SDO10077 - 'Roman Britain in 1990: 1. Sites explored' Britannia

Brief catalogue of archaeological works carried out on Roman sites in Britain during 1986. This includes a summary of discoveries in Dorchester, reproduced here in full: P284 (3) Dorchester (Durnovaria): Nos 5-7 Acland Road (SY 6935 9045): a sixth trench, covering 476 m2, was excavated in the development area of 1.7 ha, partially examined last year. Above Neolithic features were revealed: (a) a shallow E-W boundary ditch, which yielded two infant burials. (b) Dumps of soil sealing (a) and yielding first- and second-century pottery. (c) Parts of two masonry structures overlying (b); Building 3 contained a room floored with opus signinum and had a walled yard to the west. It was later replaced by Building 4. West of this lay Building 2, which … P287 … contained an earth floor and a row of post-holes parallel with the external walls. (d) Building 2 remained in existence in the later Roman period, but Building 3 was replaced by Building 1, which also incorporated Building 4. Three of its rooms were floored with opus signinum; but whereas the other walls had foundations only c. o.8 m deep, those of the largest room (2063) had foundations 1.8 m deep, suggesting a second storey above. West of this room a wing or ‘annexe’ had been added, having an earth floor. (e) Cut into the opus signinum of the large room were the post-holes of a late or sub-Roman timber hut.