Monument record MDO18144 - Greyhound Yard, Roman building 5539

A rectangular post-built structure about 8m by 12m across was found in the northeast corner of the central area of the Greyhound Yard insula, during the 1984 excavations at Greyhound Yard, Dorchester. This building lay in the NE corner of enclosure 5537 and comprised lines of postholes for the walls and a central row of postholes, perhaps to support a ridge pole. No contemporary floor surfaces survive and its function is uncertain. This building was poorly dated but was probably in use during the late 1st-early 2nd century AD.

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1984 prior to the redevelopment of the area of the former Greyhound Yard. (1) The results of the excavation were published together with the results of the adjacent Old Methodist Chapel excavations. (2) The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the published report (2). Building 5539 lay in the northeast corner of Enclosure 5537 and encroached upon the gullies to the north and east. This building was rectangular, measuring about 8m by 12m across and was defined by alignments of postholes, forming the sides and ends of the structure, with a central line of posts along its long axis, probably to support the roof-ridge. The postholes were between 0.3-0.45m deep and several had traces of flint packing. An infant burial was found in the SE corner of this building, perhaps representing a foundation deposit. A number of posts in the structure had been replaced and another line of postholes was found immediately to the north, but it is unclear how this related to the building. It may represent a rebuilding of the north wall. No intact floor surfaces survived in this building and its function remains in doubt. There is no clear evidence for the construction date of this building, but on stratigraphic grounds, it must have been demolished before the mid-2nd century AD.

Record last edited

May 2 2012 3:59AM