Excavations of Roman and Later Cemeteries, Churches and Monastic Sites in Colchester, 1971-88 PDF
Preview Excavations of Roman and Later Cemeteries, Churches and Monastic Sites in Colchester, 1971-88
COLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT 9: Excavations of Roman and later cemeteries, churches and monastic sites in Colchester, 1971-88 Colchester Archaeological Reports General Editor: Philip Crummy Published by the Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd Report 1: Aspects of Anglo-Saxon and Norman Colchester by Philip Crummy (CBA Research Report 39), 1981 ISBN 0-906780-06-3 Published jointly by the Colchester Archaeological Trust and the Council for British Archaeology, 112 Kennington Road, London SE11 6RE Report 2: The Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester 1971-9 by Nina Crummy, 1983 ISBN 0-9503727-3-0 Report 3: Excavations at Lion Walk, Balkerne Lane, and Middleborough, Colchester, Essex by Philip Crummy, 1984 ISBN 0-9503727-4-9 Report 4: The coins from excavations in Colchester 1971-9 by Nina Crummy (ed), 1987 ISBN 0-9503727-6-5 Report 5: The Post-Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester 1971-85 by Nina Crummy, 1987 ISBN 0-9503727-7-3 Report 6: Excavations at Culver Street, Gilberd School, and other sites in Colchester, 1971-85 by Philip Crummy, 1992 ISBN 0-9503727-9-X Report 12: Animal bones from excavations in Colchester, 1971-85 by Rosemary Luff, 1993 ISBN 1-897719-00-0 COLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT 9: Excavations of Roman and later cemeteries, churches and monastic sites in Colchester, 1971-88 by NINA CRUMMY, PHILIP CRUMMY, AND CARL CROSSAN Principal illustrators: R H Moyes and T W Cook Contributors: H Cool, J Cotter, C Cunningham, John A Davies, C Going, A Harris, S Pinter-Bellows, J Price, R Reece, D Shimmin, N A Smith, A Stirland, R P Symonds, and D Watts COLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST LTD © 1993 Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd and Principal contributors English Heritage Published 1993 by Carl Crossan, Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd, Nina and Philip Crummy, 12 Lexden Road, D Shimmin, Colchester, N A Smith, Essex C03 3NF Colchester Archaeological Trust, 12 Lexden Road, British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Colchester C03 3NF A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Stephanie Pinter-Bellows, 9 Goodison Gardens, ISBN 1-897719-01-9 Erdington, Printed by Witley Press, Hunstanton, Norfolk Birmingham B24 OAQ Dorothy Watts, Department of Classics and Ancient History, The principal officers of the Colchester Archaeological The University of Queensland, Trust (formerly the Colchester Excavation Committee) Brisbane Q 4702, since 1971 Australia Presidents: Lord Alport (1965-72) Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1972-6) Professor S S Frere (1976-) Chairmen: M R Hull (1971) Major J G S Brinson (1971-4) Dr M S Tite (1974-9) F H Thompson (1979-82) Professor J J Wilkes (1982-7) Mark Hassall (1987-) Honorary Secretaries: Major J G S Brinson (1964-72) D T-D Clarke (1972-88) G M R Davies (1988-92) N Wickenden (1992-) The Colchester Archaeological Trust Honorary Treasurers: C S Buck (1969-75) acknowledges with gratitude the grants towards I McMaster (1975-80) the publication of this volume from S G Maddison (1980-89) English Heritage, the Pilgrim Trust, and J Greenwood (1989-) Colchester Borough Council. Director and General Editor: Philip Crummy (1971-) CONTENTS List of illustrations ix Metrical analysis 16 Non-metrical analysis 16 List of tables xii Pathology 16 Acknowledgements xiv Inhumation alignments 19 Grave markers 19 Grave shape 19 Corpse position 19 1. Introduction by Philip Crummy Grave goods 21 a) Pottery vessels by C Going 21 Introduction 1 b) Pewter vessel 24 Background to the larger excavations 1 c) Glass vessels by Hilary Cool and Jenny Price 25 The use of the site in Phase 2 25 The date of Period 1 Phase 2 27 Period 1, Phase 3 28 2. Excavations at Butt Roman cemetery, 1976-9, The boundary ditches 28 1986 and 1989 by Nina Crummy and Carl Crossan The survival