Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 271: summary

An archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching at Area C1X and Area C2X of the Garrison Urban Village, Colchester, Essex: May 2004
by Orr, K (with contributions from Benfield, S; Crummy, N;)

Date report completed: 06/06/2004
Location: Garrison, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL99602460, TL99602460, TL9942432, TL999242, TL99602460, TL99602460, TL99602460, TL9942432, TL999242, TL99602460, TL99602460, TL99602460, TL99602460, TL9942432, TL999242, TL99602460, TL99602460
File size: 3357 kb
Project type: Evaluation
Significance of the results: * *
Keywords: Bronze Age, medieval, post-medieval, coins, ceramic building materials, Roman building, mausoleum, Roman inhumation, Roman burial, cremation, human bone, Beaker

Summary. This is the interim report on an archaeological trial-trenching evaluation of Area C1X and Area C2X of the planned urban village at Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex. This work was carried out by Colchester Archaeological Trust as part of a programme of archaeological evaluation of areas of alienated land, acquired by Taylor Woodrow in for residential development. Three trenches were excavated in each area totalling 178m of trenching. In total, 57 features were excavated or exposed (plus four natural features), including remains of regional archaeological significance. Nearly half of the features (26) were Roman in date. The next largest group of features were modern (11,) and there was a large proportion of undated features (11). There were four probable Bronze Age features, four probable medieval features and one postmedieval feature. In Area C1X, a cluster of Bronze Age features, consisting of three pits and a possible Bronze Age ditch, may represent the remains of a settlement or could be associated with a burial site. A robbed Roman wall, a Roman or later demolished wall using or re using Roman building material, and Roman pits, ditches and spreads of Roman material indicate activity here in this period which has yet to be understood fully. Two unstratified silver Roman coins may be part of a dispersed coin hoard. In Area C2X there was clear evidence that this site is well within the area of the Roman cemetery to the south of the walled town. Cremation and inhumation burials including a lead coffin and a possible mausoleum were investigated. Various Roman walls and ditches are interpreted as being associated with the cemetery. Outside the previously built-up areas, the disturbance to buried remains has not been severe and therefore the potential for further survival of remains is considered to be high.