Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 680: summary

An archaeological evaluation on the former car-park site at the junction of Mess Road and Chapel Road, Shoebury Garrison, Shoeburyness, Essex - January 2013
by Adam Wightman (with contributions from Stephen Benfield)

Date report completed: January 2013
Location: former car-park at the junction of Mess Road and Chapel Road, Shoebury Garrison, Shoeburyness, Essex
Map reference(s): TQ 9388 8460 (c)
File size: 7,292 kb
Project type: Evaluation by trial-trenching
Significance of the results: **
Keywords: ditch, pit, post-hole, Early Iron Age-Middle Iron Age, pottery

Summary. Trial-trenches were excavated by the Colchester Archaeological Trust within the footprints of two proposed buildings in the former car-park site at the junction of Mess Road and Chapel Road in Shoebury Garrison. Ten potential archaeological features were investigated during the evaluation, including four ditches (one of which was a re-cut of an earlier ditch) and four small pits/post-holes. Based on the pottery, these features represent activity on the site in the Early Iron Age period extending into the Middle Iron Age. Given that previous excavations undertaken within the interior of the ‘Danish Camp’ have shown that the Middle Iron Age was the principal period of occupation, the deposits and finds from this site could be of considerable significance.