#ThrowbackThursday Dawes Lane, Mersea

For #ThrowbackThursday this week, we are remembering our site from Dawes Lane, West Mersea that we visited in November-December 2021🎉

This site was interesting as it was surrounded by cropmarks, and previous archaeological work on the site had included fieldwalking, metal-detecting and geophysical surveys along with a trial-trenching evaluation. These interventions identified evidence from the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods😮

Our excavation continued the exploration of the site. We revealed 63 features: 41 pits, two pit/tree-throws, a pit/post-hole, seven post-holes, a post-hole/tree-throw, three tree-throws, a plough scar and four natural features.

Eleven pits produced prehistoric finds, one of which was more closely-dated to the Bronze Age, two to the Middle Bronze Age and one to the Late Bronze Age. Two features, a pit and a ditch were dated to the medieval period and five features, three pits and two ditches were post-medieval or modern in date 👀

A possible four-post structure located in the west of the excavation area is likely associated with agriculture practices and could represent a small grain store. Unfortunately the post-holes associated with this structure were undated.

To learn more about this site, please check out CAT Report 1760 at http://cat.essex.ac.uk/reports