Site Event/Activity record ECC2624 - An archaeological watching brief at St Peter's Vicarage, North Hill, Colchester, 2001

Location

Location St Peter's Vicarage, North Hill, Colchester
Grid reference TL 99334 25291 (point)
Map sheet TL92NE
County ESSEX
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd

Date

September 2001

Map

Description

Observations were made after the cutting of a new sewer-trench in front of the house, 500mm wide and between 600mm and 700mm deep. In the trench, 300mm of dark brown loam topsoil with tile and mortar overlay dark brown loam with common tileand mortar. Within this layer, a possible robber trench filled with yellow-brown mortar and small to medium stones was recorded. A possible fragment of Roman tessellated floor was recorded in the foundation trench to the west of the front door at 400mm below ground-level. A few fragments of both cream and red tesserae on a base of opus signinum mortar sat on top of a layer of brownish yellow sandy mortar. This in turn overlay a banded grey, slightly greenish brown sandy loam. These features may have been from a house fronting the Roman street which would be expected from this area of the town. A fragment of an adult human jaw was found by the contractors in the fill of the sewer-trench. A brick sewer junction box was removed as part of the work. Directly behind the brickwork, the contractors found a nearly complete Roman pot standing upright in the ground. The base of the vessel was 550mm below ground-level. It would originally have been used for cooking. The report states, the completeness of the pot and its reported upright position indicate that it probably represents a Roman votive deposit. <1>

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Watching Brief Report: Orr, Kate (CAT). 2001. An archaeological watching brief at St Peter's Vicarage, North Hill, Colchester, Essex. CAT Report 156.

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

  • Roman ?tessellated floor and robber trench, St Peter's Vicarage, North Hill, Colchester (Element Group)

Record last edited

Oct 13 2015 12:09PM

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