Monument record MDO18001 - Middle Farm; Middle Bronze Age ditched boundary

Two north-south linear ditches forming a ditched boundary were found cutting across the Middle Farm Bronze Age Enclosure during the excavations at Middle Farm in advance of the Dorchester By-pass construction.

Found during the 1987 excavations at Middle Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in advance of the construction of the Dorchester By-pass (1) (2) (3). The numbers in square brackets are context numbers referred to in the archive and report (2) (3).

Two parallel north-south linear ditches [03202, 03204] were found in the northern part of the excavated area. They crossed the interior of the Middle Farm Bronze Age enclosur, cut through the fills of the enclosure ditch [03050] and terminated at the exterior edge of this ditch. Both ditches were similar in size, shape and fill. They were spaced about 1.5 m apart, so were probably too close together to define a trackway. It is possible that these ditches represent the recutting of an established boundary. Stratigraphically these ditches are later than the enclosure but were likely to have been cut when the enclosure was still visible as a slight earthwork. No dating evidence was recovered from either ditch. The westernmost ditch [03204] was continued northwards by a curvilinear ditch [03206] with a 3m wide gap between them forming a possible entrance. Two sherds of grog-tempered pottery of possible Bronze Age date were recovered from ditch [03206]. Not enough of these features was exposed to be certain of their original extent and function.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 68 NE 196 (Index). SDO9937.

<1> Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 79 (Monograph). SDO9379.

<2> Woodward, P J and Smith, R J C, 1987, Survey and excavation along the route of the Southern Dorchester By-pass, 1986-1987 – an interim note (Article in serial). SDO9381.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 1987, Dorchester By-pass (Excavation archive). SDO9385.

Record last edited

Mar 15 2012 10:46AM