Monument record MDO18387 - Poundbury Late Iron Age / Early Roman Boundary System

Evidence for a boundary system spanning the late Iron Age and Early Roman periods, was discovered during excavations at Poundbury. The first phase, in the Late Iron Age, consisted of a single ditch, which had been recut at least three times, running approximately N-S along the eastern side of the excavations. This boundary ditch may relate to further settlement in or near the coombe. During the early Roman period, this boundary was redefined by a new ditch slightly further to the east. This ditch had been completely silted up by the 2nd century AD. A Late Iron Age / Early Roman cemetery lay adjacent to this boundary.

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).

At the eastern end of the excavation area in Sites C and G, elements of a Late Iron Age and Early Roman ditched boundary system were found. This comprised a ditch running N-S, which was traced for a distance of over 60m and continued both north and south beyond the excavated area. This ditch about 0.6m wide and 0.3m deep with sloping sides and a flat base. There was evidence for at least two recuts in places. The latest recut was 1.2m wide and 0.35m deep. This ditch contained Durotrigian pottery, animal bone, charcoal and briquetage in its upper levels and the upper fill of the latest recut contained Durotrigian potter, briquetage, flint and charcoal. Mollusca from this ditch suggested it existed in an open environment throughout its history. Further occupation deposits containing Durotrigian pottery were found overlying the southern part of this ditch and the area to the east, suggesting there may have been another settlement area beyond the excavated area, perhaps to the west and southwest of Site C.

During the early Roman period, the boundary ditch appears to have been redefined on a slightly different line slightly further east. To the south, this ditch only survived as a shallow feature 0.75m wide and 0.25m deep, but further to the north it was more substantial, being about 1.8m wide and 0.45m deep. There was evidence for a recut in the northern part of the ditch. Durotrigian pottery was recovered from the lower fills of the recut and Samian and other pottery of early Antonine date was found in the upper fills.

This ditch may have been initially dug in the pre-conquest and early Roman period and was completely silted up by the late 2nd century AD.

A number of burials were found adjacent to both of these boundary ditches.

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.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2010 6:57AM