SDO9743 - Recent Discoveries in Dorchester; A Romano-british Burial at the County Police Barracks.

short note on observations made concerning the discovery of a skeleton during the digging of a manhole (SY60968998) in February 1955, beside the new dog kennels close to the south wall of the Police Barracks adjoining Maumbury Rings. No grave goods were reported by the workmen but the skeleton lay at right angles to the wall extended in the supine position and aligned SSW (head)-NNE with arms crossed over the pelvis. The grave was cut into the natural chalk and tow layers of coffin nails were present, one retaining traces of wood. The individual was an adult male, 40-50 years old and 5ft 5.5ins tall (Pearson formula). The burial is though to be Roman because it lies within a known Roman cemetery. A report on the fragmentary bones from 5 earlier burials found in the same cemetery in 1952 is also included.