Monument record MCC918 - Roman building (CAT Building 120), Insula 34 at Culver Street, Colchester

Summary

Roman building within Insula 34 discovered during excavations at Culver Street between 1981-2 and 1984-5.

Location

Grid reference TL 99486 25026 (point)
Map sheet TL92NE
1848 Parish THE HOLY TRINITY
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (14)

Full Description

During excavations at Culver Street between 1981-2 and 1984-5 (ECC337), a large Roman building (CAT Building 120) was discovered situated in the south-east corner of Insula 34. The building was a Roman house of the winged corridor-type. The main part of the building was on the plot occupied by the earlier barrack building (MCC759) with the two wings being an encroachment onto the adjacent property to the north. The shape of the house had been influenced by its predecessors MCC905 and MCC916.
Almost the entire house was available for excavation although most of the wall foundations had been robbed out in the early medieval period. The building included thirteen rooms, up to four passages and a gravelled yard area.
The floors present varied from simple ones constructed from sandy clay, to two of opus signinum (both of which had quarter-round mouldings), one wooden example, seven with red tessellated pavements, two with mosaics and one with a hypocaust.
Internal features included hearths, a pit containing burnt fodder and one room had a stake hole for the hypocaust. Between the two wings of the building was a gravelled yard in which was a tiled tank, presumably for holding water or some other liquid.<1>

Sources/Archives (1)

  • <1> Monograph: Crummy, Philip. 1992. CAR 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester 1971-85. 6. pp.90-95.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Oct 27 2016 11:04AM

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