of plots into Phase 3 30 The use of Plot B in Phase 3 30 Acknowledgements 4 The cemetery 30 Summary 4 Relationships 32 Introduction The human skeletons The site 5 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows Earlier excavations and the extent of the Age and Sex 32 4th-century cemetery 5 Stature 33 The development 7 Metrical analysis 33 Recording methods 7 Non-metrical analysis 33 Appendices 1 and 2 (the grave inventory) 7 Pathology 33 The human skeletons Alignments 34 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows 7 Grave shape 34 Summary of the main conclusions 8 Coffins 34 Stratigraphy 8 Plaster burial 36 Burial alignments 8 Corpse position 37 Period 1: Phase 1 9 Corpse wrapping 39 Period 1, Phase 2 9 Grave goods 39 The pits and well Personal adornment or dress The Phase 2 ditches, plots and related a) Armlets 39 burials 13 b) Hairpin 40 Plot A 13 c) Finger-ring 40 Plot B 15 d) ?Purse with armlets 41 Other plots 15 e) Footwear 41 The Period 1 Phase 2 graves Household items 42 Relationships 15 a) Pottery vessels by C Going 44 Burial rite 16 b) The location of pottery vessels 49 The human skeletons c) Glass vessel by Hilary Cool and by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows Jenny Price 50 Age and sex 16 d) Styli 51 Stature 16 The burial groups 51 Contents The date of Period 1 Phase 3 54 f) Finger-rings 141 Period 2 g) Headband 145 h) Belts and belt-fittings 145 The cemetery boundaries and the survival i) Footwear 145 of Plot B 55 Toilet equipment The cemetery 56 a) Combs 146 Continuity of burial plots 56 The change in grave alignment from Household and other items 147 north-south to east-west, and the Christian a) Boxes 148 contribution 59 b) Pottery vessels by C Going 149 Relationships 59 c) Pottery vessels: location within and Population 61 dating of the graves 151 The human skeletons d) Glass vessels 152 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows e) Key 154 Sex and age 62 f) Knife 155 Stature 64 g) Bells on chain 155 Metrical analysis 64 h) Tube 155 Non-metrical analysis 64 i) Coins 156 Congenital pathologies 65 The burial groups 156 Acquired pathologies 74 Cemetery management 158 Trauma 74 The date of Period 2 159 Infection 77 Post-Roman period 163 Degenerative disease 85 Neoplastic disease 85 Autoimmune disease 87 Metabolic disease 87 3. Excavations at Butt Road Roman church Miscellaneous conditions 91 by Philip Crummy and Carl Crossan Alignments 91 Grave surface markers 93 Introduction 164 ?Mausoleum 99 Archaeological excavations and early records Grave shape 100 The church (Building 139) Coffin/corpse markers 100 The external walls, roof and floor 164 Stacked burials 103 The internal features 171 Other associated burials 105 The possible graves 173 Uncoffined graves 105 "Hull's pit" 175 Timber vaults 111 Building 140 176 The complex of graves centred around Post-Roman features and other remains 178 the timber vaults CF55 and G366 114 Finds Corpse position 118 The animal bone 178 Coffins 120 Coins from Site E and "Hull's pit" a) Nailed timber coffins 120 by John A Davies 180 b) Tree trunk or log coffins 122 The skull and femur from "Hull's pit" c) ?Plank burial 123 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows 182 d) Lead inner coffins 123 Two fragments of lead sheet 184 e) Tile coffins 124 Lamps 184 Plaster burials 126 Architectural fragments Corpse and grave good wrapping 126 by Nina Crummy 186 Grave goods 129 Window glass 186 Personal ornament and dress Small finds by Nina Crummy 186 a) Brooch 135 Pottery 186 b) Hairpins 135 Clay tobacco pipes 186 c) Armlets 136 Interpretation of the chronology and structural d) Bead and pendant armlet/ remains 187 necklaces 141 Plan analysis of church 189 e) Necklaces 141 Acknowledgements 190 vi Contents 4. An assessment of the evidence for The precinct wall of St John's Abbey: Christianity at the Butt Road site observations in 1972 219 by Dorothy Watts The cemetery of the former St Giles's Church: observations in 1973 221 Introduction 192 Excavations in St Giles Masonic Centre, 1975 The evidence of the cemeteries 192 by N A Smith and Philip Crummy Christian evidence in situ 