An archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching on Area C at Colchester Garrison PFI site, Colchester, Essex: May-June 2002

Eighteen trenches were excavated in Area C. The majority of the excavated archaeological contexts were modern or post-medieval in date (39%). The next largest group of features was undated (23%) or of natural origin (20%). There were eleven Roman ditches or pits, one Iron Age ditch, and five prehistoric pits; together these constituted 18% of all excavated features. Much disturbance had been caused by recent digging (30% of modern or post-medieval contexts contained residual Roman or prehistoric finds, and the largest group of Roman finds (7.9kg of tile and pottery) was residual in a modern dumped layer). The significant Roman or later prehistoric features were widely spaced. However, in one part of the area (Trenches C15 and C16) there was a pair of ditches defining a potential trackway (like those seen as cropmarks in Areas DR, R, M and P). Other ditches were part of a Roman (and later ?prehistoric) rectilinear landscape aligned approximately N-S/E-W. The alignment of these ditches is shared by a ditch in Trench C7 which produced the large stratified group of Middle Iron Age pottery. Trenching work continues in adjacent areas.