Monument record MDO2664 - Romano-British sculpted stone found at Eype, Symondsbury

A Romano-British carved stone, found in a garden at Eype in 1935, was evidently votive. It is 7 1/2 inches in length, complete at the head but broken off below, and bears a circular human mask in low relief, below which are four interlaced circles. (1)

The carving, now on loan to Dorset County Museum, was discovered at the cottage called Ducks Bottom by Mrs Cranko, the former occupier. The site lies in a shallow river valley and is partly lawn and partly garden. (2)

(SY 44779164) The Roman sculpted stone was unearthed between October 1934 and July 1935, and was handed to the curator of Dorchester museum in October 1935. When found it formed one of the cobblestones (or lay beneath them) which were removed to be replaced by paving stones in the garden of Ducks Bottom. No other discoveries were made in the area. (3)

Information as above, referring to OS records. The stone was found within two yards of the house on the S side. (4)

The archaic appearance of the stone suggests if not a pre-Roman origin, at least one very early in the Roman period. Phallic in shape, the human features are cut on the glans, combining the separate elements of the head and pillar on which it was commonly set, no doubt as a fertility symbol. (5)

Full description. (6)

<1> Anon, 1936, The Antiquaries Journal 16, 323 (Serial). SWX1549.

<2> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 21-SEP-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<3> Cranko, O M, 1954, Letter, Mrs O M Cranko. Salisbury House (Unpublished document). SWX1551.

<4> Farrar, R A H, 1955, Archaeological Fieldwork in Dorset 1955. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SWX1552.

<5> Ross, A, 1967, Pagan Celtic Britain, p72 Plate 16b (Monograph). SWX1553.

<6> Cunliffe, B W and Fulford, M G, 1982, Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani, Great Britain, 35 (Monograph). SWX1554.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450222 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 22 2024 8:01PM