Monument record MDO18289 - Middle Farm; pits within the Middle Bronze Age enclosure

A small number of features were found in the northern part of the interior of the Middle Bronze Age enclosure during the 1987 Middle Farm excavations by Wessex Archaeology in advance of construction of the Dorchester By-pass. These features included a circular pit containing a small quantity of Bronze Age pottery and a posthole which cut through the edge of the enclosure ditch. These features are not well dated, but are thought to be contemporary with the roundhouse found within the enclosure.

A small scatter of features was found within the northern part of the interior of the Middle Bronze Age ditched enclosure 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 below are context and feature numbers used in the report and archive (1) (3).

These features comprised a pit [03162], two shallow features of indeterminate function [03154] [03159] and a posthole [03172] within an area of about 8m by 7m just inside the northern edge of the Middle Bronze Age enclosure ditch.

Pit [03162] was a circular steep-sided pit with a flat bottom 0.4m deep. It was filled with dark brown clay loam soil and produced two sherds of grog-tempered Bronze Age pottery.

Posthole [03172] cut the fills on the internal edge of the enclosure ditch, so may be later than the enclosure. The precise relationship of the other features with the enclosure is not certain, but they may be contemporary with the round house [03252] which lies to the south within the enclosure.

<1> Smith, R J C et al, 1997, Excavations along the Route of the Dorchester By-pass, Dorset, 1986-8, 73-75 (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, 79-89 (Article in serial). SDO9381.

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

Record last edited

Oct 2 2006 5:38AM