Table Of ContentCOLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT 11
Camulodunum 2
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: 77?e coins from excavations in Colchester,
1971-9
by Nina Crummy (ed), 1987
ISBN 0 9503727 6 5
Report 5: T7?e post-Roman small finds from
excavations in Colchester, 1971-85
by Nina Crummy, 1988
ISBN 0 9503727 7 3
Report 6: Excavations at Culver Street, the Gilberd
School, and miscellaneous sites in Colchester,
1971-85
by Philip Crummy, 1992
ISBN 0 9503727 9 X
Report 8: Roman vessel glass from excavations in
Colchester, 1971-85
by H E M Cool and Jennifer Price, 1995
ISBN 0 897719 02 7
Report 9: Excavations of Roman and later
cemeteries, churches and monastic sites in
Colchester, 1971-88
by Nina Crummy, Philip Crummy, and Carl Crossan,
1993
ISBN 0 897719 01 9
Report 12: Animal bone from excavations in
Colchester, 1971-85
by Rosemary Luff, 1993
ISBN 0 897719 00 0
COLCHESTER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
REPORT 11:
Camulodunum 2
by
C F C HAWKES AND PHILIP CRUMMY
Principal illustrators:
Terry Cook, R M Moyes,
and Stephen Benfield
Contributors:
G Carter, Nina Crummy, Thalassa Cruso, G B Dannell,
R Kenyon, R Reece, Valery Rigby, G Simpson,
N A Smith, John Wacher, and J J Wymer
COLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST LTD
© 1995 Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd and Contributors
English Heritage
Published 1995 by
Colchester Archaeological Trust Ltd, G Carter,
12 Lexden Road, 2 Braeside,
Colchester, Main Street,
Essex C03 3NF. Acomb,
Hexham NE46 4PW.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue entry for this book is available from the Nina Crummy,
British Library, Philip Crummy,
Colchester Archaeological Trust,
ISBN 0 897719 03 5 12 Lexden Road,
Colchester C03 3NF.
Printed by Witley Press, Hunstanton, Norfolk.
G B Dannell FSA,
The principal officers of the Colchester Archaeological
28 & 30 Main Street,
Trust (formerly the Colchester Excavation Committee)
Woodnewton,
since 1971 —
Peterborough PE8 5EB.
Presidents: Lord Alport (1965-72)
Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1972-6) Robert Kenyon,
Professor S S Frere (1976-) 73 Stubbington Avenue,
Chairmen: M R Hull (1971) North End,
Major J G S Brinson (1971-4) Portsmouth P02 OHZ.
Dr M S Tite (1974-9)
F H Thompson (1979-82) Richard Reece,
Professor J J Wilkes (1982-7) Institute of Archaeology,
Mark Hassall (1987-) University of London,
Honorary Secretaries: Major J G S Brinson (1964-72) 31-34 Gordon Square,
D T-D Clarke (1972-88) London WC1H OPY.
G M R Davies (1988-92)
Valery Rigby,
N Wickenden (1992-)
Dept of Prehistoric and Romano-British Antiquities,
Honorary Treasurers: C S Buck (1969-75)
British Museum,
I McMaster (1975-80)
London WC1B 3DG.
S G Maddison (1980-89)
J Greenwood (1989-94)
Dr G Simpson, D Phil, FSA
Director and General Editor: Philip Crummy (1971-)
73 Butler Close,
Oxford 0X2 6JQ.
John Wacher,
Rosewin,
Gwinear Road,
The Colchester Archaeological Trust Haylle,
acknowledges with gratitude the grants Cornwall TR27 5JQ.
towards the publication of this volume from
J J Wymer,
English Heritage, the Pilgrim Trust,
Project Leader,
and Colchester Borough Council.
English Rivers Palaeolithic Survey,
Wessex Archaeology,
Salisbury.
To the memory of
C F C Hawkes,
M R Hull, and A F Hall
Camulodunum 2: a lifelong commitment fulfilled
In 1930, at the age of 24, Christopher Hawkes readily 1951 was a particularly important event since it gave
accepted an invitation to carry out an excavation on the go-ahead for the development of large open areas
the site of the intended by-pass at Colchester. Little in the western suburbs of Colchester, and prompted
did he know what he was taking on. The excavation at an appeal to Christopher from John Hamilton at the
Sheepen was to turn into a major project taking ten Ministry. As a result Christopher returned repeatedly
years, and his fieldwork in Colchester was to last to Colchester to carry out various investigations which
considerably longer. He already had a full-time job at culminated with his spectacular section across the
the British Museum, so he could only find time to Triple Dyke in 1961 (p 58).
excavate by giving up his annual leave. Later that
year, sensing that it might be a long-term Two years later, in 1963, he told the Ministry with
commitment, Christopher wrote in a letter to his considerable relief that he felt there was no further
mother need for him in Colchester. The occasion was the
'...it means sticking to it pretty hard — in this case foundation of the Colchester Excavation Committee
throughout the winter writing up results — and then (now the Colchester Archaeological Trust) and the
probably next year more work here: heaven knows appointment of Ros Dunnett (now Niblett) as its first
how much longer I shall be committed to working in full-time archaeologist.
this place!'
Following our excavation at Pitchbury Ramparts in
1973, I wrote to Christopher wondering how we could
Christopher's association with Colchester very nearly
publish our work in the absence of a report on the
ended up being much briefer than anybody expected.
