Monument record MDO18372 - Poundbury; Early Bronze Age house BA4

Evidence for an Early Bronze Age round house was discovered during excavations at Poundbury in the coombe at the base of the eastern slopes of the later Poundbury Camp. The structure comprised a semi circular scoop or terrace with a series of stake holes around the western side. It is not clear whether further post-holes within the terrace form part of an internal post-ring. Associated external pits may have served as hearths.

Found during the excavations directed by Christopher Sparey Green, for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, between 1966 and 1979 during development of the Grove Trading Estate on the eastern slopes of Poundbury Camp, Dorchester (1). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published reports (1) (2).

An Early Bronze Age round house [BA4] was excavated in the northern part of Site C. This comprised the western side of a semi-circular terrace, 5.64m in diameter and 0.1m deep at the back (western end). This presumably formed part of the floor of a circular or oval hut with a floor area of 25m2. Round the western side of the terrace a series of stake-holes [C341] possibly formed part of the outer wall of the hut; solution features in the natural may have masked others. Six post-holes lay on or near the circumference of the terrace and may form part of a central post-ring, although they vary considerably in shape and depth. The only notable find from their fills was part of a cylindrical clay weight. The grey-brown, slightly chalky fill of the terrace contained many small sherds of pottery, worked flint, and animal bone fragments. This deposit also contained four bone points and a tiny scrap of bronze in the vicinity of post-holes pertaining to a later structure.

Three small pits, external to but associated with [BA4], contained charcoal and calcined flint and may have served as hearths. The house appears to have been set within a rectangular enclosure composed of postholes and gullies, one of the former contained charcoal dated to 1430 +/- 70BC. It seems likely that this settlement was contemporary with the round barrow cemetery on the hilltop. Finds from this phase were rare and there is no information on the economy supporting the settlement (2).

<1> Sparey Green, C, 1987, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1982. Volume 1: The Settlements (Monograph). SDO9630.

<2> Sparey Green, C, 1966-1979, Poundbury, Grove Trading Estate, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10096.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2010 6:56AM