Monument record MDO6414 - Roman barrow at Knobs Crook, Woodlands
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Summary
Site of a Roman barrow excavated in 1959. The barrow is visible as a very low earthwork on lidar imagery and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP. Excavations revealed a clay mound proved to be of clay over three pits, two small and one larger, with burnt clay, charcoal, more than 700 fragments of bronze, lumps of solidified molten glass, sherds of Samian, a small quantity of cremated bone and an unburnt disc from a trepanned skull. These finds were all either on top of or inside the pits, and were interpreted as the remains of a cremation which had taken place off site and was then deposited in the large pit inside some sort of wooden container and alongside items such as glass vessels as a funeral deposit, which was then burnt. The mound was constructed after this. The pottery suggested a Flavian date.
Map
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
A small mound was excavated by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England in July 1959 (1959 according to the NRHE and PDNHAS but RCHME Inventory says 1958) directed by Peter Fowler. The mound proved to be of clay over three pits; two around 1ft 6in in diameter and 1ft deep, and a larger pit 5ft 8ins long by about 2 feet wide and 9 inches deep, and containing burnt clay, charcoal, and 700 fragments of bronze, lumps of solidified molten glass, sherds of Samian, a small quantity of cremated bone and an unburnt disc from a trepanned skull. These finds were all either on top of or inside the pits, and were interpreted as the remains of a cremation which had taken place off site and was then deposited in the large pit inside some sort of wooden container and alongside items such as glass vessels as a funeral deposit, which was then burnt. The mound was constructed after this. The pottery suggested a Flavian date. <3-4>
Site of a Roman barrow excavated in 1959. The barrow is visible as a very low earthwork on lidar imagery <6> and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Stour NMP. The barrow mound is 14m across and surrounded on its north side by the remains of an outer ditch.
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SDO19457 Article in serial: Fowler, P J. 1954. A Roman Barrow at Knob's Crook, Woodlands, Dorset. The Antiquaries Journal, 45 (1), 22-52. doi:10.1017/S0003581500051544.
- <2> SDO19456 Excavation archive: Royal Commission on Historic Monuments. 1959. RCHME AF0620961: Knob's Crook, Dorset.
- <3> SDO59 Serial: Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. 1960. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1959. 81. 99-100.
- <4> SDO12558 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1963. Monuments Threatened or Destroyed. A Select List: 1956-1962. 15.
- <5> SDO129 Monograph: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England). 1975. An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East). 113.
- <6> SDO15442 Aerial Photograph: XX-XXX-2015. Environment Agency DTM Lidar 1m.
- <7> SDO14739 Digital archive: National Record of the Historic Environment. 212957.
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Location
| Grid reference | SU 0522 0733 (point) (6 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | SU00NE |
| Civil Parish | Woodlands; Dorset |
| Unitary Authority | Dorset |
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Other Statuses/References
- Legacy UID: Dorset Sites and Monuments Record: 3 028 018
- Legacy UID: National Monuments Record: SU 00 NE 14
- Legacy UID: National Record of the Historic Environment: 212957
Record last edited
Feb 16 2023 4:41PM