Monument record MDO41881 - Sub-Roman cemetery at Whithill Quarry Extension, Lillington, Sherborne

A sub-Roman cemetery excavated in an area where human remains had been discovered in 2010 during an extension of the quarry. Twenty graves were exposed, all inhumations aligned SW-NE and most skeletons in supine, extended positions with heads to the SW. The remains were not in ideal condition but osteological analysis on the majority revealed a mixed population of children and adults of both genders, showing signs of poor health. Radiocarbon dating indicated the cemetery was in use between around AD 560-646 and AD585-681 and strontium isotopic analysis suggested that the people were local.

In about 1840 several inhumations were found within a mile of the site of the gold armillae hoard in Lillington parish. The skeletons were laid side by side. <5> These burials may have been part of this cemetery.

<1> Monteith, J, 2013, Whithill Quarry, Lillington, Sherborne, Dorset. Human remains discovery November 2010 (Unpublished document). SDO14916.

<2> Fadden, A, 2013, Whithill Quarry, Lillington, Sherborne, Dorset. Archaeological Geophysics (Unpublished document). SDO15236.

<3> Falys, S and Socha-Paszkiewicz, A, 2018, A sub-Roman cemetery at Whithill Quarry Extension, Lillington, Sherborne, Dorset (Unpublished document). SDO16076.

<4> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1850, The Archaeological Journal 7, 65 (Serial). SDO18643.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199571 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 4 2022 4:59PM