Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

For each site or area within a large site, there are
three series of consecutive numbers, namely find
numbers, feature numbers, and (since 1973) layer
numbers. All groups of finds are given a find number.
This is in effect a context number so that all finds from
the same context share the same number. Features
and layers in which there were finds have at least one
find number assigned to each of them.
Readers should bear in mind that for most cases the
date of the context provides only a terminus ante
quern for the date of loss or deposition of the object
concerned. This is because most finds have been
redeposited in antiquity, perhaps several times, as a
result of various disturbances. Objects found in their
primary contexts are rare. Most of these are the grave
goods from the Butt Road cemeteries, although also
included are some objects found on floors or in the
overlying occupation debris (fine trampled soil) where
this occurs (eg the steelyard 2508 which lay on the
floor of a house destroyed during the Boudican
revolt). The proportions of finds from secondary
contexts and the factors affecting these proportions
are difficult to quantify. Of interest here is a group of
late Saxon to early medieval pits excavated on the
Cups Hotel site. The contents of these features have
been examined with problems of re-deposition in
mind and for each pit the Roman sherds were found to
outnumber the later pieces by up to ten times
(Crummy & Terry 1979, 52).
Future volumes of the series Colchester
Archaeological Reports will contain descriptions of
the structures and associated deposits from the sites
below. These reports will list the small finds which
can be ascribed to the structures found on the sites
(mainly nails) and also describe objects not dealt with
in detail in this catalogue (eg junction-collars from
water-mains found in situ, and objects associated
with metal-working).
Lion Walk 1971-4 (LWC) 1
Sites A & R \
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military defences and metal
working
2 c 49/55 - 60/1 demolition of defences and
construction of first street
3 60/1 - c 275 no substantial structures of
this period excavated, mainly
metalled surfaces of street
4a, b, & c c 275 - c 400+ houses (three phases)
Post-Roman medieval & later pits, early medieval lime pits
Site B
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military defences and
via sagularis
2 c 49/55 - 60/1 houses
3 60/1 - c 80/90 houses
4 c 80/90 -c 100 pits and dump
5 c 100 -c 350 houses and pits
Post-Roman medieval and later pits and trenches
Sites C & Q
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military buildings and street
2 c 49/55 - 60/1 military buildings reused for
new colony, also garden
3a 60/1 - c 80? houses and garden
3b c 80? - c 100(150) houses
4 c 150 - 400+ house (Building 19)
Post-Roman early medieval and pits and trenches
later
Site L
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military buildings and street
2 c 49/55 - c 85 garden
3a c 85 - c 90 building
3b c 90 - c 100(150?)
4a c 150 - 330/5+ two phases within Room 1 of
house
4b 330/5+-400+ (Building 19)
4(1) c 150 - c 200 three phases within Room 2 of
house
4(2) c 200 - c 250 (Building 19)
4(3) c 250 - c 400+
5 early to late pits and trenches
medieval
6 late medieval lime kilns
7 late medieval to pits
?16th century
8&9 ?16th century - almshouses
1972
Sites K & T
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military buildings
2 c 49/55 - 60/1 military buildings reused for
colony
3 60/1 - c 100 house
4a & b c 150 - c 400+ house (Building 19) (two major
structural phases)
Post-Roman Anglo-Saxon hut
Post-Roman early medieval and pits and trenches
later
Site D
Roman c 3rd century or destruction debris of house
later
Post-Roman early medieval pits and trenches
Post-Roman medieval and later house(s)
Si-te .E
Roman Flavian at earliest street
Post-Roman medieval and later pits and trenches
Post-Roman 16th/17th century houses
Site G
Roman c 3rd century or street and destruction
later
debris of house
Period 1 c 1100 -c 1150 pits and robber trenches
2 c 1150 - c 1500 'stone house' phase 1
3 c 1500- 'stone house'phase 2
c1650/1725
4 c 1650/1725 - stone house'phase 3
1972
Sites J, H, & P
Period 1 c 44 - c 49/55 military building(s)
2 c 49/55 - 60/1 house and street
3 c 60/75 - house and street
c 100/150
4a c150-?200 house and street
4b ?200 - c 275/300
5 c 300 - c 400+ nature of activity/occupation
unclear
Post-Roman Anglo-Saxon hut
Post-Roman early medieval and lime pit, pits and trenches
later
Site M (section across rampart behind town wall)
Street 1 c 100 - c 125
Street 2 c 100 - c 150
Street 3 c 125 - c 150
Street 4 c 150
Rampart 1a-e c 150
Rampart 2 c 250/300
Balkerne Lane 1973-6 (BKC) 2
The following are the areas at Balkerne Lane which
produced finds catalogued in this report: Areas A, B,
C, D, E, G, H, J, K, M, N, P, S, T, and V. These share the
following phases:
Period 1a c 43 - c 49 military defences, street and