Monument record MDO18433 - Poundbury Middle Iron Age Unenclosed Settlement

The Middle Iron Age unenclosed settlement was excavated on the northern part of the site on Site E, which lay on the slopes to the east of Poundbury Camp. It comprised a pair of round houses (IA3 and IA8) and a contemporary pit [E613] and lay in the same area as the earlier enclosed Middle Iron Age settlement. Round house IA3 cut through the silted up ditches of the Middle Iron Age enclosure, so this settlement clearly post-dates the enclosure. House IA8 was about 7.5m in diameter and comprised an outer ring slot and an inner concentric post ring. House IA3 comprised a ring slot defining a house about 5.5m in diameter. This was the first phase of unenclosed settlement in this area.

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 Middle Iron Age unenclosed settlement was excavated on the northern part of the site on Site E, which lay on the slopes to the east of Poundbury Camp. It comprised a pair of round houses (IA3 and IA8) and a contemporary pit [E613] and lay in the same area as the earlier enclosed Middle Iron Age settlement. Round house IA3 cut through the silted up ditches of the Middle Iron Age enclosure, so this settlement clearly post-dates the enclosure. House IA8 was about 7.5m in diameter and comprised an outer ring slot and an inner concentric post ring. House IA3 comprised a ring slot defining a house about 5.5m in diameter. This was the first phase of unenclosed settlement in this area.

<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 5:29PM