Monument record MDO18319 - Early Roman pits, WDDC car park, Colliton Street, DorchesterEarly Roman pits

Three small pits probably dating to the 1st-2nd century AD were found during a watching brief carried out by Terrain Archaeology in 2000 during the replacement of a retaining wall. None of these pits was fully exposed or fully excavated. Given the very small area exposed, it is difficult to interpret the character of the activity represented by these features.

Three small pits, probably dating to the 1st-2nd century AD were found during a watching brief carried out by Terrain Archaeology in 2000 during the replacement of a retaining wall (1) (2). The numbers in square brackets are context numbers used in the report and archive (1).

Pit [108] was a small square or rectangular pit, partially exposed in the southern part of the trench. It had straight steeply-sloping sides and was not bottomed. This pit cut through the pre-urban soil and was sealed by a Roman chalk floor. It was filled with yellowish-brown clay soil and chalk, with a few charcoal flecks. A small quantity of Roman coarseware pottery was recovered, but this was not closely datable.

Pit [117] was probably originally circular or oval in shape, but had been largely destroyed by later Roman activity. It was not fully excavated. It was filled with yellowish-grey clay soil with chalk and some charcoal flecks. It produced a small quantity of Black-burnished ware of 1st-2nd century date.

Pit [139] was a shallow feature with a rather irregular base, which lay adjacent to pit [117] and had been largely destroyed by later activity. Its plan shape is not known. It was filled with chalky yellowish-brown clay soil, which produced fragments of mussel shell, Roman tile and 1st-2nd century Black Burnished Ware pottery.

Given the very small area exposed, it is difficult to interpret the character of the activity represented by these features.

<1> Bellamy, P, 2000, West Dorset District Council Car Park, Colliton Street, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Observations (Unpublished document). SDO9517.

<2> Bellamy, P S, 2000, Dorchester, WDDC Car Park, Colliton Street. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 173 (Article in serial). SDO9518.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1431033 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:28PM