Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 358: summary

An archaeological evaluation for a new car park on the Abbey Field, south of Circular Road North, Colchester, Essex: March 2006
by Holloway, B (with contributions from Benfield, S; Dennis, T.)

Date report completed: 03/03/2006
Location: Garrison, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL99312427, TL99402430
File size: 2301 kb
Project type: Evaluation, Geophysical survey
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: trackway/droveway, Roman ditch, post-medieval, ceramic building materials, Roman pottery, human bone, cremation, circus, oppidum, animal bone, geophysical survey

Summary. Three evaluation trenches were excavated on an area of land adjacent to the Abbey Field athletics track, south of Circular Road North, Colchester, Essex. A total of 60m of trenching was opened to evaluate the archaeological potential of the area prior to the construction of a new car park adjacent to the athletics track. During the evaluation, fifteen features were identified, seven of which were modern and likely to be of military origin. The remaining eight archaeological features consisted of six ditches including a continuation of trackway ditch JSF19 (first identified as part of the Alienated Land excavations on Area J South in 2004), a patch of gravel metalling and two features of natural origin. The trackway ditch contained Roman pottery and cremated human and animal bone indicating an association with burial.