NORFOLK

(1) Breckland: (a) 2 base silver denarii, of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, deposited c. a.d. 223.Footnote ²¹⁶ (b) 3 AR siliquae and 18 AE nummi bring the totals from this hoard to 10 siliquae and 161 base metal coins, with a closing date of c. a.d. 402.Footnote ²¹⁷

(2) Edgefield: 17 AE dupondii/asses and 1 AE quadrans, to a.d. 138.Footnote ²¹⁸

(3) Hopton-on-Sea, land north of Hall Road (TG 5237 0018): an excavation revealed several phases of development and reorganisation of a small farmstead with an associated enclosure and field-system. These appear to have begun shortly after the Roman conquest, with activity peaking between c. a.d. 70 and 120 and declining from the late second century until it shifted away, or came to an end, in the early third century. The location of the domestic core of the farmstead was identifiable from the morphology of its enclosing ditches and the relative concentrations of finds within them, as well as the presence of two ovens, three timber-lined wells and an alignment of structural post-holes. A number of small ‘ring-ditches’, 2.5–3 m across, which appear to be positioned at the edges of several of the fields and enclosures, could possibly represent the foundations of hayricks or other forms of agricultural structures. The excavated enclosure system forms part of a wider cropmark landscape of fields, enclosures and trackways, presumably interspersed with other farms and settlements.Footnote ²¹⁹

(4) Letheringsett with Glanford: 17 silver siliquae (some fragmentary, 2 clipped and 1 a cast copy) and 4 copper-alloy nummi to c. a.d. 402.Footnote ²²⁰

(5) Marham: 14 AE radiates of Carausius and Allectus to a.d. 296.Footnote ²²¹

(6) Shadwell, Harling, Thorpe Woodlands (TL 9458 8395): several pits of second-century date suggest Roman settlement close to the Peddar's Way. Finds comprised Roman pottery, fired clay, animal bone and iron-smithing slag. Undated ditches were also recorded.Footnote ²²²

(7) South Norfolk: 54 silver denarii, addenda to an earlier find, bring the hoard total to 113 denarii to a.d. 37.Footnote ²²³

SUFFOLK

(1) Bardwell, land off Quaker Lane (TL 943 735): evaluation revealed two intercutting Roman features in the far southern part of the site, containing a moderate quantity of domestic waste indicative of Roman settlement in the vicinity.Footnote ²²⁴

(2) Bury St Edmunds (near): a copper-alloy nummus is from a hoard that now totals 15 nummi of a.d. 295–313.Footnote ²²⁵

(3) Kedington, Stourmead Close (TL 7012 4693): an excavation was undertaken in the north-east of the site following an evaluation.Footnote ²²⁶ Three more mid-first-/early second-century ditches forming part of a rectilinear enclosure system, which extended beyond the site boundaries, were uncovered. Pottery and animal bone, in addition to a dump of hearth waste in one of the ditches, indicate that the enclosures were close to a settlement. The finds recovered reflected a farmstead or rural settlement of modest status, contrasting with evidence from previous small-scale investigations in this part of the village which indicates the presence of a wealthy native rural settlement with access to imported luxury goods. The alignments of the enclosure system appear also to be at odds with the late Iron Age boundaries recorded at adjacent sites, possibly suggesting a level of discontinuity in the local settlement pattern in the decades following the Roman conquest.Footnote ²²⁷

(4) Leiston, Galloper Wind Farm onshore works, Sizewell Gap (TM 4662 6274): an evaluation, excavation and watching-brief produced evidence for a series of Romano-British field-systems and enclosures, apparently re-organised, with activity of first- to third-century date indicated by the pottery. Four cremation burials (three urned; one unurned) were recorded in the eastern part of the site.Footnote ²²⁸

