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<< Our Photo Pages >> Dorchester Cursus - Cursus in England in Oxfordshire

Submitted by Andy B on Sunday, 17 July 2011  Page Views: 11639

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Dorchester Cursus
Country: England County: Oxfordshire Type: Cursus
Nearest Town: Abingdon  Nearest Village: Dorchester
Map Ref: SU56859595  Landranger Map Number: 164
Latitude: 51.659468N  Longitude: 1.17953W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
5 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Our guide gives a tour of the latest excavations of prehistoric Dorchester-on-Thames (Vote or comment on this photo)
Oxford Archaeology has been excavating the Dorchester-on-Thames cursus with the help of volunteers. Finds were on display at the open day, along with tours of the trenches. Geophysics of the 'car boot sale' field just off the A415 indicated that the cursus extended further north than previously thought. Excavations this summer have confirmed this and also found a ring ditch that cuts through the cursus.

The ring ditch is therefore of a later date - probably the remains of a Bronze Age barrow. What is particularly interesting is that the ring ditch exactly bisects the cursus ditch, indicating that the cursus, from approximately a thousand years earlier, was still recognised, possibly revered.

Also found is tree-throw with mesolithic flints deposited in the roots and a rectilinear Neolithic enclosure.

Status: Certain
NMR No. SU 59 NE 5
Extent: 1600mx60m
Terminal type: Rounded
Date: 3380-2910 cal BC 93% confidence (BM-2443) for antler from ditch

Note: This location marks the north terminal (end) of a cursus monument. The location of the other terminal can be found in the Nearby Site list below.

I have given this a condition '5' as the cursus is so well preserverd under the ground but there will be nothing to see above ground once the excavation is over.

Note: Andy B visits the Dorchester-on-Thames cursus dig open day
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Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Prehistoric Dorchester-on-Thames Poster: Iron Age (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : A stitched panorama showing an overview of the whole of trench one looking east. The cursus bank runs left to right along the centre of the trench, just visible as two dark parallel lines. The ring ditch bisects it, visible as a dark circle. The lady with the hat is in the centre of the ring ditch and the yellow bucket is just inside the left hand part. The ring ditch is thought to be ... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : An aerial view has been overlaid with the known features, plus geophysics of the area being excavated (top right of the photo, below the squiggly blue line, which is the nearby stream). On the grey goephysics you can see the extension of the cursus ditch plus a circular feature. The point where these cross is where they centered the main trench. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Our guide shows an aerial view of the site (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Prehistoric Dorchester-on-Thames Poster: Excavations in the Car Boot Sale field

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Selection of animal bones from the Allotment site

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Selection of pottery sherds from the Allotment site (1 comment)

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Finds from Roman Dorchester

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Flint tools and other struck flints from the cursus excavation

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Finds from the topsoil and plough, later cursus excavations

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : The western part of trench 2 contains evidence of a rectilinear Neolithic enclosure

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : They had time to open up a second smaller trench. The eastern end contains a tree-throw with mesolithic flints deposited in the roots, the earliest part of the site that has been found

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Looking south along the cursus. The two diggers together are just about in the centre of the ring ditch

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : An overview of the whole of trench one. Here you can see the cursus bank as two dark parallel lines from rear to front-right and the ring ditch bisecting it, visible as a dark circle. The lady with the hat is in the centre of the ring ditch and the yellow bucket is just inside the left hand part. The ring ditch is thought to be the remains of a bronze age round barrow, it sits on the b...

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Excavation of another section through the ring ditch.

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Close up of the section through the ring ditch. This is thought to be the remains of a bronze age round barrow, it sits on the bank of the cursus, bisecting it almost exactly

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : A very intact looking Beaker pot in situ close to the bank of the cursus

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Our other guide shows the excavation through the bank of the cursus

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Close up of the excavations of the ring ditch (front) and the cursus (rear).

Dorchester Cursus
Dorchester Cursus submitted by Andy B : Excavations of the ring ditch (front) and the cursus (rear).

