EDO4663 - Poundbury Development Phase II; excavation (Area 1)

Wessex Archaeology undertook two archaeological excavations and an archaeological watching brief in advance of construction works at Poundbury Parkway, Dorchester in 2005 (1). An earlier evaluation by Wessex Archaeology had suggested that archaeological remains dating from the Bronze Age period were present on site (2). Area 1 was targeted to investigate a possible prehistoric quarry pit in Evaluation Trench 24 (2). Area 1 was a rectangular area located south of Bridport Road and measuring approximately 35m E-W x 20m N-S. A N-S aligned Middle Bronze Age ditch was revealed running across the western part of the excavation area. This ditch was the southerly continuation of the western boundary of a Middle Bronze Age enclosure recorded in area 2. A large sub-rectangular pit in the centre of the excavation area produced three sherds of Romano-British pottery and may represent a quarry pit. Immediately to the north of this pit a length of undated ditch ran for 16m eastwards from the Middle Bronze Age ditch (which it truncated) before turning south and terminating. This ditch may be associated with the quarry pit.