount of Bronze Age pottery and part of a bronze axehead (4)
Phase 6, 1997. Field F: pottery, worked flint, burnt flint and hearthstone (5)
Phase 7, 1998. Field G: Large quantities of worked flint with flakes predominating. Burnt flint and hearthstone also found in large quantities, most likely to related to pottery production (WX3350) (6)
Phase 8, 1999. Fields H and R: Fewer Bronze Age features in field H than Field R and activity concentrated to the north of Field R. Surface collection of pottery reflected distribution of features. Large numbers of worked and burnt flints and quantities of hearthstone were also recovered (7)
Phase 10, 2001. Field J: large quantities of worked flint and stone from surface collection, predominantly flakes and cores (two tanged arrowheads and eight scrapers found in features, burnt flint and hearthstone abundant in all features) (8)
Phase 11, 2002. Fields T, N and Z: large amounts of worked flint, burnt flint and burnt hearthstone (9)

Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 2000, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1999, 153 (Serial). SDO11604.

<1> Ladle L, 1993, Bestwall Quarry Archaeology Project, Phase 2 - 1993 (Unpublished document). SWX8520.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 2001, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 2000, 160 (Serial). SDO11605.

<2> Ladle L, 1994, Bestwall Quarry Archaeology Project, Phase 3 - 1994 (Unpublished document). SWX8521.

<3> Ladle, L, 1995, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 4 - 1995 (Unpublished document). SWX8524.

<4> Ladle, L, 1996, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 5 - 1996 (Unpublished document). SWX8525.

<5> Ladle L, 1997, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 6 - 1997 (Unpublished document). SWX8526.

<6> Ladle L, 1998, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 7 - 1998 (Unpublished document). SWX8528.

<7> Ladle, L, 2000, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 8 - 1999 (Unpublished document). SWX8530.

<8> Ladle, L, 2001, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 10 - 2001 (Unpublished document). SWX8531.

<9> Ladle, L, 2003, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 11 - 2002 (Unpublished document). SWX8532.

<9> Ladle, L, 2003, Bestwall Quarry Archaeological Project, Phase 12 - 2003 (Unpublished document). SDO13970.

Record last edited

Nov 10 2022 4:30PM