An excavation by Colchester Archaeological Trust in 2005 in advance of the construction of a new orangutan enclosure at Colchester Zoo, to the NE of the remains of All Saints Church, defined 34 (intercutting) medieval inhumation graves. <1>

Thirty-four graves were recorded containing thirty articulated individuals and further disarticulated remains. The presence of four double burials (eight individuals) was observed. G12A and G12B, G17 and G23 formed two of these (four individuals), while G33 and G24 each contained two individuals (four in total).

Of the thirty articulated skeletons recovered, it was possible to sex seven (23.3%). Of these, three were identified as males and four as probable females. The articulated remains consisted of one individual (3.3%) who could not be aged, thirteen juveniles (43.3%), and sixteen adults (53.3%). The juveniles consisted of one individual who could not be accurately aged (7.7%), three children (23.1%), two infants (15.4%), three individuals in early childhood (23.1%) and one in late childhood (7.7%), two sub adults (15.4%), and one sub to young adult (7.7%). The adult remains consisted of twelve individuals who could not be accurately aged (75%), one young adult (6.3%), one young to mid adult (6.3%), and two mid adults (12.5%).

There were no grave goods, and it is assumed that the small amount of material (mainly residual Roman brick/tile) found its way into the graves by accident. Apart from the sherds of medieval sandy grey ware (Fabric 20) from five of the graves, dating probably to the 13th or 14th century, the only other dated material from the graves is peg-tile. One grave contained an iron nail. It is possible that this is the only surviving coffin nail, but it seems more likely that it is residual or intrusive. In the absence of coffin stains or groups of coffin nails, it was assumed that the burials were wrapped in shrouds.

A late medieval to early post-medieval silver short cross penny of Henry III (dating to 1210-17) was recovered from L4, a layer of demolition debris. There was a small group of medieval sandy grey ware. This fabric occurs principally in Colchester ceramic phases 3.1-4.1 (AD 1150-1500), although smaller quantities occur in phases 2.4 (AD 1150-1200), and 4.2-5.2 (AD 1450-1700). There are two rims, both rather upright, which may be late types. The group would therefore seem to date to the 13th or 14th centuries rather than the 12th. There was also a group of residual Roman brick and tile (11 items, 2.58kg). This might have come from the church, which contains reused Roman brick and/or a Roman villa in the local vicinity.

Two parallel ditches (Feature or F29 and F30) extended across the excavated area, aligned northwest to south-east and c.4m from the northern edge of the burials and c.25m from the church. No dating evidence was defined during the excavation but the evaluation recovered one sherd of medieval pottery, probably dating to the 12th or 13th centuries, from the southern ditch (F29). It seems most likely that the ditches were graveyard boundary ditches.

Some features post-dated the use of the graveyard. A group of three modern postholes (F17-F19) cut the top fills of some of the graves. These lay in an arc, and were probably part of a recent fence or fences. There was also a single, isolated, modern post-hole (F32) just north of the graveyard boundary ditch F30, and two undated pits (F21-F22) 12m to the north, on the north-west edge of the excavation area. The large concrete foundation of the aviary building which until recently stood on this site (F31) was also encountered. A hole left by the very recent removal of a tree (F12) clipped the north edge of graves F13 and F14 (G12 and G13). This had a sand fill with fragments of modern woven nylon sacking. None of these features were of archaeological significance.

Two layers of demolition debris (Layer or L4 and L5) lay to the north of the north edge of the graveyard area. These may be related to alterations to the church in the early 17th century.