Monument record MDO18453 - Middle Farm, Dorchester; Bronze Age field boundary ditches

Elements of a Bronze Age ditched field system and enclosures was discovered during evaluation and excavation at Middle Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1990 and 1992. This was aligned roughly WNW-ESE and comprised two major ditches with smaller lengths of ditches running off them to form a series of rectilinear enclosures. Numerous gaps are apparent in these enclosures which may have been used to control, funnel and sort livestock. These ditches are probably part of the extensive bounded Bronze Age landscape which has been found to the west of Dorchester. Quantities of Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery and worked flint were recovered from the ditches. The date of the inception of this field system is not clear and may possibly be in the Early Bronze Age, but a Middle Bronze Age date for many of the elements seems more likely. There was some evidence for modifications of this system in the Late Bronze Age.

Elements of a Bronze Age ditched field system and enclosures was discovered during evaluation and excavation at Middle Farm undertaken by Wessex Archaeology in 1990 and 1992 (1) (2) (3).

The main element appears to be a large ditch (1049) running WNW-ESE across the southern half of the site in Trenches 1 and 2. This ditch was up to 2.7m wide and 1.2m deep with steep sides and a flat base. Some Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery and worked flint were recovered from this ditch, together with some vitrified clay or slag from the upper part. A number of smaller ditches were aligned on this ditch and formed elements of rectangular enclosures to the north and south of this ditch.

Further to the north in Trenches 3 and 4 was another ditch (1177) running WNW-ESE, parallel to ditch 1049. At the east end it turns through two right angles to form part of a rectangular enclosure. It was up to 1.8m wide and and 0.8m deep and produced some Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery, together with some worked flint and burnt flint. Numerous other fragments of ditches were exposed, which appear to form parts of rectangular or rectilinear enclosures. Numerous gaps are apparent in these enclosures which may have been used to control, funnel and sort livestock. These ditches are probably part of the extensive bounded Bronze Age landscape which has been found to the west of Dorchester. A number of curvilinear ditches, which produced Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery were also noted within the system.

The date of origin of this field system is not clear; it may possibly be Early Bronze Age, but a Middle Bronze Age date for many of the elements seems more likely. There was some evidence for modification of this system in the Late Bronze Age with the recutting of ditch 1177 and the addition of ditch 1166 in the east part of Trench 3. Both ditches produced some Middle Bronze Age pottery and larger quantities of Late Bronze Age pottery.

<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.

<3> Davies, S M, and Pearce, P, 1990, Middle Farm, Bridport Road, Dorchester. Archaeological Assessment Stage 2: Trial Trenching (Unpublished document). SDO9986.

Record last edited

Feb 4 2011 11:10AM