Monument record MDO1440 - Iron Age/Romano-British settlement at Pins Knoll, Litton Cheney

An Iron Age and Romano-British settlement. An Iron Age storage pit was found dating to the first quarter of the 1st century AD containing pottery and sling stones. Six crouched Roman burials were found and one of a child. Part of an oven and a probable hut base were excavated. Finds included pottery, three brooches, a bracelet, some counters and four 3rd to 4th century coins.

Romano-British sherds from Pins Knoll, Litton Cheney. An old note by Col. Drew, on the O.S. 6-in. sheet xxxix s.w. in the Museum, records an undated discovery of Romano-British sherds found in rabbit-scrapes by the landowner, Mr. Golding, on the 300 ft. contour, at SY 54159048. <1>

SY 54159048. Excavations were carried out on an IA/RB occupation site in 1959 and 1963-4. No post holes which could be related to buildings were noted but a number of unidentified wall-like structures running across the excavation trench at right-angles may well have been associated with dry stone hut bases, and in fact the dry stone base of a rectangular building measuring approx 22ft x 12ft which had been robbed down to floor level was found in 1963. A key-shaped oven was discovered with four post holes around it suggesting protection by a cover of some sort.

Six crouched burials were uncovered along with a small cist possibly for child burial. A storage pit sealed by one of the burials contained sling stones and parts of two large jars comparable with ones occuring at Maiden Castle and suggesting a date in the first quarter of the 1st century AD. Most of the pottery found was Durotrigian and associated wares, although seven sherds of Glastonbury, a large quantity of late RB pottery and five fragments of decorated Samian were recovered. Three brooches, a bracelet, some counters and four coins of the 3rd to 4th century were found. <3>

A unique Carolingian silver obol of Lothar II was found during the excavation. <5>

Its authenticity proved by BM analysis. <6>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1957, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1956, 91 (Serial). SDO56.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1960, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1959, 124-126 (Serial). SDO59.

<3> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1960, Journal of Roman Studies 50, 232 (Serial). SDO19812.

<4> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1964, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1963, 95-96 (Serial). SDO63.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1964, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1963, 122-3 (Serial). SDO63.

<6> Royal Numismatic Society, 1965, Numismatic Chronicle 34, 167 (Serial). SDO19813.

<7> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1968, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1967, 147-157 (Serial). SDO67.

<8> Bailey, C J, 1982, The Bride Valley : the story of the past, with photographs of the present (Monograph). SWX1298.

<9> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1982, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1980, 104 (Serial). SDO80.

‘6. PINS KNOLL. SY 541905. On flat-topped greensand knoll at 100 m. Coarse ware sherds found 1959. Subsequent excavation showed occupation throughout all phases of Iron Age and well into Roman Britain with a preponderance of Durotrigian material. Further excavation (1963) intended to define settlement limits revealed footings of small mid-C4 building of local limestone. Base of wall included five worded and faced blocks of Portland Stone (Full Report, Proceedings 89, 1967, 147-159).’

<10> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, Externally held archive: RCH01/088 RCHME Inventory: Dorset I (West) and Revision (Unpublished document). SDO17367.

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/03968 (Index). SDO14738.

IA/RB SETTLEMENT - RB PAVING SEALING IA PIT

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/03969 (Index). SDO14738.

IA/RB SITE ON STRIP LYNCHETS

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/03970 (Index). SDO14738.

IRON AGE BURIAL

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA71/03971 (Index). SDO14738.

IA BURIAL AND RB WALL

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB71/06878 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF KILN FROM THE EAST (ENTRANCE)

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB71/06879 (Index). SDO14738.

KILN FROM SOUTH

<17> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BB71/06880 (Index). SDO14738.

CROUCHED BURIAL (IA 'C') OVER PIT (IA 'A')

<18> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451487 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 4 2023 11:32AM