1933 excavation. This led to him readily accepting an
The following year a trench across the Sheepen Dyke
offer of practical help with the publication of all his
collapsed, burying him and J P Bushe-Fox (the Chief
Colchester material: and what you see here is the
Inspector of Ancient Monuments) for at least quarter
result. He worked on the book intermittently over a
of an hour. Mercifully Christopher survived the ordeal
period of fifteen years or so, during which time I
unhurt but sadly poor Bushe-Fox never fully
assembled a large number of letters and texts all
recovered.
written out in his distinctive large multi-coloured
In 1932 Christopher turned his attention to the dykes handwriting. His debt to Rex Hull, paid in the form of
and, with the help of Thalassa Cruso (later Hencken), editing part of his brooch corpus, took far longer than
carried out the first excavation of those earthworks. he wanted or planned, with the result that he left the
He was to become great friends with Rex Hull and completion of the dykes almost until too late.
A F Hall for whom he had both affection and respect, Nevertheless, despite failing eyesight and even after a
and together they were to account for a campaign of heart attack, he struggled on to within two years of his
exploration of the Iron Age settlement which was to death in 1992 to fulfil his long-standing obligation and
span almost thirty years. Hall felt himself inadequate love-affair with Camulodunum. Sixty years on, it was
when it came to publishing but was happy to feed to be the last piece of archaeological work he was to
Christopher with information. Rex Hull's great strength do: his archaeo-historical essay on Camulodunum
lay in finds rather than excavation, so they made a and its rulers (pp 88-94) is vintage Hawkes and is a
great team. masterly demonstration of how to combine scholar
ship with dirt archaeology. There will be many (myself
The digging at Sheepen finally finished in 1939 and included) who will disagree with some of his
publication in the form of Camulodunum followed in conclusions, but our great debt to him will no doubt be
1947. This was a considerable achievement con evident in the way his work will underpin research on
sidering the intervention of the war and the volume of Camulodunum and its dyke system for many years to
finds which needed to be processed (forty tons). The come.
book became a classic. For me, Christopher's
treatment of the residual pottery (pp 174-80) shows a Christopher, although always quick to acknowledge
sharp and perceptive appreciation of the limitations of the help of others, never wrote any acknowledgement
stratified assemblages which was ahead of its time as such for the book. Given time, there would un
and which signals to the reader a carefully-considered doubtedly have been a long and generous testimonial.
book of real quality. But we can be sure that his enormous drive to
complete the work stemmed from his desire to
In 1946 Christopher was faced with new challenges discharge his debt to that generation of archaeo
when he was appointed to the newly-created chair of logists, of which he was the last, who worked on this
European Archaeology at Oxford. Throughout the grand project so many years ago.
subsequent years until his retirement in 1972, he was
a busy professor, founding the Research Laboratory
and the Institute there. But for Colchester he had no Philip Crummy
funding and no research assistance, and yet it was to March 1995
Christopher that the Ministry of Works turned when
[Sources include: Sonia Hawkes; Hawkeseye: the early life of Christopher
there was a need for excavation of the dyke system.
Hawkes by Diana Bonakis Webster (1992); and D W Harding's memoir of
The publication of the Borough's development plan in CFCH's life in Proc Brit Acad, 84 (1993). 323-44]
vi
Above and left:
Christopher Hawkes with Joan Blomfield at the Sheepen
excavations in 1931.
Below:
Christopher Hawkes (right) with Colonel R J M Appleby in April
1952 on the excavations at the rear of Gryme's Dyke.
vii
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to various people who have helped bring Priddy, Nicola Smith, and Philip Walker were very
this book to a conclusion. I am indebted to Bob Moyes supportive. I am also grateful to all the contributors:
and the late Terry Cook for their work oh the Geoff Carter, Nina Crummy, T Cruso, Geoff Dannell,
illustrations, to Stephen Benfield who completed all Richard Reece, Valery Rigby, Dr G Simpson, Nick
the necessary drawings (especially Figure 6.1), to Pat Smith, John Wacher, and John Wymer.
Brown for converting most of Christopher Hawkes'
handwritten drafts into typescript, to Alison Colchester The work of the Trust is underpinned by its
for her photographic work, and to Gillian Adams for membership, particularly those who serve on its
reading the proofs. Ernest Black kindly checked all the Council of Management. The Trust also needs the
references to the classical authors. Ernest and Paul active support and goodwill of the staff of the
Sealey were both a great help to me in practical ways Colchester Museum, the Colchester Borough Council,
and in discussions of various archaeological and the Archaeological Section of the Planning
problems. Colin Haselgrove (coins), Nigel Brown (Kiln Department at the Essex County Council. Although
Road site), Professor S Piggott (Stukeley) and Mark not directly involved in this book, the help of
Hassall were also most helpful as was John Wilkes, everybody concerned is much appreciated.
particularly in helping secure a publication grant.
English Heritage, and later the Essex County Council,
generously gave grants towards the cost of preparing
Assistance with individual projects is acknowledged at
the illustrations for publication.
the end of the relevant reports but in general I would
like to express thanks to everybody involved, whether
Finally I am especially indebted to Sonia Hawkes for
on site or indoors. In particular, I am indebted to the
her encouragement. Sonia was very keen that the
following: Howard Brooks, Geoff Carter, Eleanor
book should be completed and her help and support
Clark, Carl Crossan, Nina Crummy, James Fawn, Bob
have undoubtedly made the task much easier.
Moves, Jan Sewter, Donald Shimmin, and Nick Smith.
English Heritage and, before it, the Department of the
Environment, funded much of the work of the 1970s
and 1980s and their inspectors, especially Debbie Philip Crummy
viii
