Site Event/Activity record ECC2975 - Excavation and monitoring of the Napier Road car parks, Area B1b and C2, Napier Road, Colchester, 2011-13

Location

Location Napier Road car parks, Napier Road, Colchester
Grid reference Centred TL 9977 2450 (223m by 80m)
Map sheet TL92SE
County ESSEX
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd

Date

February 2011 to January 2013

Map

Description

Archaeological monitoring and excavation was carried out on three sites on the northern and southern sides of the eastern end of Napier Road during ground-works for two car parks (Phase 1 & Phase 2), and for a new footpath along the northern side of Napier Road (Phase 3).<1> The majority of archaeological remains were preserved in situ below the car parks. Archaeological monitoring and excavation was carried out on three sites on the northern and southern sides of the eastern end of Napier Road during ground-works for two car parks (Phase 1 & Phase 2), and for a new footpath along the northern side of Napier Road (Phase 3). The northern car park (ie, the Phase 1 site) revealed a large early or mid-Roman quarry pit, evidence of iron working (smithing) and possibly bone working. In the mid-late Roman period the site was primarily used for burial (two cremations and 27 inhumations, some of which were intercutting, with one cremation cut into the backfill of one of the inhumations). The graves can be divided into groups which share distinct alignments, possibly in small areas reflecting either socially-related groups, or (over a wider areas) chronological patterns of burials. The variation in the alignment of graves is similar to that of graves on the southern car park (Phase 2 here). An unusual line of intercutting burials on the southern edge of the site may mark the cemetery boundary, and may follow an otherwise invisible boundary (one side of a trackway?). Of significant interest is the skeleton of a juvenile which has physical traits indicative of a possible Negroid ancestry or origin. The Phase 2 area (south of Napier Road) produced a small quantity of residual Neolithic-Early Iron Age finds. During the mid-late Roman period the site was primarily used for burials (three cremations and thirteen inhumations). While the variation in grave alignment is similar to that on the northern car park (Phase 1 site), there are no east-west aligned burials here. Unusually, one cremation had been placed at the centre of a ring-ditch. This burial post-dates several of the inhumations, one of which can be dated to after the late 2nd century. The footpath watching brief (Phase 3) revealed traces of the Roman circus. Spreads of building materials from the circus stands (cavea) were uncovered surprisingly close to the modern ground level. The rubble spread associated with the outer cavea wall contained mainly large stones, probably from the dismantling of the circus in later Roman times. The rubble spread near the inner cavea wall consisted of mortar debris with stone chips and a few small fragments of Roman brick. This was probably waste from the robbing of larger pieces of stone and brick for reuse in medieval times. The rubble spreads were left intact and given a protective covering. This followed a trial-trenched evaluation of Area B1b in 2007 (ECC2803; CAT report 438). <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> EXCAV REPORT: Wightman, A., Shimmin, D., Benfield, S. and Masefield, R.. 2014. Stages 2 & 3 archaeological monitoring and excavation on the Napier Road car parks and footpath (GAL Area B1b and C2), Colchester Garrison, Essex. CAT report 652.
  • <2> Evaluation Report: Brooks, H., Holloway, B. and Masefield, R.. 2008. Stage 1b archaeological evaluation, Alienated Land Area B1b, Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex, July-September 2007. CAT report 438.

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Record last edited

Apr 6 2016 10:02AM

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