Monument record MDO19701 - South of Tinney's Lane, Sherborne; post medieval pit cluster

Excavations by Wessex Archaeology at the south side of Tinney’s Lane during 1997 revealed evidence for three adjacent shallow pits in the south central area of the site, containing charcoal rich deposits. A single sherd of Verwood pottery was found in the fill together with animal bone, worked flint and two degrarded copper alloy objects. The presence of hammerscale suggests that these were rubbish pits associated with small-scale smithing.

Found during excavations conducted by Wessex Archaeology during January 1997 in advance of a housing development (Knotts Paddock) south of Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne. The results of the excavation have been published in PDNHAS, 121, 53-69 (1). Numbers in square brackets below refer to context numbers given in this report.

Three adjacent shallow pits [49, 56 and 109] were excavated in the south central area of the site. They containied charcoal rich deposits which extended above and beyond the boundaries of the individual cuts but no in situ burning was noted. A single sherd of Verwood pottery was found in the fill together with animal bone, worked flint and two degraded copper alloy objects.

The presence of hammerscale suggests that these were rubbish pits associated with small-scale smithing somewhere in the vicinity. (1)

<1> McKinley, J I, 1999, Excavations at Tinney’s Lane, Sherborne, Dorset; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10368.

Record last edited

Sep 19 2007 3:02AM