Archaeology
Above : The iconic Stonehenge
Below : Trace of Roman Road on south Dorset Ridgeway. (Photo Bill Putnam) |
For our normal speaker meetings, we meet at the Community Church Hall in Poundbury. The postcode is DT1 3DF. It is on the corner of Peverell Avenue East and Liscombe Street adjacent to Damers First School.
No 6 & 10 Buses from Dorchester stop nearby on Peverell Avenue East. There is plenty of parking on the street. Please do not park in front of the entrance - the area is not a carpark (although it looks like one !). Click here for a map it will open in a new tab or window (At the moment streetmap have not completed mapping Poundbury) Meetings start at 2pm normally on the 4th Monday of the month. However, with other outside visits and venues, times may be arranged to suit (see the programme below). At Poundbury, tea/coffee and biscuits are available for a small donation to the CCH funds To see the full Dorchester U3A Timetable click the button.
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Above : Roman Town House, Dorchester
Below : Lidar image of Frampton Roman Villa |
Programme for 2024
Please use the link below to the Dorchester Archaeology Website for full details.
On 22nd April 2024 we had an excellent illustrated talk by Martin Smith of Bournemouth University on 'Far away from home - an ongoing investigation of mummified remains from Ancient Egypt" 20th May 2024. An outing to visit Shaftesbury Museum - more details to followThe visit will start at 10.30am and we will be gathering at the entrance to the ruins - where our guide will meet us. There is car parking in the centre of town. The entrance fee and the tour will cost £5. After the tour a visit to the Gold Museum in town is proposed where there are interesting Anglo Saxon artifacts. There are are plently of cafes for lunch etc. 24th June 2024. A speaker meeting at the Poundbury Community Hall starting at 2pm. Member Richard Crumbleholme will give an illustrated talk on The Archaeology of Easter Island. 22nd July 2024 : An outing to visit the Avalon Heritage Centre and sweet track in Somerset. At the Avalon Marshes Archaeology Centre there will be a guided tour of their reconstructions of ancient local buildings. There is a very nice cafe and also picnicing tables. In the afternoon we hope to go on half a mile to see the reconstruction of the neolithic Sweet Causeway across the marshes and perhaps the medieaval Meare Fish House. More details to follow August - no meeting 23rd September 2024. A local walking tour of the archaeology of Dorchester - more details to follow. 28th October 2024. A speaker meeting at the Poundbury Community Hall starting at 2pm. Francis Taylor will give an illustrated talk on The Rise and Fall of the Khmer Empire 25th November 2024. A speaker meeting at the Poundbury Community Hall starting at 2pm. Martin Papworth will give an illustrated talk on 38 years with the National Trust and the hunt for Stourton Castle 16th December 2024. Christmas Meeting - more details to follow. Some ideas for the future in the planning stage by the steering committee are shown to the right > The Steering committee : Annie Atherton; Barbara O'Farrell; Michael Insley & Richard Crumbleholme OUR WEBSITE : We have our own Dorchester Archaeology Group website. This allows us to give members far more detail on our group's activities together with a facility for members to share their own research and visits. There are many linked activities, such as Lidar access and links to many archaeological sites, organisations and local resources. There are a selection of illustrated talks from past years. The website has a dedicated email address to allow members to send in material and ask questions. Please use the link below : |
The visits & talks below are some that are being planned :
Roman Baths at Bath visit
Chickerell - recent finds and excavations talk. |
New members and other ideas are always welcome
– no previous knowledge is necessary For more information on our programme please call Annie or Michael (For number please see Newsletter) Updated by Richard Crumbleholme 27/4/2024
Photos / Lidar images have been taken by members of the group |
Lidar image of part of the Dorchester Roman aqueduct
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