Monument record MDO18380 - Poundbury Late Iron Age Structure IA4

Late Iron Age Structure IA4 was one of a number of Iron Age round houses found on the slopes to the east of Poundbury Camp during excavations at Poundbury. It comprised an outer ring slot with an internal post ring forming a structure about 7m in diameter, together with a number of other associated postholes. Three pits were found just to the north of this house and were probably associated with it. To the north of the pits was a scoop containing a large quantity of Durotrigian pottery and a small scoop containing two horse skulls was dug into the top of an earlier pit. Mid 1st century AD finds were associated with round house IA4. Round house IA4, together with its associated pits formed the third phase of unenclosed settlement on this part of the site. Unlike the earlier and later phases, it appeared to comprise only a single house.

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).

The Late Iron Age round house, Structure IA4, was excavated in the northern end of the site on site E, on the slopes to the east of Poundbury camp. Round house IA4 was terraced into the hill slope and consisted of a curving trench and a group of 35 post-holes. The precise form and reconstruction of this house is very difficult to determine because of the overlap between it and the later round house IA4, together with the large amount of disturbance in this area. It was defined by an outer ring slot containing traces of stakeholes along the base, defining a structure about 7.3m in diameter. There was an internal post ring and a cluster of postholes on the east side may have been associated with an entrance. Durotrigian pottery was recovered from the ring slot and a sherd of Corfe Mullen ware of Pre-Flavian or Flavian date was recovered from one of the post holes, suggesting a mid 1st century AD date.

Round House IA5 cut by the earlier Late Iron Age round house IA9.

Three pits [E874, E876, E901] were found immediately north of the house and were possibly associated with it. Further north, a shallow scoop was dug into the top of the earlier pit [E613] and two horse skulls were deposited in it. A hollow [E470] just to the north of the pits contained a large quantity of Durotrigian pottery and may be associated with this settlement phase.

Unlike earlier and later phases of unenclosed settlement on this site, round house IA4 appears to have been a single house, rather than one of a pair of houses.

<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 6:57AM