Find Spot record MDO6652 - Amphora and artefacts indicating a possible Roman wreck at Weymouth

A Roman amphora was lately found <1> in the Weymouth Backwater, the outlet of the River Wey, in mid-channel and halfway between the submarine tunnel of the gas works and the dam. It is 3ft 3ins high and has a potters mark P stamped near the base. Various small vases and other vessels of the same ware have also been found in the same area suggesting the site of a Roman shipwreck. The amphora was presented to Dorset County Museum in 1889 with the collection of R Damon, but this collection has now been sold and dispersed. <1-2>

Roman amphora found in Weymouth Backwater. <3>

The only tunnel existing in the Backwater is one housing gas pipes and extending between two shafts at SY 67657896 and SY 67867900. The dam referred to will apply to the weir extending from SY 67657918 to SY 67787916. <4>

About SY 67687906. Amphora probably dated to before circa AD 50 <5.2>. Roman ware, Roman bricks, ridge and flat tiles, remnants of Kimmeridge Coal urns, coins, pottery etc had been found earlier in the Backwater near the gasworks <5.1>. <5>

<1> Damon, R, 1890, Roman Amphora or Wine Jar (from the backwater, Weymouth)., 88-90 illus (Article in serial). SWX5294.

<2> Oliver, V L, 1923, Pre-Roman and Roman Occupation of the Weymouth District. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 41 (Article in serial). SWX1763.

<3> Rec. 6 inch (Map). SWX5293.

<3.1> Drew, Drew Index (Index). SWX5292.

<4> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 13-AUG-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<4.1> Burgess, R A, Oral: R A Burgess Asst Boro Engineer Weymouth (Verbal communication). SWX8403.

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

<5.1> Jackson Brown E, 1835-45, Notes by E Jackson Brown 1835-45 extracted by V L Oliver in Dorset County Museum (Unpublished document). SWX8240.

<5.2> Callender M H, 1965, Roman amphorae: with an index of stamps., 199-200 (Monograph). SWX8239.

<6> Le Pard, G, 1995-2003, Dorset Coast Forum Maritime Archaeological Database, Single Find 35 (Digital archive). SWX8707.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451571 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 30 2022 3:41PM