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 158m SSE 162° Dorchester-on-Thames 6 Timber Circle (SU569958)
 255m S 169° Dorchester-on-Thames 5 Timber Circle (SU569957)
 255m S 169° Dorchester-on-Thames 4 Timber Circle (SU569957)
 677m SSE 150° Dorchester Big Rings* Henge (SU57209537)
 721m SE 133° Dorchester Cursus Cursus (SU57389546)
 1.2km SE 133° Woodhenge (Dorchester) Henge (SU57759513)
 1.7km ENE 60° Mount Farm (Oxfordshire) Timber Circle (SU583968)
 1.7km SE 133° Dorchester Cursus Cursus (SU581948)
 1.9km E 98° Dorchester-on-Thames 3 Timber Circle (SU587957)
 2.4km SSE 168° Dyke Hills* Hillfort (SU57389358)
 2.6km SE 131° Dorchester; Overy Cursus (SU588943)
 3.2km SE 131° Dorchester; Overy Cursus (SU593939)
 3.4km ENE 71° Drayton St. Leonard Cursus Cursus (SU601971)
 3.5km S 179° Sinodun Camp* Hillfort (SU5694592434)
 3.6km ENE 70° Drayton St. Leonard Cursus Cursus (SU602972)
 4.1km NE 47° Stadhampton Cursus Cursus (SU59799875)
 4.1km S 170° Brightwell Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SU576919)
 4.3km SE 138° Shillingford Cursus Cursus (SU598928)
 4.4km NE 45° Stadhampton Cursus Cursus (SU59909910)
 4.7km SE 136° Warborough Cursus Cursus (SU60119260)
 4.8km SE 137° Shillingford Cursus Cursus (SU602925)
 5.6km WNW 296° Barrow Hills Radley I Timber Circle (SU518983)
 7.2km NNE 33° Cuddesdon Stones Lower Standing Stone (Menhir) (SP6070002018)
 7.3km SE 125° Benson Cursus Cursus (SU629919)
 7.4km NNE 30° Cuddesdon Stones Upper Standing Stone (Menhir) (SP6042102411)
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Re: Dorchester Cursus by Anne T on Saturday, 05 August 2017
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The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) has an entry for this cursus, together with an old plan, a more recent 1985 plan, a brief archaeology & history and a list of reference material.

See their entry for Dorchester Cursus, Oxfordshire.
[ Reply to This ]

Discovering Dorchester on Thames, Sat 21st July by Andy B on Wednesday, 18 July 2012
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County: Oxfordshire

Sat 21 July; 12.00-17.00

This season sees the project involved in a three-pronged investigation into the ancient past of Dorchester-on-Thames. Dr Gill Hey will lead further investigation into the relationship between the Neolithic cursus and the Beaker burial revealed last season, as well as examining possible later features revealed by the geophysics.

In the Village Allotment, led by Paul Booth, we will be pursuing the story of Late Roman life within the town walls and unravelling the complex of ditches and pits that likely date from that period. Additionally, a series of test pits will be dug in village gardens, adding even more data – threads to be woven into the story of Dorchester.

Visit our excavations of a Neolithic monument, a Bronze Age burial, and a Roman town. See artefacts from the excavations, take guided tours of the sites, have experts identify your finds, and children's activities.

Location: Dorchester-on-Thames (Allotments) OX10 7JG. Follow signs to the village from the A4074 or A415. Signage will direct you to site.

Org: University of Oxford/Oxford Archaeology
Name: Wendy A Morrison
Email: wendy.morrison@arch.ox.ac.uk
Web: http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/DOT1.html

Part of the Festival of British Archaeology 2012
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Dorchester Cursus by JohnLindsay on Sunday, 08 April 2012
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I think the idea that the bus X39 or X40 is riding along the cursus is the sort of thing worth making something of, so that when you are on the bus, this flashes up on your mobile, with a promotion for the Dorchester Museum before the stop, so you can visit, and a note of the catalogue references of the material in the Ashmolean, as well as the bibliography. I have the references now, but haven't checked yet where they are available.
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    Re: Dorchester Cursus by JohnLindsay on Sunday, 08 April 2012
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    Under Dyke Hills I mentioned the booklet available in the museum in Dorchester which has a good starter bibliography. The people who run the museum are most enthusiastic.

    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Dorchester Cursus by Andy B on Sunday, 17 July 2011
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The latest excavations have found the cursus extends north of the road into the car boot sale field so I have moved this point 150m north and 50m west from the previously published location
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