Element record MCC2473 - Roman hypocaust, Kirkee McMunn Barracks, Colchester

Summary

Roman hypocaust F25, Kirkee McMunn Barracks, recorded during a watching brief in 1994. Excavation was limited to a small number of narrow trenches at the edge of F25.

Location

Grid reference TL 98845 23090 (point)
Map sheet TL92SE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

In the southern corner of the site, 3.5m from and apparently on a similar alignment to F24, a large, sub-rectangular feature (F25) was revealed during machine stripping. This was characterised by a dark greyish-brown backfill with a slight reddish hue, caused by large amounts of crushed tile in the fill, and included also many fragments of tile, opus signinum and septaria. The remains of a pila (F50), immediately adjacent to the position of the robbed foundation, was revealed in a trench on the eastern side of F25. The pila survived five courses (0.2m) high, and consisted of tiles, broken presumably to half size, with the intact side measuring 275mm. Perhaps the pilae had been robbed elsewhere; however, excavation was limited to a small number of trenches around the edge of F25. The hypocaust was delimited by a wall foundation (F48, MCC2474) robbed foundation, and presumably was one room (aligned NW to SE and with an apsidal NE side) of a larger building (indicated by wall foundation F49 to the northwest, MCC2475), but the report states that further machine stripping in the area failed to reveal any additional structural features. A small quantity of pottery from the backfill suggested a mid 3rd to 4th century date fo rthe demolition and robbing of the structure.<1><2>

Sources/Archives (2)

  • <1> Serial: The Essex Society for Archaeology and History. 1994. Vol. 26 (Third series) Essex Archaeology and History. Vol. 26. Vol 26, p.253.
  • <2> Article in serial: Shimmin, D.. 1998. A Late Iron Age and Roman Cccupation site, Kirkee McMunn Barracks, Colchester. Essex Archaeology and History Vol. 29 (Third Series), pp.260-269. Vol 29, p.266 & Fig. 5.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Sep 3 2018 11:46AM

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