Monument record MDO18073 - Flagstones enclosure burial of child 00363 in segment 14

The crouched burial of a 10-12 year old child inserted into segment 14 of the Flagstones enclosure ditch, during the primary filling of the segment. A radiocarbon date of 3095-2500 cal BC at 2 sigma (OxA-2321) was obtained from this burial.

Found within the probably circular enclosure partly revealed by excavation at Flagstones by Wessex Archaeology in 1987-1988 in advance of the construction of the Dorchester By-pass. The following description is abstracted from the final published report on the site (1). The numbers in square brackets refer to context numbers quoted in the report.

In segment 14 on the west side of the enclosure a burial was inserted after about 700mm of rain-washed silt and chalk rubble had accumulated in the base. A cut [00363] was made through the primary fills down on to the base of the segment ditch. The crouched body of a 10-12 year old child was placed in the bottom of this pit. A radiocarbon date of 2910-2610 cal BC at 2 sigma (OxA-2321) was obtained from this burial.

National Monuments Record, NMR Monument Record, SY 78 NW 67 (Index). SDO9937.

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

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, 79-89 (Article in serial). SDO9381.

<1> Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 27-48 (Monograph). SDO9379.

Record last edited

May 6 2010 11:02AM