Bournemouth Big Dig Reveals Poole Harbour prehistoric past
KB GPR Surveys Ltd were invited to GPR survey an area of field which had Archaeological excavation occurring within it by Bournemouth University.
The site is located very near Corfe Castle in Dorset which is an area with thousands of years of history attached.
Excavations were revealing multiple chronological phases of industrial occupation ranging from Iron Age/Romano British to Medieval. The buildings discovered within the silty soil were of clay construction and were clearly extensive.
The GPR results were very encouraging. With circular and linear features, ditches, pits and even the possibility of a man-made cut creating a dock or area for a jetty to stand.
The location of this site is on the River Corfe and River Frome which both feed into Poole Harbour. Poole Harbour is a well-known prehistoric trading site, especially Green Island which has been extensively investigated. This proximity is intriguing as it could clearly demonstrate that this site acted as a trading outpost or industrial area feeding the Green Island or other trading centres.
This survey has created the possibility for future excavation to be pinpointed with GPS accuracy in any further investigation of such an intriguing site.
