Monument record MDO28518 - Late Saxon oyster shell midden beneath the Town Cellars, Poole

Part of an extensive oyster shell midden radiocarbon dated to the 10th-12th century AD has been discovered beneath the Town Cellars. This midden appears to lie on the sloping beach of an old shoreline. The large size and character of this midden deposit may reflect commercial exploitation of oysters rather than consumption by a local population.

Excavations by Poole Museum within the Town Cellars, Poole in 1973 and 1975 revealed part of an oyster shell midden dated by radiocarbon dating to the 10th-12th century AD. The midden was extensive and continued beyond the limits of the building. The midden was deposited on a sloping sand and shingle surface interpreted as the sloping beach of an ancient shoreline. The midden was 0.2 m thick at its northern end and became progressively thicker down the beach towards the south where it was 0.5 m thick. The upper surface of this midden was crushed suggesting it had been used as a surface in antiquity. (1)

Analysis of the oyster deposit has confirmed that the shells were the result of deliberate deposition following harvesting from the sea. The character and extent of the midden suggests that it represents more than part of the diet of a local population and is possibly more like commercial exploitation, perhaps with the oyster meat being pickled in brine for shipment elsewhere. (2)

<1> Horsey, I P, ed K Jarvis, 1992, Excavations in Poole 1973-1983, 46-48 (Monograph). SWX3766.

<2> Horsey, I P, ed K Jarvis, 1992, Excavations in Poole 1973-1983, 60-61 (Monograph). SWX3766.

Record last edited

Aug 29 2024 3:37PM