Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 141: summary

An archaeological evaluation at Birch Pit, northern extension, Colchester, Essex: May 2001
by Shimmin, D

Date report completed: 30/06/2001
Location: Birch, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL928199
File size: 832 kb
Project type: Evaluation
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Bronze Age, Iron Age, prehistoric field ditches, prehistoric ditch, prehistoric pottery, flint, Anglo-Saxon, post-medieval, Roman pit, World War 1/World War 2 defences

Summary. Several prehistoric ditches were excavated in evaluation trenches in the north-east corner of the site, including a Bronze Age ditch from which a quantity of pottery and flintwork were recovered. A parallel pair of shallow ditches further east were probably of later prehistoric date. Two large quarry pits nearby were apparently in use in the Roman period, although some Saxon sherds were found in the backfill of one. Features elsewhere on the site were sparse but included post-medieval or modern field-boundary ditches as well as a large pit used to dump materials left over from the American Air Force base at the end of the Second World War.