Monument record MDO7527 - Mesolithic site, Blashenwell, Corfe Castle

A Mesolithic site at Blashenwell, first examined in 1895, had been sealed beneath a tufa deposit resulting from stream action. Up to 500 flakes were said to have been found, but appear to have been lost since. Small collections of material in Dorset County Museum (Dorchester), the Natural History Museum (London), and the Red House Museum (Christchurch) as well as private collections may have been collected from the site on subsequent occasions. Animal remains, including bones of ox, deer and pig plus marine and land shells were also found on the site. A piece of ox bone has yielded a radiocarbon determination of 4500+/-150 bc (uncalibrated). Deposition of tufa apparently ceased before the Roman period, the site being overlain by soil containing Roman debris.

SY 95108052. A Mesolithic occupation site at Blashenwell uniquely fossilized by a tufaceous marl deposit from a nearby stream was first studied in detail by Reid in 1895. Four to five hundred un-retouched flakes were said to have been found but these appear to have been lost; the small assemblages of artifacts in Dorset County Museum, British Museum (Nat Hist), Red House Museum (Christchurch) and private collections may have been collected since the initial investigation of the site. Animal bone, including ox, deer and pig together with marine and land shells were also found on the site. A piece of ox bone from the middle zone of the tufa deposit has been dated to 4500-+ 150 BC.(ie. Atlantic Climatic period). Deposition of the tufa ceased before the Roman period and the site is overlaid by topsoil containing Roman debris and occupation. <1-8>

Record last edited

Mar 16 2023 6:50PM