Monument record MDO18743 - Olds Garage, 55 Bridport Road, Dorchester; Roman Grave 229

Context One Archaeological Services carried out an archaeological evaluation on the site of the former Olds Garage, 55 Bridport Road, Dorchester over three days between the 11th and 13th July 2006. The work was carried out to assist the determination of a planning proposal to redevelop the site.Three trenches were excavated. A total of five inhumations were exposed in the northernmost trench, although no cultural evidence was found in association with them, it can be inferred that they relate to the Roman period. Where the orientation of the burials was discernable they were found to be E-W aligned, supine and extended. This evidence is consistent with a late Roman christian cemetery and they may form part of a known cemetery adjacent to Hawthorne Road c.50m to the east.

A number of Roman graves were discovered during the archaeological evaluation of the site of the former Olds Garage, 55 Bridport Road, Dorchester by Context One Archaeological Services in 2006.

Grave 229 was an ephemeral W-E aligned sub-rectangular feature against the SW section of Trench 2. As exposed, it measured over 0.42m long, 0.62m wide and 0.08m deep. It contained human bone fragments, visible within the trench section. This is probably the remains of the heavily truncated eastern end of a Late Roman extended inhumation burial.

Slator, J, 2006, Former Olds Garage, 55 Bridport Road, Dorchester, Dorset. An Archaeological Field Evaluation (Unpublished document). SDO9930.

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:34PM