Monument record MDO18566 - Poundbury Pipeline, Dorchester; Roman burials A

Three Roman burials were found during the digging of a water pipeline to the east of Poundbury Camp and recorded by Wessex Archaeology. Two graves oriented E-W were found cut into the natural chalk. Both contained adult extended inhumations, buried in wooden coffins, represented by surviving coffin nails. Only a small part of the lower legs and feet of the burials was exposed. A third grave was found directly beneath the northern one, again only the lower limbs and coffin nails were exposed. These burials were outlying burials to the main Late Roman cemetery at Poundbury.

Three Roman burials were found during the digging of a water pipeline to the east of Poundbury Camp and recorded by Wessex Archaeology (1) (2) (3) (4). Two graves oriented E-W were found 2.3m apart cut into the natural chalk. Both contained adult extended inhumations, buried in wooden coffins, represented by surviving coffin nails. Only a small part of the lower legs and feet of the burials was exposed. A third grave was found directly beneath the northern one, again only the lower limbs and coffin nails were exposed.

These burials were outlying burials to the main Late Roman cemetery at Poundbury (5).

<1> Davies, S M and Grieve, D, 1986, 'The Poundbury pipe-line: Archaeological Observations and Excavations', Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 81-88 (Article in serial). SDO9537.

<2> Grieve, D and Davies, S M, 1986, The Poundbury Pipe-Line: Archaeological Observations and Excavations 1986 (Unpublished document). SDO157.

<3> Grieve, D, and Davies, S M, 1986, The Poundbury Pipeline. Archaeological Observations and Excavations, 1986 (Excavation archive). SDO10064.

<4> Frere, S S, 1987, 'Roman Britain in 1986: 1. Sites explored', Britannia, 345 (Article in serial). SDO9988.

<5> Farwell, D E and Molleson, T I, 1993, Excavations at Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset 1966-1980. Volume II: The Cemeteries, 15 (Monograph). SDO9538.

Record last edited

Jan 11 2007 6:04AM