Find Spot record MWX379 - Prehistoric and later artefacts, Portland

Numerous items of prehistoric and later date from Portland, many found during the construction of defences and of Verne Fort between 1863 and 1923. The items include flint and bronze axes; a bronze spearhead; an Iron Age gold coin; an Iron Age bronze mirror and human remains; Roman pottery and coins; some blocks of iron described as Iron Age ingots; stone coffins (possibly belonging to the cemetery SY 67 SE 3), and a number of inhumations.

The finds are described in detail. <2>

Excavations from 1863-1923, for the defences of Portland and the construction of Verne Fort or Citadel at Verne Hill revealed finds which included the following - A flint axe and part of another, four bronze axes and a bronze sword blade, a bronze spiral ring encircling a finger or bone (Accession No 1923-3-3), a late MBA spearhead (Accession No 1923-3-1) and BA pottery. A British gold coin of Remic type, a fragment of Early Iron Age B bronze mirror with bones near a cist burial (Accession No 1923-3- 8). Roman pottery, beads, a copper coin of Antoninus, a brass of Hadrian, stone coffins and a 12/13th century bronze stirrup. A cist containing three inhumations and a large urn was also found on the hilltop. Finds in Dorset County Museum, Dorchester. <1-8>

In the Portland Museum are two four-sided blocks of iron which, at opposite ends, are drawn into thick wires. These blocks of iron originally had a ticket found in the ditch at the Verne (Presumably the defensive encircling ditch). They were classified as Iron Age iron ingots of circa 100 BC by Prof. Vernon Childe (a). The Verne, Verne Hill or the Citadel are one and the same place represented by the enclosure on the hilltop. It is now HM Prison. The hilltop was literally hollowed out and then the constructions were partially covered over. Activities took place from the mid 19th century to about 1900 (b). Monument Periods And Types - The plateau top has a large encircling ditch within which lies the Verne prison. The stone coffins referred to were probably from the cemetery at SY 67 SE 3 to the South East of which were the prison buildings housing the convicts who were building the Verne. <9>

Since 1734 at least eight inhumation burials, mainly in cists, have been uncovered, "at the top of Verne Hill". Objects found in this area include a spiral bronze ring and a gold coin of Gallo-Belgic type. Other finds include a lidless diagonally tooled sarcophagus, Iron Age 'C' or early Roman sherds, Samian and 4th century colour-coated ware, Roman glass beads and an incised circular shale plaque. <10>

<1> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1864, Archaeological Journal 21, p90 (Serial). SWX1983.

<2> Buckman, J, 1868, Ancient remains found on the Isle of Portland, p46-57 (Article in serial). SWX1984.

<3> Moule, H J, 1891, Notes on Stone Implements in the Dorset County Museum. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, 12, xviii-xix (Article in serial). SWX2083.

<4> Oliver, V L, 1923, Pre-Roman and Roman Occupation of the Weymouth District. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 32-55 (Article in serial). SWX1763.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1933, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1932, li (Serial). SDO36.

<6> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1934, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1933, lxix (Serial). SDO20407.

<7> Oliver, V L, 1936, Bronze Age Rapiers and Swords from Dorset, p29 (Article in serial). SWX1776.

<8> Externally held archive reference Display Card and Exhibition Dorset County Museum Dorchester (Unpublished document). SWX1982.

<9> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 08-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<9.1> Lidbetter, Oral: Mr Lidbetter Caretaker Portland Museum (Verbal communication). SWX8250.

<9.2> Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments (Verbal communication). SWX8251.

<10> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 605 (Monograph). SDO150.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451679 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 17 2024 11:36AM