Monument record MDO18555 - Alington Avenue Roman cremation burials

Evidence for Roman cremation burials was discovered during excavations at Alington Avenue. Three small pits containing BBW vessels were present in the northern extremity of the D-shaped enclosure, among the extended inhumation burials in that area. Two [3248] & [3866] lay within 5m of each other and the eastern ditch of the droveway, whilst the third [3855] lay some 15m to the south. Graves [3248] & [3866] were both sub-circular, flat-bottomed features with near vertical sides c. 0.8m diameter and c. 0.4m deep. Grave [3248] contained a single pottery vessel and grave [3866] contained two. All three pots were type 1 jars with acute lattice decoration dating to the mid 2nd century AD. Each vessel contained the cremated remains of a single individual; the one in grave [3248] of an adult male and those in [3866] of older sub-adults, one probably male. One of the pots in [3866] also contained a copper alloy stud, whilst the other contained some cremated bones of a sheep and a bird (?food offerings). The third cremation grave [3855] is marginal because it was a different, more irregular shape and only the lower half of the vessel survived and it did not contain any bone.

Found during a series of archaeological evaluations and excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, between 1984-1987. The results of the excavations have been published as a Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph (DNHAS Monograph 15). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published reports (1).

Three small pits containing BBW vessels were present in the northern extremity of the D-shaped enclosure, among the extended inhumation burials in that area. Two [3248] & [3866] lay within 5m of each other and the eastern ditch of the droveway, whilst the third [3855] lay some 15m to the south. Graves [3248] & [3866] were both sub-circular, flat-bottomed features with near vertical sides c. 0.8m diameter and c. 0.4m deep. Grave [3248] contained a single pottery vessel and grave [3866] contained two. All three pots were type 1 jars with acute lattice decoration dating to the mid 2nd century AD. Each vessel contained the cremated remains of a single individual; the one in grave [3248] of an adult male and those in [3866] of older sub-adults, one probably male. One of the pots in [3866] also contained a copper alloy stud, whilst the other contained some cremated bones of a sheep and a bird (?food offerings). The third cremation grave [3855] is marginal because it was a different, more irregular shape and only the lower half of the vessel survived and it did not contain any bone.

<1> Davies, S M, Bellamy, P S , Heaton, M J , and Woodward, P J, 2002, Excavations at Alington Avenue, Fordington, Dorchester, Dorset, 1984-87 (Monograph). SDO9565.

Record last edited

Dec 12 2018 5:45PM