SDO9633 - 'Interim Report on Discoveries in the Roman Cemetery at Poundbury, Dorchester' Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

Interim note on discoveries made between 1964 and 1966 largely as a result of the development of the Grove Trading Estate on the site of the former army camp on the east side of Poundbury Camp. The discoveries were made at three separate sites; Wyvern Fireplaces Factory in 1964; Messrs. Rossiter's in 1966; and The Copse in 1966. During the construction of the Wyvern Fireplaces Factory, 170 yards downslope from the east entrance of the hill-fort, seven Romano-British graves were revealed, dug into the natural chalk to a depth of 5-6ft and aligned approximately E-W. They included two lead coffins, to add to the one already recorded from the area, and a Ham Stone sarcophagus, all containing gypsum burials. Three of the graves formed a compact group immediately outside the NW corner of the factory. Also, fragments of a high-shouldered jar and large animal bones, found outside the SE corner of the factory, suggest Late Iron Age or Early Roman activity. Three further E-W aligned graves were investigated by Mr. Peers some 50 yards WNW of the west wall of the Wyvern Fireplaces Factory, in new premises for the building firm of Messrs. Rossiter. The third site, dubbed 'The Copse' was located at the east end of a small copse or scrub patch outside the NE corner of the hillfort. Romano-British building rubble had previously been unearther here in 1964 in a nearby building site. This led to a week's excavation in September 1966. The remains of one or more buildings and three graves were found. The buildings were subsequently revealed to be late Roman mausolea, and may be located at the place where a Roman Bronze hanging bowl and model axe head were found in 1943 (SDO9631).