EDO4068 - Proposed Sports Centre and Cemetery, Poundbury, Dorchester; Evaluation Trench 31

In March 1997 Wessex Archaeology undertook an archaeological field evaluation of three fields between the Bridport Road and Poundbury Road, Dorchester, proposed for development. Forty machine-excavated trenches, plus additional contingency trenches, were investigated. Trench 31 originally measured 30m by 1.6m and was excavated to a maximum depth of 0.4m, close to the northern boundary of the site. It was extended to encompass an area of 256 square meters in a series of intersecting and radiating trenches. At the centre was a stake and post built structure enclosed within an area at least 35m x 40m by a ditch or ditches. The structure comprised series of 35 stakeholes exposed in an arc of six metres, with a projected diameter of seven metres. A number of post-holes were located within and outside this arc, one being excavated to a depth of 0.32m and with a diameter of 0.2m. It contained Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery in its upper fill. A further 20-30 possible post-holes, located within and outside of the projected line of stake-holes, remained unexcavated. A pit, internal to the arc of stakes, was also excavated to a depth of 0.6m and 0.7m diameter and contained Late Bronze Age pottery in its upper fills. Ditches located in the east, southeast and southwest trench extensions appear to be the same as that recorded in Trench 30 and may represent an enclosure ditch varying from 1.5-2.8m wide. A further substantial ditch to the north of the structure may form part of the enclosure but also seems to continue eastwards as far as Trench 32. Another ditch to the west of the structure was much smaller (0.8m wide, 0.45m deep) and could be part of the enclosure ditch or an internal division within a larger enclosure. The enclosure and associated post-structure were located on a slight, south-facing terrace and the numerous post-holes around the structure may indicate occupation over a lengthy period, or more than one structure.