Monument record MDO37408 - Early Neolithic Pits, Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme Evaluation Trench 30, Pimperne

Three small pits containing Early Neolithic pottery, worked flint, hazelnut shells, charcoal, and some cereal grains, were found during the evaluation of the proposed route of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme in 2012. They formed a small cluster on Pimperne Down to the north west of Pimperne. The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water.

Three small pits (30002, 30004, 30006) were found close together in Evaluation Trench 30 during the investigation of the proposed route of the Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Water Transfer Scheme in 2012. The pits were sub-circular with rounded bases and measured between 0.63-0.85m in diameter and between 0.16-0.3m deep. 65 sherds of pottery of Early Neolithic plain bowl tradition were recovered from Pits 30004 and 30006, together with a large quantity of worked flint, including probable knapping debris. A small quantity of worked flint and no pottery was recovered from Pit 30002, but it is probably of similar date to the other pits given its proximity and similar size and shape.

Environmental samples taken from all three pits produced a small amount of wheat and barley, possibly derived from cereal processing in the vicinity, and carbonised hazelnut shell and alder/hazel, hawthorn/rowan/crab apple charcoal, which may be firing debris from discarded domestic waste. [1]


The record for this monument has been created with support from Wessex Water.

<1> Havard, T and Nicholl, M, 2013, Corfe Mullen to Salisbury Transfer Scheme, Wessex Water, Dorset and Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation, 18 (Unpublished document). SDO14094.

Three small sub-circular pits, 30002 (Fig. 48, Section 32), 30004 (Fig. 48, Section 33) and 30006 (Fig. 48, Section 34) were located in the southern half of Trench 30. A total of 65 sherds of Early Neolithic pottery were recovered from single fills 30005 and 30007 of pits 30004 and 30006 respectively. The majority of sherds may derive from the same vessel, thick-walled, of coarse flint tempered fabric and probably date to the first half of the 4th millennium BC. A large quantity of worked flint, including endscrapers, cores and debitage were also recovered from the same contexts. Environmental samples (SS 6-8) recovered from all three pits contained firing debris, including hazelnut shells and small amounts of cereals from suspected discarded domestic waste.

Record last edited

Jan 13 2016 11:13AM