Element Group record MCC2867 - Roman field system, Colchester Garrison Area S2 (south), Colchester

Summary

Roman field system defined by evaluation north of Berechurch Road in 2007. see also MCC2866.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 99460 22040 (356m by 93m)
Map sheet TL92SE
County ESSEX
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

Trial trenched evaluation in 2007 revealed a number of prehistoric, Roman and post-medieval ditches, on three different alignments, and appear to represent fragments of three distinct landscapes.

The Iron Age landscape was overlaid by a second field system consisting of ditches aligned slightly west of north to south. Dated material from these ditches is Roman. This Roman, or possibly late Iron Age, realignment of the landscape is paralleled at the Garrison, for instance on Area 2 where the Middle Iron Age round-house was crossed by a Roman drove way aligned N to S (MCC2868). There is good reason to associate this Roman-period reorganisation of the landscape with the early years of the oppidum of Camulodunum, one of the defensive lines of which (Berechurch Dyke) runs along the edge of Area S2 (south).

Later, a third field system is evidenced by a series of ditches containing peg-tile and post-medieval glass. This field system may well have been created in the medieval period, but the presence of recent bottle glass shows that it continued in use in the post-medieval period.<1>

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Evaluation Report: Brooks, Howard and Holloway, Ben (CAT). 2007. Stage 1b archaeological evaluation, Alienated Land Area S2 (south), Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex, January 2007. CAT Report 404, pp.1-7.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (3)

Record last edited

Jan 4 2017 10:23AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.