Monument record MDO18431 - Poundbury Middle Iron Age Structure IA7

Discovered during excavations at Poundbury, Middle Iron Age structure IA7 was one of two ring-slot round houses found in the southwest corner of the Middle Iron Age ditched enclosure, which formed the earliest phase of settlement on a terrace occupied until the 2nd century AD. Round house IA7 only survived as a short arc of a ring gully on a circular terrace. A pit containing Middle Iron Age pottery was found within the NE quadrant of the house and may have been associated with it.

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 reports (1) (2).

Middle Iron Age Structure IA7 was identified in the southwestern part of the Middle Iron Age ditched enclosure. It was heavily disturbed by later activity and comprised the remnant of a circular terrace containing a short length of a ring slot [E976], which, when projected, would indicate the remains of a round house about 9m in diameter. A pit [E696] was found in the northeastern quadrant of this round house. It contained some Middle Iron Age pottery and was cut by a posthole belonging to the later Iron Age structure IA5. It may have been associated with round house IA7. The ring gully was cut by two later Iron Age structures (IA2 and IA10).

The Middle Iron Age round house IA7 lay adjacent to another round house (IA6), which together form the earliest phase of a settlement that continued into the 2nd century AD. They were the only pair of houses that did not impinge on the silted ditch of the Middle Iron Age enclosure and, therefore, could have been contemporary with the final phases of use of the enclosure.

<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

Aug 3 2010 5:28PM