Monument record MDO18675 - A37 Western Link; Later Bronze Age Structure 5196

Evidence for a later Bronze Age structure was discovered during excavations along the route of the Dorchester By-pass, Western Link. The northernmost of two structures, [5196] was situated to the east of the lynchet on the upper terrace in the NW of Trench K. The structure was built in a semi-circular terrace, 9m in diameter and 0.6m deep, with a near vertical face. Only the southern half of the terrace was excavated and revealed an arc of four posts representing a post-ring 8m in diameter, set close to the inner edge of the terrace. Further internal post-holes may represent roof supports or internal partitions/furniture. No occupation material was recovered from the base of the structure, but the single deposit of silty-clay colluvium that covered the terrace on abandonment of the structure contained Middle-Late Bronze Age worked flint and one sherd of Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery.

Found during a programme of archaeological work conducted by Wessex Archaeology along the route of the Dorchester By-pass, Western Link, Fordington Bottom, Dorchester between 1986 and 1988. The results of the excavations have been published as a Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Monograph; (DNHAS Monograph 11). The numbers in square brackets below refer to the context and feature numbers used in the published report (1). Bronze Age activity above lynchet [900] was represented by structures [5195] & [5196], in Trench K. Both buildings were constructed on a moderately steep slope, with terraces cut into the coombe side. The western portions of the buildings were set out over colluvial material making up the positive lynchet, implying that the lynchet was created some time prior to the Bronze Age. The northernmost of two structures, [5196] was situated to the east of the lynchet on the upper terrace in the NW of Trench K. The structure was built in a semi-circular terrace, 9m in diameter and 0.6m deep, with a near vertical face. Only the southern half of the terrace was excavated and revealed an arc of four posts representing a post-ring 8m in diameter, set close to the inner edge of the terrace. The post-holes were generally 0.26m in diameter and 0.44m deep. Further internal post-holes may represent roof supports or internal partitions/furniture. No occupation material was recovered from the base of the structure, but the single deposit of silty-clay colluvium that covered the terrace on abandonment of the structure contained Middle-Late Bronze Age worked flint and one sherd of Early-Middle Bronze Age pottery.

Record last edited

Jan 26 2007 12:49PM