EDO4662 - Poundbury Development Phase II; excavation 2005 to 2006

Wessex Archaeology undertook two archaeological excavations and an archaeological watching brief in advance of construction works at Poundbury Parkway, Dorchester in 2005 (1). An earlier evaluation by Wessex Archaeology had suggested that archaeological remains dating from the Bronze Age period were present on site (2). Two areas were excavated. Area 1 was a roughly rectangular area measuring about 700m2 targeted to investigate a possible prehistoric quarry pit in Evaluation Trench 24 (2). Area 2 was a roughly rectangular area measuing about 4500m2 targeted to investigate the area around Evaluation Trenches 7 and 14 which were highlighted by the evaluation as having high archaeological potential (2). The watching brief was carried out in a roughly rectangular area of about 350m2 (Area 3) adjacent to evaluation trenches 48, 63, 64, and 65, in which evidence for a small enclosure were found (2). The excavations confirmed the presence of predominantly Middle Bronze Age remains and also found some evidence of Iron Age and Roman-British activity. Evidence of Middle Bronze Age activity consisted of a possible settlement enclosure located within a more extensive field system probably related to arable cultivation and animal management. Two structures, possibly domestic in nature, were recorded, this reinforces the picture, from previous fieldwork in the area, of a collection of small farmsteads within an extensive field system. The late Iron Age and Romano-British activity comprised evidence for chalk extraction in the form of quarry pits.