Monument record MDO18329 - Industrial Development Site, Poundbury, Dorchester; prehistoric chalk quarry

Part of a very large pit was exposed during the evaluation of a plot of land proposed for development by Dorset Cereals, by Exeter Archaeology in 1999. This pit was was between 7m-8.5m across and over 2m deep and was filled with brown to yellowish-brown clays. Six small abraded sherds of prehistoric, probably Iron Age, pottery and a small quantity of worked flint were recovered from the upper levels. This pit was interpreted by the excavators as a post-medieval chalk pit, but its size, shape and fill, suggest that it is more likely to be a prehistoric chalk quarry. A number of similar features have been found in the vicinity and have been tentatively dated to the Iron Age/ Roman period.

Part of a very large pit was exposed during the evaluation of a plot of land proposed for development by Dorset Cereals, by Exeter Archaeology in 1999. This pit was found in evaluation Trench 5 and was between 7m-8.5m across and over 2m deep with steeply sloping sides. The full plan shape of this pit was not exposed and it was not bottomed. It was filled with brown to yellowish-brown clays, with frequent chalk fragments in the lowest exposed fill. The upper part of the pit produced six small abraded sherds of prehistoric, probably Iron Age, pottery and a small quantity of worked flint (1).

This pit was interpreted by the excavators as a post-medieval chalk pit. However, its size, shape and fill, suggest that it is more likely to be a prehistoric chalk quarry. A number of similar features have been found in the vicinity and have been tentatively dated to the Iron Age/ Roman period (2) (3).

<1> Reed, S J, 1999, Archaeological Evaluation of an Industrial Development Site, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO9543.

<2> Appleton, C, 2005, Poundbury Development, Phase II, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Post-Excavation Assessment Report (Unpublished document). SDO9932.

<3> Seager-Smith, R, 2001, New Cemetery, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset: Archaeological Excavation. (Unpublished document). SDO9522.

Record last edited

Oct 19 2006 3:34AM