#ThrowbackThursday Balkerne Lane excavations

This #ThrowbackThursday we will be discussing the Balkerne Lane excavations!

The Balkerne Lane excavation took place over 3 years from 1973-1976.

The main Colchester to London road in Roman times (the original A12), ran obliquely across the Balkerne lane site. On both sides of the road, excavations revealed remains of a civil settlement dated to AD43-50. After the Roman colony was originally founded, the settlement was destroyed, rebuilt, and then destroyed again during the Boudiccan revolt!

The excavation also revealed: two temples, a gateway, five water-mains and a possible aqueduct, not forgetting the enormous amount of smaller finds including 600 crates of pottery and bone fragments, 2,000 coins and 3,000 bronze objects!!! Depictions of gladiators and chariot racing were also found, including a plaque of a gladiator which would have only been found near an amphitheatre or circus which had not yet been discovered….

The discoveries from Balkerne Lane led the Colchester Archaeological Trust looking further into Roman spectator sports in Colchester

Research by Work Experience Student Isabelle