Monument record MDO6550 - Romano British cist burial, Bottom Coombe Quarries, Portland

A Roman inhumation accompanied by pottery was found during quarrying in the late 19th century. The burial was described as being in a stone coffin, and has been interpreted as a probable cist burial. Roman coins are said to have been recovered close by at the same time.

Romano British burial in a stone coffin discovered in the late 19th century in quarries to the west of Wakeham Street, several Roman coins discovered close by. <2>

Roman coins found by Mr John Pearce of Wakeham. 1st brass of Hadrian; one of Diocletian; one of Maximian; others of the two Licinii and a silver denorius of the Republican period. (10 [SY69337153] The site pointed out is to within an accuracy of 50 yds. [Indicated on OS 6] The coins were found by my father and I believe they were given to Dorchester Museum. They were all found in one place when the overburden was being cleared. A few yards away there was the remains of a skeleton in a cist buried with slabs of stone and with it some pottery which I believe was Roman. <3>

The site is quarried out. There were no surface finds and no trace of antiquity. <4>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1916, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1916 (Serial). SDO25.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1918, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1916-17, xxvii (Serial). SDO26.

<3> Pearce, J, 1955, Oral: Mr J Pearce 8.6.55 Wakeham (Verbal communication). SWX2019.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 08-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 607 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(104) BOTTOM COOMBE QUARRIES (SY 67 SE). An Inhumation Burial was found in the late 19th century some 250 ft. above sea level in the quarries (693715) W. of Wakeham Street, Easton. The burial was in a stone ‘coffin’, probably a cist. Several ‘Roman’ coins, ‘republican’ to 4th-century A.D., are said to have been found at the same time. (Information from the late J. Pearce, J.P.; Dorset Procs. XXXVII (1917), xxvii.)’

<6> AC Archaeology, 2003, Proposed Residential Development at the Top Shop, Bottom Coombe Quarry, Portland, Dorset (Unpublished document). SWX8574.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451708 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 9 2023 11:00AM