Monument record MDO18420 - Poundbury Late Roman Mausoleum R10

Mausoleum R8 lay at the southern end of the eastern half of the main Late Roman cemetery on site E of the 1966-1979 excavations at Poundbury, immediately to the north of Mausoleum R9. Parts of the mortared flint and limestone walls on all but the east sides of this rectangular structure survived. Very little material was found within the building, although debris slumped into the top of graves contained mortar rubble and fragments of lias roof tiles. No evidence for flooring or occupation layers was found. Four possible graves were identified within the area of the building. The earliest was of a one-year-old child in a lead coffin with inner and outer wooden linings. This grave ran under the line of the western wall making it earlier than the building. Two adult graves both had gypsum packed lead lined coffins and the fourth had a rubble fill and poorly preserved skeleton and it may post-date the collapse of the building. Two irregular hollows were found cutting the graves within the mausoleum, which may be the remains of internal structures dating to the early post-Roman period in the 5th century AD.

Found during the excavations directed by Christopher Sparey Green, for the Dorchester Excavation Committee, between 1966 and 1979 during development of the Grove Trading Estate on the eastern slopes of Poundbury Camp, Dorchester (1). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published reports and archive (1)(2)(3). Mausoleum R10 lay at the southern end of the eastern half of the main Late Roman cemetery on site E, immediately to the north of Mausoleum R9. Parts of the northern, southern and western walls survived. These appeared to be constructed of mortared flint on a basal course of mortared limestone. The building was constructed on a small terrace. Very little material was found within the building and natural chalk was recorded over much of the interior, although debris slumped into the top of graves contained mortar rubble and fragments of lias roof tiles. No evidence for flooring or occupation layers was found. Four possible graves were identified within the area of the building. The earliest, grave [525] was of a one-year-old child in a lead coffin with inner and outer wooden linings. This grave ran under the line of the western wall making it earlier than the building. Two adult graves both had gypsum-packed lead-lined coffins; Grave [517] was set against the southern wall and contained the skeleton of a 35 year old female in a Ham stone coffin; grave [513] contained a 30 year old male in a wooden coffin. The fourth burial, in grave [514] had a rubble fill and poorly preserved skeleton. The fill suggests that it may post-date the collapse of the building. Two irregular hollows [E6] & [E11], excavated within the mausoleum, and cutting the graves may be the remains of internal structures dating to the early post-Roman period in the 5th century AD (2).

Record last edited

Aug 3 2010 5:27PM