Monument record MDO8708 - Town Hall car park, Christchurch (site X10); Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age pits

A rescue excavation in the Town Hall car park, Christchurch, during 1974, revealed two Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age pits containing pottery of the 8th-mid 6th century BC. The pits comprised shallow scoops less than 0.2m deep, filled with grey sand, burnt flints and pottery.

G. Dowdell for Poole Museums, directed a rescue excavation in the Town Hall car park, Christchurch, during development of the area in 1974 (area 1). Another excavation (area 2), to the south of and adjacent to area 1, was partially excavated by the South Wessex Archaeological Association (SWAA). A further machine trench was used to investigate the town defensive ditches a few metres NE of site X2. These excavations were grouped together as site X10 and subsequently published in DNHAS monograph 5 (1).

The excavation in area 1 revealed two Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age pits [F3 & F4] containing pottery of the 8th-mid 6th century BC. The pits comprised shallow scoops less than 0.2m deep, filled with grey sand, burnt flints and pottery. Both extended outside the excavation area and may be part of a small Late BronzeAge-Early Iron Age settlement.

<1> Jarvis, K S, 1983, Excavations in Christchurch 1969-80, 34-7 (Monograph). SWX4028.

<2> Davies, S M, 1983, Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 36 (Article in serial). SWX4065.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 884736 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 3 2023 12:02PM