Monument record MDO18374 - Poundbury Early Roman Oven E181

An Early Roman Oven was discovered during excavations on site E at Poundbury, Dorchester, west of two Early Roman buildings. It consisted of a sub-rectangular pit (1.52m x 1.83m) lined with puddled chalk and flint and with a flue at the east end. The floor was covered with charcoal and burnt grain, which was sealed by the collapse cob and flint superstructure.

Found during the excavations directed by Christopher Sparey Green, for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, between 1966 and 1980 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 report and archive (1) (2).

An oven [E181] was found about five metres to the west of two Early Roman structures R18 and R21 and may be contemporary with them. It consisted of a sub-rectangular pit, 1.5m x 1.8m in plan and 0.4m deep, which had been disturbed on the east and south sides. The longer north and south sides of the pit were lined with puddled chalk and flints, which came together at the east end to form the sides of a flue 0.3m wide. Concentrated in this flue, and in the oven chamber was a layer of ash, charcoal and burnt grain on the level floor of the feature, sealed by collapsed cob and flints from the superstructure. The stokehole had presumably lain downhill to the east but had been totally destroyed, as had any trace of any surrounding structure.

<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