Monument record MDO18846 - Early Roman timber building, South Street, Dorchester;

Traces of an early Roman timber building comprising timber beam slots and a post hole cut into the old ground surface were observed in a gas main trench along South Street in 1979.

Traces of an early Roman timber building comprising timber beam slots and a post hole cut into the old ground surface were observed in a gas main trench along South Street in 1979. The building remains lay to the south of an E-W street. They were sealed by the chalk floor of a later building. (1-2)

The type of construction of this building is similar to Building 477 excavated at the Methodist Chapel site in 1981 and it is in a similar position relative to the Roman street. (3)

<1> Keen, L, 1979, Dorset Archaeology in 1979. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 135 (Article in serial). SDO9647.

Further south opposite the Methodist Church, a metalled road 7-8 m wide continued the line of an E-W road already recorded in the western half of the town (SY 69259064). This was flanked on the south by a substantial building with chalk floors and flint and mortar walls extending 35-40 m to the south. Traces of earlier, slighter structures underlay it.

<2> Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1993, Excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, 1981-1984, 5-7 (Monograph). SDO9411.

OBSERVATION 14: Records for gas-main trench for 60m along South Street to south of recorded Roman street (Observation 13); identified sequence of substantial Roman buildings occurring up to 30m along pipe trench back from Roman street, subsidiary buildings south. Could link with c. 30m zone of principal buildings on northern frontage of insula (cf Fig. 2, excavation trenches C and P), in which case zone to east of observation indicates gap or narrowing of built frontage at this point (Observations 2-4). Some of remains may relate to zone of buildings on western frontage, as also less substantial remains recorded in pipe-trench to south (cf Observation 15).
Three phase sequence of building identified in record for northern street frontage. Primary timber slots and a post-hole cut into old ground surface sealed by chalk floor bounded on south by substantial foundation 12m south of insula frontage. Demolition debris of building contained wall plaster and was sealed by mixed soils with limestone chips, which may derive from construction trenches and debris from erection of later substantial building on street frontage. This later street frontage building identified in flint and mortar foundation cut to south of roadside ditch (Observation 13), associated chalk floors to south. No concrete, mortar or tessellated surfaces recorded, but plan can be linked to building to west constructed in the 3rd-4th century AD on the northern street frontage (cf, Fig. 2, excavation trench A; RCHM 1970, Monument 198). Flavian samian recovered from below floor of phase 2. 2nd-3rd century samian found in phase 3 construction level. TO south was sunken and heavily robbed area with traces of hypocaust debris which can be linked to building recorded on western street frontage (Observation 15). Quantity of Flavian and pre-Flavian samian recovered here from earliest floors and construction levels.

<3> Woodward, P J , Davies, S M , and Graham, A H, 1993, Excavations at the Old Methodist Chapel and Greyhound Yard, Dorchester, 1981-1984, 38 (Monograph). SDO9411.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 7:32PM