192 Introduction 221 West-east burials 193 Phase 1 (1133/71 - 14th century) 223 Undisturbed burials 193 Phase 2 (14th - 16th centuries) 226 Supine and extended position 193 Phase 3 (16th century - 1648) 227 Absence of decapitated burials 194 Phase 4 (1648 - 1819) 227 'Plaster' burials 195 Phase 5 (1819 - 1907) 230 Presence of neonatal or very young Phase 6 (1907 - 1975) 230 infants 195 The watching brief of 1983 230 Absence of certain types of grave goods 196 The human skeletons Vaults and focal burials 198 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows Summary of evidence for a Christian cemetery 198 Methods and material 230 The evidence for the apsidal building 199 Age, sex and stature 231 Absence of non-religious features 199 Pathology 231 Absence of pagan features 199 Glazed floor tiles by Nina Crummy 231 East-west orientation 199 Plain tiles 231 Basilical plan 199 Mosaic 231 Apsidal burial 200 Relief-decorated tiles 231 Associated cemetery 200 Small finds by Nina Crummy 234 Summary of evidence for a Christian church... 200 Architectural stone External evidence 201 by Andrew Harris and Nina Crummy 235 Conclusion 201 Clay tobacco pipes by Nina Crummy 235 Acknowledgements 235 Acknowledgements 202 6. Excavations at Maldon Road, 1971 5. Excavations and observations in the grounds by Philip Crummy of St John's Abbey, 1971-85 by Philip Crummy Introduction 236 Overview 203 The inhumations 236 Excavations in the grounds of St John's Possible graves 241 Abbey (IRB), 1972 Building 160 241 Introduction 203 Other Roman features 241 Earliest activity 205 Post-Roman features 241 The Roman cemetery 205 The pottery vessels Pottery vessels by R P Symonds and by R P Symonds and C Going 243 C Going 210 The glass vessels by Hilary Cool and Glass vessel by Hilary Cool and Jennifer Price 243 Jennifer Price 213 The coins identified by Richard Reece 244 Small finds by Nina Crummy 213 St John's Church 213 Dumped soil of 1133 215 Rubble-lined medieval graves 215 Unlined early medieval graves 217 7. Excavations at No 42 Crouch Street, 1988 The later features 218 by D Shimmin The post-Roman pottery by Carol Cunningham 218 Summary 245 Worked stone by Nina Crummy 218 Introduction 245 vii Contents Roman burials 247 Appendices Post-Roman burials 248 1 Summary of burial characteristics, Butt Building 181 249 Road 276 Discussion 251 2 Plans and descriptions of the individual Post-medieval and modern features 253 graves at the Butt Road site (BUC 1976-9, 1986, & 1988) microfiche304 Human skeletons by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows 3 Inventory of the human skeletons from the Age, sex and stature 253 Butt Road site (BUC 1976-9, 1986, & 1988) by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows microfiche 972 Pathology 254 Grave inventory 254 4 Catalogues of the coins from Hull's pit and the Roman church (Site E) at the Butt Road site Complete pottery vessels by John Davies and by C Going and John Cotter 255 Nina Crummy microfiche 989 Acknowledgements 256 5 Plans and descriptions of the individual graves at St John's Abbey Grounds microfiche 1025 6 Analysis and description of the human remains from St John's Abbey grounds and the Maldon 8. The cemeteries of Roman Colchester Road site, 1971-2 by Ann Stirland 289 by Philip Crummy 7 Inventory of human skeletons from St John's Introduction 257 Abbey grounds and the Maldon Road site, 1971-2 by Ann Stirland microfiche 1080 M R Hull's inventory of Roman graves 257 8 Summary of the post-Roman pottery dating The distribution of known burials 258 evidence from St John's Abbey Grounds by The identification of cemeteries 261 C Cunningham microfiche 1083 Types of burials 264 9 Inventory of the human skeletons from Cremations 264 St Giles's Church, 1973 Inhumations 266 by Stephanie Pinter-Bellows microfiche 1085 Burials with lead 10 Plans and descriptions of the individual a) lead coffins, lead-lined coffins, and graves at the Maldon Road site microfiche 1087 lead 'strapping' 267 b) lead urns 267 Bibliography 291 Objects buried with the dead 268 Areas for future research 275 Index 295 viii
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