Colchester Archaeological Group fieldwork in Essex: summer 2014

Today (1st October), Don Goodman of the Colchester Archaeological Group (CAG) kindly sent the Trust their news of the CAG’s 2014 season of fieldwork. The CAG is the local voluntary archaeological group. In the summer, the members undertake fieldwork projects and, in the winter, the group presents a series of weekly evening lectures with guest speakers; the lectures are open to non-members as well as to members. The CAG also publish an annual report on their work called the CAG Bulletin which is issued free to CAG members and is available to buy via their web-site, where some past Bulletins are also published online.

In the summer of 2014, the CAG undertook two fieldwork projects in Essex: at Marks Hall near Coggeshall and at Warren’s Farm at Great Tey. In the winter they had undertaken a project at Cowlins Farm at Mount Bures. The CAG is invited or given permission to undertake fieldwork by interested landowners.

Don writes: ‘… The CAG is currently working with the Marks Hall Trustees who have provided facilities for a community dig involving extensive excavation work, which we began in 2011. We have now identified the footprint of most of the building of the mansion which was demolished in 1950, and are engaged in trying to sort out the various phases of the building, parts of which have been established as dating back to Tudor times. Unexpectedly, we have discovered a very large medieval midden within the footprint of the Tudor part of the house, and pre-dating it; this is full of oystershells, animal bones and pottery fragments dating to a period of over 500 years, from 1100 to 1600. This is proof that there was occupation of the site, probably in a timber-framed hall house, before the mansion was built…’  Visitors to Marks Hall can view the excavation site.

This summer, the CAG also undertook fieldwalking on a field at Warren’s Farm in Great Tey. The field is located immediately to the north of the Scheduled area which includes the site of the Great Tey Roman villa. Between 1996 and 2006, the CAG carried out a series of excavations along the line of a Roman road at Great Tey. Some of the plan of the villa complex is known, and it consisted of a masonry main building, a yard and secondary timber buildings. The remains of the villa complex survive below ground and the site has previously produced evidence of tessellated floors, a hypocaust heating system, roof tiles and painted wall-plaster.

Unusually, the CAG also undertook an excavation at Cowlins Farm at Mount Bures during the winter, in the cold and rain! This was a continuation of their excavation on the site in 2011. The site is thought to be that of a Neolithic long barrow which was originally identified as cropmarks in aerial photo.s. A ‘long barrow’ is a prehistoric funerary monument consisting of a long, rectangular earth mound. The CAG’s initial excavation was followed by fieldwalking and a geophysical survey, also both undertaken by the CAG. You can read the CAG’s 2011 report on their work at Cowlins Farm at http://caguk.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Cowlins-2011-OctNovember.pdf .

The CAG was founded in 1950 and they have close links with the Trust. John Mallinson of the CAG is a member of the Trust’s Council of Management. Don Goodman of the CAG has contributed an archive of photo.s to the modern military display here at Roman Circus House, alongside the circus displays. The Trust’s senior archaeologist Howard Brooks works on projects with the CAG and which they fund. The CAG library is now housed in a room on the top floor at Roman Circus House! In the summer, the CAG also hosted a visit by the Colchester Young Archaeologists’ Club to their excavation site at Marks Hall, where the Young Archaeologists were able to try excavating and also finds washing.

The CAG’s winter lectures start on Monday 6th October and they are all presented at the Lion Walk Congregational Church in Colchester town centre.  The CAG is always pleased to welcome non-members to their lectures and new members to the group. Visit the CAG web-site at http://caguk.net/ .