SDO9758 - Dorchester, Colliton Park

In September and October 1949 the U-shaped pit with undercut sides described in PDNHAS, 70, 60, was excavated by R.A.H. Farrar. A patchy floor of rammed chalk lay above the pit and pottery recovered from the floor and the pit included Romano-British and medieval wares, proving that the pit was no earlier than the 12-13th century in date. The fill was a uniform black earth suggesting that the pit had been dug to dispose of a single dump of rubbish. Th pit was cut through a late roman make-up layer deposited in order to level the natural chalk surface which shelved abruptly at this point. A war memorial garden has since been laid out over the site.