Monument record MDO319 - Iron Age and Romano-British occupation at Quarry Lodden, Bincombe

During construction of a gas pipeline in 1971 a deep layer of black soil, several pits and a number of crouched burials were seen by E Flatters. Subsequently a small excavation was carried out at the point where occupation seemed most dense. Several levels of floor interspersed with layers containing occupation debris, a pit and hearths were recorded. One floor appeared to be made partly of slabs of shale, which the excavators suggested may have been the floor of a narrow passage. Finds included an unfinished shale armlet and a fragment of another, leading to the suggestion that there may at some time have been shale working on the site.

In 1971 during construction of the trench for a gas pipeline passing east of Dorchester to the eastern end of Came Wood and then south-eastwards across the South Dorset Ridgeway along the spur to the west of Coombe Valley, Eric Flatters noticed an unusual depth of black soil east of Quarry Lodden. He also saw several pits and a number of crouched burials, one with a bowl of the so-called ‘war cemetery’ type seen at Maiden Castle. Subsequently small excavation was carried out at the point where observations of the trench suggested that occupation was most dense. Two trenches 3m long and 1.5m wide were excavated parallel to the pipeline trench and about 5m from it on either side. In due course the northern trench was abandoned, and the southern one extended to a 3m by 3m square.

Immediately below the ploughsoil was a small area of a floor constructed of flat stones packed with puddled chalk. No dating evidence was found, but the floor was interpreted as representing the remnants of a later Romano-British level, largely ploughed out. An accumulation of dark soil overlay a floor of compacted limestone fragments. Pottery in this dark soil was Durotrigian and Romano-British. This floor sealed a pit, the fillings of which contained a little pottery.

Below the floor was a partly broken up floor of stone and shale over a thick layer of black earth and stone over another floor of large stone slabs and a hearth of puddled chalk. Three slabs of shale were found, and the excavators speculated that these may have been the floor of a narrow passageway. The black layer and ash from the hearth contained Iron Age B and early Durotrigian pottery.

Below this was a series of alternating hearths with layers of ash, down to a layer over natural limestone. At this level Iron Age A pottery was found, with fabrics and forms comparable to those at Maiden Castle, Pins Knoll and Chalbury. This pottery included heamatite-coated situlate jars and derivative types, in fabric described as hard, occasionally burnished and varying in colour from bright red to dullish brown.

Finds from the site included an unfinished shale armlet and a fragment of another, leading to speculation that there may at some time have been shale working on the site. It is not clear from the report whether any other shale objects or waste were noted. Other finds included worked bone awls and flat pieces of bone, also worked, and a bone implement possibly associated with weaving. An iron stylus and knife blade were found, and a bronze object described as a ‘fish’ by the excavators, but which appears to be a nail cleaner. <1>

SY 6902 8396. An Iron Age/Romano-British occupation site at Quarry Lodden, which had first been revealed in 1969 during the laying of a North Sea gas main, was trial excavated in 1971 by Bailey and Flatters. Pottery confirmed levels of occupation ranging from Iron Age 'A' to Durotrigian beneath a ploughed-out Romano-British level. Shale slabs, compacted stone and puddled clay were used for flooring. Finds included worked shale, sling-stones, a coin of Valens, worked bone, iron-ware and spindle-whorl. <2>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1972, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1971, 135-143 (Serial). SDO71.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 1969, Council for British Archaeology Group 12 (Wessex): Archaeological Review, April 1969, p35 (Article in serial). SWX2600.

<3> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/1 (Index). SDO14738.

IA/RB OCCUPATION SITE - GENERAL VIEW OF AREA BEFORE EXCAVATION LOOKING SOUTH-EAST. EXCAVATION OCCURRED IN ADVANCE OF NEW GAS TRENCH

<4> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/10 (Index). SDO14738.

SHALE SLABS WITH CENTRE SLAB REMOVED, LOOKING NORTH

<5> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/11 (Index). SDO14738.

SHALE SLABS WITH CENTRE SLAB REMOVED, LOOKING NORTH-EAST

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/12 (Index). SDO14738.

SHALE SLABS WITH CENTRE SLAB REMOVED, LOOKING WEST

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/13 (Index). SDO14738.

LARGE STONE SLAB FLOOR, LOOKING WEST

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/14 (Index). SDO14738.

LARGE STONE SLAB FLOOR, LOOKING NORTH-EAST

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/15 (Index). SDO14738.

LEVEL IMMEDIATELY BELOW LARGE STONE SLAB FLOOR, LOOKING WEST

<10> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/16 (Index). SDO14738.

SECTIONAL VIEW OF WEST FACE OF TRENCH WITH PITS PARTIALLY EXCAVATED

<11> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/17 (Index). SDO14738.

SECTIONAL VIEW OF WEST FACE OF TRENCH ON COMPLETION OF EXCAVATION

<12> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/2 (Index). SDO14738.

COMMENCEMENT OF EXCAVATION, VIEW SOUTH

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/3 (Index). SDO14738.

THE ABANDONED TRENCH 1

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/4 (Index). SDO14738.

FIRST VIEW OF SHALE SLABS, LOOKING WEST

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/5 (Index). SDO14738.

STONE FLOOR AT LAYER 3 OVERLYING SHALE SLABS FOR LAYER 4 LOOKING WEST

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/6 (Index). SDO14738.

SHALE SLABS IN SITU, LOOKING WEST

<17> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 71/6A/9 (Index). SDO14738.

SHALE SLABS IN SITU, LOOKING SOUTH

<18> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/10 (Index). SDO14738.

SIX OF THE BONE IMPLEMENTS

<19> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/12 (Index). SDO14738.

A RECONSTRUCTED DUROTRIGIAN COOKING POT

<20> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/18 (Index). SDO14738.

UNSTRATIFIED BRONZE FISH (ORNAMENTAL)

<21> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/25 (Index). SDO14738.

EXCAVATION IN PROGRESS

<22> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/26 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF TRENCH OF NORTH SEA GAS PIPELINE WHICH LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE SITE. VIEW NNW

<23> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/27 (Index). SDO14738.

AN INHUMATION EXPOSED BY THE GAS PIPELINE TRENCH

<24> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 72/1A/28 (Index). SDO14738.

SLING STONES IN BOTTOM OF PIT EXPOSED BY THE GAS PIPELINE TRENCH

<25> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452738 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 16 2023 4:01PM