Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 423: summary

An archaeological watching brief and partial excavation at Topfield, Rawstorn Road, Colchester, Essex: August 2006-May 2007
by Orr, K (with contributions from Benfield, S; Martingell, H)

Date report completed: 01/06/2007
Location: Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL99022522
File size: 1,462 kb
Project type: Watching brief
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Iron Age, Roman inhumation, water-logged, wooden feature, Roman pottery, worked flint, Roman tile, animal bone, iron object

Summary. An archaeological watching brief and partial excavation were undertaken during a small residential development at Topfield, which is part of a known Roman cemetery area in Colchester. Two Roman inhumation burials were exposed in the southeastern part of the site. These can be added to the four inhumations found during the 2001 evaluation, and are most probably outliers to the known Roman cemetery at the adjacent St Mary's hospital site. Downslope, in the north western area of the site, waterlogged wooden posts probably dating to the Iron Age or Roman period were removed by machine during the digging of a sewer trench.