Monument record MDO18243 - Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester; Infant burial 1414

The disturbed remains of an infant burial in a shallow grave along the line of one of the walls of the early Roman post-built rectangular building 1604 was found in Trench 4, during the 1989 excavations at Wessex Court, Charles Street, Dorchester. This burial was one of three infant burials along this wall line and was probably a foundation deposit.

Found during the excavations carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1989 in the proposed Wessex Court retail development area between Charles Street, Acland Road, and South Walks, Dorchester (1) (2) (3) (4). The numbers in square brackets below are context and feature numbers used in the report and archive (1) (4). Infant burial 1414 was one of a line of three infant burials associated with timber building 1604, along the line of one of the walls. The inhumation was of a neonate laid in a crouched position with the head to the SE, in an irregular grave 0.5m across and 0.15m deep. The grave was cut into the natural chalk and was sealed by floor deposits associated with building 1605.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2023 12:33PM