Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 30: summary

Gosbecks Archaeological Park, Colchester: an archaeological evaluation of the north-west area, 1998
by Benfield, S (with contributions from Barbour, D; Bates, M; Cott, P; Crummy, N; Murphy, P; Wiltshire, P)

Date report completed: 31/10/1998
Location: Gosbecks, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s):
File size: 165 kb
Project type: Evaluation, geophysical survey
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Iron Age pottery, loomweight, animal bone, cropmarks, Roman building, hypocaust, prehistoric flint, Roman ditch, trackway/droveway, Roman bath-house, Roman pottery, samian ware, Roman watermain, Roman military items, Bronze Age pit, earthworks, pollen analysis, Roman toilet set, roman glass, lava quern, coins, brooch, samian counter, post-medieval pottery

Summary. The investigation revealed late Iron Age and early Roman occupation of the 1st century across the whole of the evaluation area. Finds from the features include a range of pottery, one or two fragments from querns and triangular loom weights, and several brooches. A strap end, horse-harness fitting and a number of hobnails, found on the south-west of the site are probably military items. A water-main, continues across the eastern side of the evaluation area. and it appears to be heading toward a large L-shaped cropmark. If supplied with water from the main, then this feature could represent a lowered floor area in a building to accommodate a hypocaust, suggesting a Roman bath-house. A waterworks is another possibility. A large pit of late Bronze Age date was located towards the centre of the evaluation area, which contained a small assemblage of pottery and worked flints, with pieces of burnt flint including one large nodule. No other features of archaeological significance were found during the evaluation. Although the stratigraphy across the site has been entirely ploughed away, it was demonstrated that there is some archaeological potential in the topsoil, as finds have not been significantly moved from the position of their original context.