Monument record MDO18412 - Poundbury Late Roman Mausoleum R2

Evidence for a possible Late Roman mausoleum R2 was discovered during excavations at Poundbury in the western part of the main Late Roman cemetery. Only a small part of the stone rubble footing of the west side of the structure was expsoed. A layer of demolition rubble lay to the east of the wall below which lay three graves. The latest grave contained a 20-35 year old female in a Ham stone coffin; another Ham stone coffin contained a badly preserved skeleton with a bone comb near the head. The earliest grave was that of a ten-year-old in a wooden coffin with nails and brackets. Interpretation of the remains was complicated by the fact that the latest grave had been first exposed as early as 1914-18 during building work.

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).

Traces of a possible mausoleum (R2) were found on site A in the western part of the main cemetery. In the western corner of the trench a few rough limestone and flint blocks were found lying on a layer of mortar adhering to the natural chalk. This possibly represented a maximum exposed length of 1.22m of wall footing. No other traces of walling or occupation material were found. A layer of demolition rubble lay to the east of the wall consisting of grey-brown soil with limestone and flint rubble and limestone roof tiles overlying grey soil with plaster rubble. Below this lay three graves. The latest grave [2] contained a 20-35 year old female in a Ham stone coffin; grave [8] contained another Ham stone coffin with a badly preserved skeleton buried with a bone comb near the head. The earliest grave [9] was that of a ten-year-old in a wooden coffin with nails and brackets. Interpretation of the remains was complicated by the fact that grave [2] had been first exposed as early as 1914-18 during building work and some confusion arose as to the stratigraphic sequence between the grave fills and the building debris. However the presence of stone coffins so close to a wall footing makes their association quite plausible. The suggestion that this is a mausoleum rests on this association and its position within the area of the main cemetery.

<1> Farwell, D E and Molleson, T I, 1993, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1980. Volume II: The Cemeteries (Monograph). SDO9538.

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

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:26PM