SDO9800 - DISCOVERY OF A ROMAN PAVEMENT

- Fresh evidences of the Roman occupation of Dorchester are continually being given, and within the past day or two the store of interesting relics has been increased by the discovery of a tesselated pavement in Cedar Park. In the course of levelling the park surface at the back of the houses which Mr. Griffin is building for Mr. Sargeant, of Weymouth, it became necessary to remove a large quantity of earth, and on Tuesday, at a depth of about six feet, the labourers came upon the pavement. The tesselated surface brought to light measured about three yards by two; but judging by the pattern the complete pavement would have been of considerable size. The wall bounding the park on the south side had evidently been built right across the pavement, and it would appear that the foundation stones when laid must have actually come in contact with it. The pavement had been somewhat depressed from its original surface by the weight of the superincumbent mass of earth. The tesserae are of two sorts only – red brick, and stone occasionally of a slatey hue. The pattern is by no means so ornate as in other Roman pavements unearthed in the town, particularly those beautiful specimens of tesselation, the pavement found on the site of the prison – a fine mosaic – and now to be seen in the museum, and that found at Somerleigh Court. What is evidently the border of the pavement consists of four bands, alternatively red and white, the width of each band including seven or eight tesserae. The inner white cubes are patterned into squares by narrower stripes of red. The “find” opportunely occurred shortly before the field club met on Tuesday, so that after their business the members were able to go and inspect the pavement. Mr. H.J. Moule, who informed the club of the interesting discovery, had previously been to the spot, when he found what he pronounced to be a tile evidently from the roof of some Roman dwelling, and having the nail hole in it. Yesterday (Wednesday,) Mr. Jem Feacey,architect, commissioned by Mr. A. Pope, made a tracing of the pavement, indicating every tessera and its colour. The relic was also photographed by Mr. Walter Pouncy.