Monument record MWX404 - Romano-British burials, Portland (Unknown Quarry Site)

A Roman food jar and patera. Presented by MR P WESTON. (1)

Mr W de C PRIDEAUX produced portions of two skulls and bones and flints from a cist in PORTLAND destroyed by quarrying with B pot. From a quarry of the BATH STONE FIRMS. (2)

From 1912 the company was quarrying in many places throughout the island and the finds may have come from anywhere. Nowadays we blast the overburden and it is no uncommon thing to find Roman and probably other types of pottery fragments in the resultant debris. Even when the overburden was removed by hand finds of archaeological interest were seldom reported since it would have meant delay to quarrying operations while the finds were inspected etc <3.1>. Generally speaking the people of PORTLAND do not report the finding of antiquities. When they bring anything in they do so furtively so as not to be a laughing stock. They have told me that when they find Roman coins they usually throw them back into the quarry since they cant spend them.<3.2>

No further information was obtained upon this pottery or burials during field investigation. <4>

<1> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1898, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, xvii (Serial). SDO12.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1912, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, x (Serial). SDO22.

<3> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 03-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<3.1> Sansome, 1955, Oral: Mr. Sansome, Manager Bath Portland Stone Firms. 3.6.55. (Verbal communication). SWX4485.

<3.2> Lidbetter, 3 June 1955, Oral: Mr Lidbetter Caretaker Portland Museum (Verbal communication). SWX4486.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 08-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451798 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 1 2024 8:33AM