During the excavation of the north lift shaft pit a small quantity of human bone was recovered near the base of the excavation, during a watching brief and excavation in advance of redevelopment at 38-42 Crouch Street, Colchester, on the site of the (later) medieval Crouched Friars friary (Grave 53, find number 127 - an unsexed adult of uncertain age). <1>

As no burials were located during the watching brief on the central or west areas of the site and all of the medieval burials were located on the west side of the site it appears likely that this bone represents a disturbed Roman inhumation. A small number of Roman inhumation burials were located just to the west of the current site during the 1988 excavation (CAR 9, 247-48) and a larger number were excavated to the south of the current site during excavations in advance of the construction of the inner relief road in 1971 (CAR 9, 236-41). <2>

In addition, there was a sherd of Roman glass sherd from the fill of medieval Grave 1 (ie F35). This is probably from a Roman cremation vessel, and its discovery indicates that there was at least one Roman cremation burial on the site later occupied by the medieval Friary.