Monument record MDO18451 - Middle Farm, Dorchester; Early Neolithic pits

A cluster of five Early Neolithic pits was found in the northern part of Trench 4 during excavations at Middle Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1992. Four of these pits were close together (one was a recutting of an earlier pit) and the fifth was a short distance away to the east. These pits produced large quantities of Early Neolithic pottery (including some near complete vessels) and worked flint (including a leaf-shaped arrowhead), together with a number of quern fragments. It is unclear whether these pits represent a single episode of activity or are the result of revisiting the site on a number of occasions. The patterning of the material within the pits suggests some structured deposition, in particular the association of the large quantities of pottery with material of a domestic nature (flints and querns) may point to some of the social and subsistence contexts from which this formalised activity derived its meaning.

A cluster of five Early Neolithic pits was found in the northern part of Trench 4 during excavations at Middle Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1992 (1) (2). These were between 1.2-1.8m in diameter and 0.4-1.3m deep, filled with silty or clay loams, with charcoal-rich fills in two of the pits. Four of these pits were close together (one was a recutting of an earlier pit) and the fifth was a short distance away to the east.

This latter pit (pit 1096) produced 90 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery and 249 pieces of worked flint. Most of the finds were from the lowest fill and these included sherds from eight vessels, including a gabbroic (South-Western style) bowl, another gabbroic vessel and five jars; a large quantity of flint, a whetstone and a sarsen block. The middle fill contained a quern fragment and a large quantity of pottery including a rim sherd from a gabbroic bowl. The upper fill produced only a small number of body sherds.

Pit 1504 had a single fill which produced a largely complete Neolithic bowl and fragments of other vessels (92 sherds) and a 70 pieces of worked flint, including a leaf-shaped arrowhead. This pit was recut and the fill produced 34 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery and 103 pieces of worked flint. The adjacent pit 1507 had four fills, which produced 41 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery and 248 pieces of worked flint. The lowest fill contained two quern fragments and a large part of a closed bowl. Pit 1506 lay just to the south of pit 1507 and had two fills, the lower produced 104 pieces of worked flint and the upper 27 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery, mainly from open bowls, and fragments of a large saddle quern.

It is unclear whether these pits represent a single episode of activity or are the result of revisiting the site on a number of occasions. The patterning of the material within the pits suggests some structured deposition, in particular the large quantity of pottery (in some cases complete vessels). The association of the pottery with material of a domestic nature (flints and querns) may point to some of the social and subsistence contexts from which this formalised activity derived its meaning. There is now no evidence in the landscape why this particular area was chosen for this activity.

<1> Butterworth, C , and Gibson, C, 2004, Neolithic Pits and a Bronze Age Field System at Middle Farm, Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 15-25 (Article in serial). SDO9654.

<2> Smith, R J C, 1992, Middle Farm, Bridport Road, Dorchester. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 239 (Article in serial). SDO9655.

Record last edited

Dec 11 2006 4:24AM