Excavations of Roman and Later Cemeteries, Churches and Monastic Sites in Colchester, 1971-88

986 Pages·1993·46.647 MB·English

by  Nina Crummy, Philip Crummy, Carl Crossan

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