Monument record MWX413 - Crouched inhumations, Portland

Building work uncovered crouched inhumations contained in stone cists; Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman pottery was recovered; black soil and other occupation debris were found.

More than a dozen crouched burials in stone cists, revealed by building operations and observed and partially excavated by Weymouth College of Education, may be dated by association with a scatter of Romano British pottery. Areas of occupation material including much black soil, pottery, shells, animal bones, nails, charcoal and a coin of Marcus Aurelius were also found. The pottery ranged widely in date, including Bronze Age sherds, Iron Age "A" and Durotrigian types and New Forest ware, and appeared to have been deposited in shallow holes dug into the clay. At two points there were fragmentary remains of circular drystone structures about 2m in diameter, but there were no post-holes or other signs of buildings and the finds probably represent the western fringe of a settlement under or beyond Avalanche Road. <1-2>

<1> Putnam W G and Gardner F, 1968, Council for British Archaeology: Group 12 (Wessex) and Group 13 (South West) : Archaeological review (W G Putnam & F Gardner) Vol 3 - 1968 Page(s) 14, p14 (Article in serial). SWX2118.

<2> W G Putnam, 1970, Recent Discoveries on Portland, p141-143 (Article in serial). SWX1969.

<3> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451827 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 1 2023 11:09AM