Monument record MDO18442 - Poundbury Post-Roman grain drier 2

Post-Roman grain drier 2 was discovered next to post-Roman structure PR3a and late Roman Mausoleum R8, during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester. It comprised a sub-rectangular pit with a partial limestone lining, filled with layers of charred plant remains (oats, barley, wheat and weeds) and ash and charcoal lenses. Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from this charred grain in the oven chamber both giving a date within the late 5th or 6th century AD. It has been suggested by the excavator that the adjacent mausoleum R8 was used as a store in conjunction with this drier. Post-Roman grain drier 2 was assigned, along with buildings PR1a, PR2b, PR3a, PR15, PR16 and possibly PR14; pit groups ii-v; grain driers 1,2,3 & 5 to phase 1 of the post-Roman settlement. This represented the earliest post-Roman settlement on the site of the late Roman cemetery.

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 excavation report and archive (1)(2). Further refinement of the post-Roman settlement sequence has been undertaken by Christopher Sparey Green since the initial publication of the site and this has been taken into account in the following description (3) (4).

Grain drier 2 lay immediately to the north of structure PR3a and west of the Late Roman mausoleum R8 (which may have still been in use). It comprised a sub-rectangular pit with steep sides and a relatively flat base, aligned E-W. A few pitched limestones lay upright against the sides of the pit, some of which were blackened and burnt. The oven structure appeared to be in the west with the firing pit in the east. Several layers of charred grain lay near the base of the pit, separated by thick layers of ash and charcoal. The grain included oats, barley and wheat, together with some weed species, probably the remains of processed crops Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from this charred grain in the oven chamber both giving a date within the late 5th or 6th century AD.

Charred grain was found in mausoleum R8, which had its entrance directly facing the grain drier, and this has lead the excavator to suggest that it was used in conjunction with the grain drier, possibly as a store at this date.

Grain drier 2 was one of four driers assigned to phase 5A (1). In a later reappraisal of the post-Roman settlements, this feature was assigned, along with buildings PR1a, PR2a, PR3a, PR5, PR15, and possibly PR14; pit groups ii-v; grain driers 2,3 & 5 to phase 1 of the post-Roman settlement. This represented the earliest post-Roman settlement on the site of the late Roman cemetery (3).

<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.

<3> Sparey Green, C J, 1996, Poundbury, Dorset: settlement and economy in the Late and post-Roman Dorchester (Article in monograph). SDO10040.

<4> Sparey Green, C J, Living amongst the dead: From Roman cemetery to post-Roman monastic settlement at Poundbury (Article in monograph). SDO10041.

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:30PM