Monument record MDO43374 - Bowl barrow, Melcombe Horsey

Excavation of an unidentified bowl barrow uncovered a Bronze Age primary urned cremation and a probable secondary Roman inhumation. Samian pottery and a coin were found.

A small unidentified barrow opened at Melcombe Horsey (ST 7402) by C Hall appears to have contained a cremation in an urn, probably primary, and an intrusive extended inhumation that was associated with two samian fragments and a coin of Antoninus Pius. <1>

Possibly the barrow at ST 74460167 (ST 70 SW 41). (2)

The barrow in question could be one of three known barrows in the area around Melcombe Horsey. (See ST 70 SW 12, 41 and 46), and there is no conclusive evidence as to which of these apply. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historic Monuments, 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume III (Central) Part 2, 175 (Monograph). SDO136.

'(118) Bowl (74460168), on a gentle W. slope below the crest of Hog Hill, at about 650 ft. above O.D., has been heavily ploughed. Diam. 54 ft., ht. 1½ ft.'

<1.1> Warne, C, 1866, The Celtic Tumuli of Dorset (1866), 98 (Monograph). SWX8166.

<2> Grinsell, L V, 1959, Dorset Barrows, 119 (Monograph). SDO132.

<3> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 06-DEC-78 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202128 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 8 2022 1:39PM