SDO19770 - 28 High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset. Archaeological Observationa and Recording, March-August 2021

Terrain Archaeology carried out intermittent recording during works to 28 High West Street, Dorchester. A late second century AD pit was found to the rear of the house. This was a fairly typical rectangular pit containing Roman domestic refuse, but with an anomalous pottery assemblage remarkable for its high proportion of South West Black Burnished Ware vessels. Unfortunately, the pit is currently an isolated recorded feature, so it is difficult to understand the reason for this anomalous pottery group. Two wells and a rectangular pit were found beneath the basement. All these features were undated, but it is clear they were originally dug from ground level and subsequently truncated by the formation of the basement. The two wells were both used as drains/soakaways for the house.