Former burial site at garage

9:33am Thursday 24th April 2008

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BURIALS believed to be from a Roman Christian cemetery have been found on the site of a former garage in Dorchester.

A team from Context One Archaeological Services uncovered the graves during an excavation before residential and retail development goes ahead.

The site lies on the northern side of Bridport Road - a Roman road that ran from London to Exeter.

And its location has intrigued leading archaeologist Bill Putnam who has studied Roman Dorchester for 40 years.

He said: "It would be very interesting indeed if that's a Roman Christian cemetery because the Poundbury Roman Christian cemetery lies across on the other side of that road.

"It's possible that it was used after that one filled up or the other way around."

The latest find of at least 53 graves comes after human remains were found in late 2006 during an investigation as part of the planning process for consent to develop the former Olds showroom.

The site had been used for a Victorian steam laundry.

Ground levels had been disturbed by the laundry's underground boiler and later by petrol tanks.

The graves, which align east-west and contain no grave goods are typical of Christian burials.

Stuart Milby, fieldwork manager for Context One, said: "The burials have been uncovered at the rear of the site and include a number of stone-lined graves. The burials are arranged in tight rows and clearly form part of an organised cemetery."

He added: "There are also records of Roman burials nearby in Hawthorne Road as well as large Roman cemetery sites slightly further away at Fordington and Poundbury.

"The pattern of graves on this site fits well with the occurrence of burial sites outside the Roman town along the main arterial routes into Dorchester."

He said other features have been observed on the site including a possible track way running parallel to the line of the Roman road. No finds have been recovered and the track has yet to be dated.

The site has been boarded off as part of the conditions of a licence granted for excavating human remains.

Mr Putnam said he would be interested in finding out more about the site as the work progressed. He added: "I'm very glad that it's being done properly. I'd like to go along there in due course. This sort of thing enables us to have a glimpse of the people who lived then."