Monument record MDO8094 - Iron Age/Romano-British shale industry, Tyneham Gwyle

Evidence of Iron Age/Romano British shale industry, Iron Age/Romano-British occupation site including inhumations, briquetage and C1st to C4th pottery. Possible stone working.

Inhumation burials, and occupation debris, perhaps Iron Age to late Roman, with evidence for shale-working and perhaps Purbeck marble and salt industries, have been found on the cliffs N of Tyneham Gwyle above the 100ft contour and near the Purbeck marble outcrop at Worbarrow Tout. A layer of large stones and many sherds, shale fragments and flint flakes are visible in the cliff face. A layer of stones uncovered in excavations in 1937 was thought to have been a possible foundation for a floor of chalk blocks. Many finds typical of a site of this nature such as pottery, sling stones, spindle whorls and a bronze plaque were found below the layer of stones. Pieces of shale, worn flint flakes, an armlet fragment and 72 cores suggested some form of shale industry whilst a few pieces of briquetage inferred salt-boiling.

A coin of Commodus (180-92) was found on the cliffs. Pottery, including Durotrigian types, is mainly 1st and 2nd century with some stray Iron Age A and B sherds. Second century Samian sherds were found, and a similar range of pottery at SY 87118001 included 3rd and 4th century conical flanged bowls. Pottery of that date was also recovered from the stream at SY 87207990. Earlier accounts add little although mention is made of an inhumation burial in a covered stone cist. Another, all or partly of shale, was found in 1908. (1-5)

<1> Frend, W H C, 1949, Some Further Iron Age and Roman Sites in the Isle of Purbeck, p51-52 (Article in serial). SWX2493.

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1950, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1949, 51-53 (Serial). SDO49.

<2> Calkin, J B, 1953, Kimmeridge Coal Money The Romano-British Shale Armlet Industry, p69 (Article in serial). SWX1210.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1968, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1967, 146 (Serial). SDO67.

<4> 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> J Beavis, 1973, Fresh Finds from the Iron Age and Roman Site at Worbarrow Bay, Tyneham, 88 Illust (Article in serial). SWX2497.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 455091 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:36PM