A COMPANY laying a new water main near Dorchester is being careful not to disturb the past.

Barrows located between Lambert’s Hill reservoir and Winterbourne water treatment works are believed to make up one of the highest density burial sites in the world, say archaeologists.

Wessex Water is working with Context One archaeology services to ensure minimal impact to the site as it embarks on a project to lay a 5km pipeline between the reservoir and treatment works to provide for future demands.

Wessex Water spokesman Lucy Piercey said: “Context One went along and found these barrows and so we are working around them.

“It’s really interesting what we can learn about the past from them. We always work with Context One to ensure we don’t impact on the environment.”

Stuart Milby from Context One archaeology services said: “The whole area is well known for being a Bronze Age area and it just so happens that we were monitoring the area for Wessex Water to make sure that the monuments were not disturbed.”

The remains of a Bronze Age roundhouse were found and a number of Neolithic pits which contained pottery and flint fragments.

Mr Milby said: “There are a number of large ditches where historical artefacts were found like pottery and a small circular enclosure, a round house which was quite worn away from years of ploughing, which was really interesting.”

Context One covers the whole of the south of England, working with utility companies and private developments to ensure the protection of archaeological sites.

The work by Wessex Water is due to be completed by spring 2013.