Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 1345: summary

Phase 2 of archaeological monitoring and excavation at Hanson Quarry, Maldon Road, Birch, Essex: September 2018
by Dr Elliott Hicks (with contributions from Dr Matthew Loughton, Laura Pooley, Adam Wightman, Mark Baister, Ben Holloway, Emma Holloway)

Date report completed: February 2019
Location: Hanson Quarry, Maldon Road, Birch, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 9197 1927
File size: kb
Project type: Monitoring and excavation
Significance of the results:
Keywords:

Summary. The second part of archaeological monitoring and excavation carried out during 2018 at Hanson Quarry, Maldon Road, Birch, Essex, was undertaken in September 2018 prior to the commencement of mineral extraction, and investigated an area measuring 0.51 ha. The 2018 excavations represent the latest phase of a series of archaeological investigations undertaken at this site by Colchester Archaeological Trust over much of the past two decades. Located on the most westerly area of land surveyed during the excavations at Birch Quarry, the archaeological deposits uncovered during the investigation were primarily extensions of ditches revealed during the first phase of the 2018 excavations. Additionally, a pit yielded an Early Iron Age assemblage of pottery similar to other pits uncovered during the first phase of this investigation, suggesting that the site of an Early Iron Age settlement may be located nearby.