Monument record MDO18479 - Poundbury Post-Roman Structure PR8

Post-Roman structure PR8 was discovered within the south central part of the later post-Roman enclosure during the 1966-79 excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester. This sunken-featured structure was of sub-rectangular plan with an approximately level base with ledges on the west and northern sides. A post-hole at the west end would probably have supported a roof and two post-holes on the northern side may indicate the position of a doorway. Stakeholes in the base formed no clear pattern. The fill of the sunken feature contained loom weights, part of a bone comb and an antler tool. A radiocarbon date of ad 450 ± 70 was obtained from charcoal in the fill. Structure PR8 lay within the sub-enclosure PR7/8. This structure was assigned initially to phase VB and subsequently reassigned to post-Roman phase 2 settlement. The size of this structure is comparable to small sheds from the Roman period settlement, but it is likely that this hut served a dual domestic and workshop function. Sparey-Green has recently suggested that these sunken dwellings represent individual cells for a religious (possibly female) community established 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).

Post-Roman structure PR8 was a sunken-featured structure of sub-rectangular plan, which lay to the northeast of structure PR7 on the eastern side of Site E, within the minor ditched enclosure PR7/8. It comprised a sub-rectangular hollow 4.3m x 3.7m across and up to 0.5m deep, with gently sloping sides except on the west, which was near vertical in parts. The floor was roughly level and on the west and northern sides there were slight ledges. A post-hole [E148] at the west end would probably have contained a post for the roof and two post-holes on the northern side may indicate the position of a doorway. Stakeholes in the base of the hollow formed no clear pattern, and could have supported a floor or internal fittings, such as a loom. A few ring-shaped loom weights were found in the fill of the hollow.

The main fill was of rubble and soil, beneath which was a layer of chalky soil and charcoal. This layer contained not only the loom weights, but also part of a bone comb and an antler tool. This structure lay within the sub-enclosure PR7/8.

Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from wood and charcoal within the lower fill: AD70±70 (HAR 995) and AD450±70 (HAR 996), both uncalibrated dates. Although these dates appear to be initially problematic, they are most easily explained by the presence of residual or old timbers in the deposit (1).

The size of this structure is comparable to small sheds from the Roman period settlement, but it is likely that this hut served a dual domestic and workshop function (1). Sparey-Green has recently suggested that these sunken dwellings represent individual cells for a religious (possibly female) community established on the site of the late Roman cemetery (4).

Post-Roman building PR8 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 (PR6-10 and PR13) (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 5:32PM