Site Event/Activity record ECC3492 - Archaeological fieldwalking survey at Birch, 1997

Location

Location Land to east of Birch Airfield, Birch
Grid reference Centred TL 923 193 (345m by 441m)
Map sheet TL91NW
County ESSEX
Civil Parish BIRCH, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Technique(s)

Organisation

Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd

Date

November 1997

Map

Description

Area C, c.7ha. in size to the north-east of Palmers Farm, of the 1992 assessment of 73 ha. (to assess proposed mineral extraction) was subject to fieldwalking on a more intensive scale in 1997 with the aim of producing a more detailed finds distribution plot which might more accurately point to the locations of underlying features of archaeological value. The 1992 survey defined a scatter of Roman building materials and pottery in the fields to the north-east of Palmers Farm (Area C).<1> The survey recovered over 500 finds, including Roman tile and brick (including flue tile and roof tile), building stone (septaria) and pottery (146 sherds) in distinct concentrations or cludters which, it is suggested in the report, may represent several buildings or a single large villa. The Roman material dates between the 2nd and 4th centuries. One sherd of flint-tempered pottery, probably of late Bronze Age or early Iron Age date was found, and six flints including a middle palaeolithic handaxe (or neolithic knife) and a mesolithic (or neolithic) blade.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Evaluation Report: Crossan, C.. 1997. Fieldwalking survey at Birch, Colchester for ARC Southern Ltd. CAT Report 8.

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

  • Archaeological fieldwalking survey at Birch (Find Spot)
  • Archaeological fieldwalking survey at Birch (Monument)

Record last edited

Jan 23 2018 2:59PM

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