Monument record MDO18298 - Middle Farm; Bronze age field boundary

A ditch running E-W across the bottom of a coombe was found during the 1987 excavations at Middle Farm in advance of the Dorchester By-pass construction. The ditch cut a Bronze Age colluvial soil and contained a very small quantity of Bronze Age pottery. It may be a Middle Bronze Age field boundary ditch.

Found during the 1987 evaluation in Trench FR14 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).

A Ditch [03001] was found running E-W across the valley floor in Trench B. It had steep sides and a flat bottom and cut through a Bronze Age colluvial soil representing arable conditions. Two sherds of grog-tempered Bronze Age pottery was recovered from this ditch, which is assumed to be a field boundary ditch, perhaps part of a more extensive field system across the area.

<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 6 2006 2:33AM