An archaeological excavation of trenches for footings for a new extension to Colchester High School was carried out in February 2006 (CBC planning application F/COL/05/1705). The 17m by 18m site was formerly used as a car-park and was partly covered by hardcore and partly by concrete hardstanding. The footings trenches for the new building were excavated archaeologically, which amounted to 92m of trenching, the trenches being 600mm wide. Topsoil and modern overburden was stripped off under archaeological supervision and control by contractors, using a mechanical excavator fitted with a toothless ditching bucket. Hand excavation then proceeded down to archaeological layers/features.<1> A high level of archaeological activity was recorded on the site, with several features inter-cutting each other. The evidence points to the site being an open area used for rubbish-disposal in the Roman period. No definite Roman burials were revealed but one feature may represent an inhumation burial and there were pots found in later deposits that may well have been disturbed out of earlier burials. Several patches of gravel may be metalling for a Roman track way. A watching brief was subsequently carried out after the extension was built, but no further archaeological features were observed. The watching brief followed a trial trenched evaluation by Colchester Archaeological Trust in November-December 2005.<2>