Monument record MDO6654 - Romano British inhumation cemetery, Radipole Lane, Southhill, Weymouth

Skeleton and RB pottery found AD 1935 . <1>

RB inhumation with sherds including the rim of a flanged bowl (Collingwood form 30) found during the digging of a cess-pit at the rear of a new bungalow on the east side of Radipole Lane above the 100ft contour and, according to Mr R A Jewell (builder), at No 59 Fircroft. An empty cist was found previously 100ft above the last mentioned by the workmen and nearby was an RB jar now in the Dorset County Museum (Accession No 1935 54 1). The remains were examined by K C C Selby who also observed RB sherds in the area. Squared stone blocks were also found, to the south. In 1951 a fairly wide scatter of pottery was visible in the topsoil of the field to the east of the bungalows, especially about the crest and upper part of the south slope. <2>

It was in this particular area in 1972 that during the construction of a playing field the topsoil was removed and many remains disturbed ... An area of dark soil to the north-east of the site contained shells (cockle, limpet, oyster and wrinkle), animal bones, small sherds and broken slabs of shale. The greatest concentration of this material was at SY66408101. Seven inhumations were found inn this area too (SY66438101 to SY66458105). Hewitt noted these were all laying with their feet to the east, protected by cists of stone slabs. One of these contained a child's skeleton, with a pot and a badly rusted and studded object which was not recovered.. None of the burials were seen intact in situ. A pit was also noted near the graves. It was 1.38m deep and 69cms wide. At its base was an animal skull covered with rocks, no pottery or other bones were observed. Some Early Iron Age, Durotrigian and later Roman material was also recovered from the site. <6>

In 1977 a skeleton was discovered during foundation digging in Radipole Lane. It was in a contracted position with the head to the west, laid on a 'pillow' of stone. The upper part of the ribcage was covered with small stones. Both femurs and fibulae were broken, but the tibiae were not. The skeleton was identified as a woman of age 20-23 standing 1-63m tall. A second century black burnished jar was found in the grave. A small iron ring (possibly an earring), a small curved iron strip and a small irregular plate of flat thin iron were also found. The skeleton and pottery were deposited at the Weymouth Museum. <7>

<1> Anon, Undated, Pte 6 inch Dorset County Museum (Anon undated) (Map). SWX2203.

<2> Farrar, R A H, 1952, Archaeological Fieldwork in Dorset in 1951, 95-97 (Article in serial). SWX2107.

<3> Dorset County Museum, Dorset County Museum Accessions Book (Unpublished document). SWX1315.

<4> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 29-JUL-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<5> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 615 (Monograph). SDO150.

<6> Morris, P, 1975, Early Iron-age and Roman Remains at Southill, Radipole Lane, Weymouth, 54-55 (Article in serial). SWX2207.

<7> Boulter A and Squibb B (Compiled by Keen L), 1977, Dorset Archaeology in 1977: Weymouth, 125 (Article in serial). SWX2208.

<8> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1980, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1977, 125 (Serial). SDO77.

<9> National Record of the Historic Environment, 452594 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 10 2022 10:34AM