East Farm, Bradford Abbas, Dorset. Report on Geophysical Survey, September 2018
Author(s): Neil Linford, Paul Linford, Andy Payne, Eleanor Salkeld
Caesium magnetometer and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys were conducted at East Farm, Bradford Abbas, Dorset, to assist in the re-assessment of a scheduled Roman villa site known through excavation, following the recent discovery by aerial photography of a possible Roman temporary camp 750m to the west. The vehicle-towed caesium magnetometer survey (18.8ha) revealed a dense complex of occupation activity indicating an Iron Age and Roman settlement of irregular form clustered about an axial routeway. Small stone building structures of simple plan were also identified within the settlement, but these do not suggest the more formal and elaborate layout expected of a Roman villa. North of the scheduled area the magnetometer survey enhanced the aerial photographic evidence for a series of enclosures on different orientations, suggesting several phases of activity including a sinuous causewayed ditch potentially representing part of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The GPR coverage (4.9ha) targeted the expected location of the previously recorded Roman buildings, but failed to produce any useful results perhaps due to unfavourable soil conditions. Despite this the magnetic results have successfully improved understanding of the archaeological activity both within the scheduled area and in the wider landscape beyond.
- Report Number:
- 12/2019
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 25
- Keywords:
- Caesium Vapour Geophysical Survey Ground Penetrating Radar Iron Age Magnetometer Roman
