SDO10089 - Mariner's Parade, General Description of Trial Pits.

AC Archaeology dug or examined 16 trial and foundation pits, during or in advance of groundworks for redevelopment at the rear of 15 High Street Dorchester, in 1999. Trial pits 1 and 2 were initially dug for the evaluation phase of archaeological work in 1997; subsequently foundation pad pits 10 and 11 picked up the back fill of these trenches. Trial pits 3-8 were dug as a means of determining the depth and distribution of deposits across the site immediately prior to development, primarily for construction purposes. This involved the machining off of upper layers under archaeological supervision before hand cleaning, digging and recording the pits. Pits 9-16 were foundation pad pits dug in response to potential structural problems caused by the depth and variability of the relatively 'soft' archaeological deposits. Generally all pits measured between 1.2-2.0m long, 0.5-1.5m wide, and were excavated to a depth of between 2.0 and 4.2m. In situ Roman structural deposits were recorded in pits 1,2,8,10,11,12 and 15. These deposits comprised concreted mortar foundations, walls and floor sequences. The keyhole nature of the excavation precluded the reconstruction of any meaningful plan of the structures or any tight dating. These features were later removed by machine. The presence of robber trenches, rubble overlying the Roman remains in pits 1,2,3,4,11,12 and 15 suggests a period of abandonment. Various soil accumulations and ashy deposits in thin horizontal bands containing Roman material in pits 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 and 15, suggests a change in emphasis to open 'hinterland'. The final phase, observed in all trial pits, comprised mixed homogenous deposits of post-medieval and modern date.