Site Event/Activity record ECC3859 - Site H excavation at the former Meeanee & Hyderabad Barracks, Colchester, 2011
Location
Location | Colchester Garrison Alienated Land Area A1 (former Meeanee & Hyderabad Barracks), Mersea Road, Colchester |
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Grid reference | Centred TL 99946 24366 (12m by 32m) |
Map sheet | TL92SE |
County | ESSEX |
Non Parish Area | COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX |
Technique(s)
Organisation
Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd
Date
April and June 2011
Description
Site H (165m²) was positioned to intercept the western continuation of the line of a Roman field boundary ditch found in 2002 evaluation trench T10 (AF1004), and in 2012 evaluation T26 and T32 (F143), and explored in excavation Site G (GF1). Site H contained 31 grave cuts, 17 with potential human remains and only one (HF26) with grave goods (iron knife, copper-alloy finger ring and two iron rings). The graves were not closely dated. The absence of coffin nails, hobnails and wood-stains indicative of Roman burials in Colchester may indicate that an early Anglo-Saxon date is as valid as a later Roman date. However, the graves were regularly aligned E-W, which perhaps indicates a Christian ritual. Three large N-S ditches, two of which may define a field corner, cut through nine of the graves. It is possible that some of the N-S aligned graves post-date these ditches, and were aligned upon them.<1>
Sources/Archives (1)
- <1> SCC72918 EXCAV REPORT: Brooks, Howard. 2016. A Late Iron Age dyke, Roman and Anglo-Saxon burials, a Roman coin hoard, and a Civil War fort: Stage 1b archaeological evaluation and Stage 2 excavation at Colchester Garrison Alienated Land Area A1. CAT Report 628, pp.77-82.
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Record last edited
Dec 16 2016 1:15PM