A rescue excavation was undertaken over ten weeks in the summer of 1970. The excavation carried out ahead of terracing over the lower part of Sheepen Hill for the provision of school playing fields. 5 hectares of land was to be affected most of which lay within the line of the Sheepen Dyke. Prior to the man excavation a small area (Site IV) was opened up by members of the Colchester Archaeological Research Group under the direction of Mr. J. Blyth. A geophysical survey was initially undertaken to see which areas should be given priority. Using the geophysical survey five sites were laid out, covering areas where the most pronounced and frequently occurring anomalies were recorded, all of which were confined to Hawkes and Hull's region 4 from the 1930's excavation. Machine trenches were also dug. In addition to destruction by quarrying the whole site was found to be much denuded by soil erosion. <1>