Monument record MDO18276 - Land West of Poundbury Farm; Prehistoric gullies

Two curvilinear gullies were found in Trench 6 during an evaluation of land to the west of Poundbury Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 2000 and were initially interpreted as possibly being part of a round house. Subsequently, it was targeted for further excavation in August 2001, which revealed that the gullies were in fact part of a discontinuous irregular ditch oriented roughly NW-SE. A small quantity of Middle Bronze Age pottery and worked flint was recovered. The precise function of these ditches is not known, but it is likely that they are associated with the extensive Bronze Age field system found in this area, or activity within this field system.

Two curvilinear gullies were found in Trench 6 during an evaluation of land to the west of Poundbury Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 2000. These shallow gullies were initially interpreted as perhaps belonging to a penannular gully of about 6m diameter and possibly being part of a round house (1). Subsequently, this area was targeted for further excavation in August 2001. The results of the excavation (Trench 1) revealed that the gullies were in fact a discontinuous irregular ditch oriented roughly NW-SE. The northern gully was of an irregular profile and between 0.25-0.38m wide and 0.1-0.23m deep. It was filled with a light yellow to greyish-brown soil, which was thought to be a natural erosion deposit. Some fragments of Middle Bronze Age pottery and worked flint was recovered from this ditch. The southern gully was more curvilinear and was generally V-shaped in profile, 0.32m wide and between 0.1-0.5m in depth. It was filled with similar material to the northern gully and a small quantity of worked flint was recovered.

The precise function of these ditches is not known, but it is likely that they are associated with the extensive Bronze Age field system found in this area, or activity within this field system.

Seager-Smith, R, 2000, Land to the West of Poundbury Farm, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Evaluation. (Unpublished document). SDO9529.

Dagless, N, 2001, Land to the West of Poundbury Farm, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Excavation. (Unpublished document). SDO9532.

Gardiner, J, 2003, Dorchester, Land to the West and South-West of Poundbury Farm, 2000-2001. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeology Society, 154-156 (Article in serial). SDO9530.

Record last edited

Sep 21 2006 12:31PM