Monument record MDO18377 - Poundbury Early Roman Unenclosed Settlement

Evidence for an Early Roman unenclosed settlement, was discovered during excavations at Poundbury. The settlement was on the site of a previous Middle-Late Iron Age settlement on the eastern slope of Poundbury Camp. It comprised two rectangular timber buildings R18 and R21 terraced into the slope and centred respectively on the site of Iron Age houses IA2/10 and IA5. A number of small pits and scoops were found to the east and a corn drying oven was found to the west. This settlement is dated to the late 1st to late 2nd century AD.

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 report and archive (1) (2).

A small early Roman unenclosed settlement was found on the slopes to the east of Poundbury Camp, overlying the earlier Late Iron Age settlement. It comprised two rectangular structures R18 and R21 terraced into the slope and a possible corn drying oven to the west. The finds from these structures suggest a late 1st to late 2nd century AD date for this settlement. The pairing of two buildings, one larger and one smaller, recalls the Late Iron Age settlement in this area. The early Roman settlement can be seen to be a direct continuation of the earlier one, but with a change from round to rectangular buildings.

Green, C J S, 1977, Poundbury. A Summary of Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset carried out between 1966 and 1976 (Unpublished document). SDO16394.

Green, C J S, 1979, Poundbury. A summary of recent excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester (Unpublished document). SDO16393.

<1> Sparey Green, C, 1966-1979, Poundbury, Grove Trading Estate, Dorchester (Excavation archive). SDO10096.

<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

Feb 20 2019 4:53PM