Monument record MDO18468 - Poundbury Post-Roman Enclosure PR5

Post-Roman enclosure PR5 was discovered during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester. It was an approximately sub-rectangular enclosure defined by lengths of curvilinear ditches or gullies. There were at least three gaps or entrances into the enclosure. This enclosure surrounded the post-Roman structure PR5 and also the late Roman mausolea R9 and R10, which may have still been extant at this time. Enclosure PR5 was assigned to phase 2 of the post-Roman settlement, which was characterised by a series of small buildings surrounded by small enclosures.

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).

Post Roman enclosure PR5 was an approximately sub-rectangular enclosure defined by curvilinear ditches or gullies [E15], [E97/75/76], [E17] & [E58]. It enclosed the late Roman mausolea R9 and R10 (which may have still been extant in the post-Roman period) and the post-Roman structure PR5. There were gaps or possible entrances into the enclosure, one on the west side lying opposite the entrances to mausolea R9 &R10, one to the southeast and one on the eastern side. There was a large quantity of limestone and flint dumped into the enclosure ditch on the north and northwest sides. This appeared to have been tipped in from within the enclosure. Large quantities of stone rubble were also found in the southeastern terminal of the enclosure ditch.

Post-Roman enclosure PR5 was originally included in phase VB in the published monograph (1). A subsequent review of the post-Roman evidence has placed it in the post-Roman phase 2 settlement (3). Phase 2 of the settlement is distinguished by the appearance of small terraced or sunken-floored buildings of post and wattle construction, each surrounded by irregular ditched enclosures (PR5-10 and PR13) (3). Christopher Sparey-Green has recently suggested that this settlement phase of sunken dwellings within small enclosures represent individual cells for a religious (possibly female) community established on the site of the late Roman cemetery. Enclosure PR5 is similar morphologically to the enclosures surrounding the sunken-featured buildings, although it encloses two stone mausolea and post-built structure PR5 (4).

<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 5:31PM