EDO5652 - Fontmell Down, Fontmell Magna; observations and recording 1997

In February a water pipe was replaced on Fontmell Down. It crossed the southern of two cross-rdige dykes. The trench measured 0.6m wide and 0.8m deep and the section was examined from ST 87801780 - 88151815. Along its length the only archaoelogkal features noted were the bank and ditch of the cross-ridge dyke. The Down had been heavily ploughed and generally 0.2 m of plough soil lay above chalk and areas of clay-with-flints. No struck or worked flints or other artefacts were found. Once the old filling of the pipe trench was removed, soil samples for land snail analysis were taken from the exposed ditch section of the cross-ridge dyke. Mike Allen of Wessex Archaeology carried out this work and has produced a report which will be published in the next edition of the Dorset Proceedings.