SDO9464 - Archaeological observation and recording of geotechnical trial pits at Dorchester Market, Fairfield Road, Dorchester, Dorset

Archaeological observation and recording of geotechnical trial pits was undertaken by AC Archaeology at the site of Dorchester Market, Fairfield Road, Dorchester, during February 2000. The site lies some 150 m from the southern entrance to the Roman town of Durnovaria and adjacent to the course of a known Roman road. Previously recorded finds from the site include evidence for a Roman building with mortar and tessellated floors, and Romano-British burials along the east side of the site, adjacent to the Roman road. The current work comprised seven trial pits of varying size located across the site, and revealed areas where probable truncation had removed pre-existing deposits, areas where an apparently undisturbed deposit sequence of soil horizons lay above weathered chalk, and two locations within which significant archaeological deposits were recorded. Trial pit 2, sited alongside Weymouth Avenue to the east, contained one definite and two probable graves of the Romano-British period. It was only possible to investigate one of these, which contained a poorly-preserved adult skeleton, aligned ENE-WSW lying on its left side and facing approximately south in a flexed posture. A plain round-wire ankle bracelet of copper alloy was recorded in situ around the lower right tibia and fibula. The burial was left in situ following recording. The possible cemetery indicated by the current work and previous observations may be defined by the largely negative results from Trial Pits 5 & 6 located respectively to the northeast and southwest of Trial Pit 2, and which contained apparently undisturbed simple deposit sequences. Within Trial Pit 3, a large SW-NE aligned ditch cutting a further possible grave were recorded lying beneath a substantial soil accumulation. Roman pottery and box flue tile were recovered from the ditch, although insufficient of the possible grave was exposed to enable full investigation. Finds of box flue tile, limestone and ceramic roof tile from horizons across the site may indicate the presence of a Romano-British building somewhere in the vicinity, although no direct evidence was found for the Roman structure previously observed beneath the site. Given the small area of the site exposed within the trial pits, it is possible that further archaeological remains lie in situ beneath the market site.