(5) Long Melford, land at rear of Chapel House, Chapel Green, Little St Mary's (TL 863 450): evaluation identified 19 Roman pits, post-holes and ditches. The pits contained domestic debris and construction material, and some evidence for industrial waste in the form of horn cores. There may have been a post-built structure in the southern part of the site, but whether this was a fence or a building is not known. The more closely dated Roman finds are of first- and second–third-century date; there is no indication of late Roman activity. There is some evidence that the Roman settlement follows late Iron Age occupation. The results of this evaluation are broadly consistent with those from other sites behind the street frontage along the main road through Long Melford. Although Roman burials have been found on other Long Melford sites, there were none here.Footnote ²²⁹

(6) Newmarket, Exning, paddocks at Brickfields Stud (TL 6220 6500): evaluation trenches targeted on geophysical anomalies recorded a sequence of activity spanning the prehistoric to post-medieval periods. A second- and third-century a.d. enclosure system was aligned perpendicular to a Roman road. This road, of which sections of metalled surface survived, might represent a route connecting Margary's route 333 to the south with Ely to the north-west. The Roman finds assemblage is typical of many low-order settlements within the region, although the moderate collection of ceramic building material may indicate the presence of a large Roman building, potentially a villa, in the vicinity. The animal bone assemblage is one of the larger such groups to have been found locally.Footnote ²³⁰

(7) Trimley St Martin,land west of Hams Farm house, Back Road (TL 2805 3862): evaluation and excavation on the site of a proposed agricultural reservoir revealed multi-period activity including prehistoric and six Roman pits, but dominated by Anglo-Saxon material (pits containing loom-weight fragments and a post-built structure).Footnote ²³¹

(8) Woodbridge (area): a denarius of Divus Antoninus Pius (to a.d. 172). 22 coins have previously been recovered from this Antonine denarius hoard.Footnote ²³²

(9) Worlington: 8 clipped siliquae, a further part of a hoard that now comprises 1 gold solidus and 85 clipped silver siliquae, to c. a.d. 402.Footnote ²³³

ESSEX

(1) Ardleigh–Great Horkesley, Braintree PZ Supply\Demand Balance water pipeline (TL 97009 31227–TM 02495 30124): an extensive programme of monitoring uncovered late Iron Age and Roman boundary ditches, presumably associated with a nearby settlement, at Site 2, between Great Horkesley and Langham.Footnote ²³⁴

(2) Braintree, land to the rear of 41–45 Clare Road (TL 7513 2278): work in 2012 had uncovered late Iron Age and Roman pits and ditches, and a compacted surface thought to be a Roman road leading towards the Roman town. Prior to further construction, evaluation immediately to the east of the 2012 site revealed no significant features or finds; the postulated Roman road was not seen in the trench specifically positioned to intercept it. The surface found in 2012 may, therefore, be a Roman yard rather than a road.Footnote ²³⁵

(3) Chelmsford: (a) Beaulieu (Site 8) (TL 7230 1014): evaluation and excavation showed that late Iron Age settlement remains were characterised by paddocks and linear fields, while the early Roman period witnessed continued enclosure of the land and associated settlement, the latter indicated by features including structural remains, an oven and a midden. Droveways and a cremation cemetery were established subsequently.Footnote ²³⁶ (b) Beaulieu (Zone A Housing) (TL 7230 1014): four excavations were carried out, the first of which encountered the remains of a late Iron Age enclosure and two contemporary pits. Two separate areas in the south of the development area targeted late Iron Age pits, while the northernmost area revealed part of an early Iron Age settlement.Footnote ²³⁷ (c) Beaulieu (Phase 2 Infrastructure) (TL 7340 0970): a series of ditches of Iron Age and late Iron Age date located in evaluation may represent part of a field-system.Footnote ²³⁸

(d) Chelmsford Effluent Pipeline (TL 7400 0751–TL 8347 0864): five areas were investigated. In Area A, a late Iron Age and early Roman enclosure, ditches and structures probably lay on the edge of a settlement, while Area B contained a number of ditches of probable late Iron Age/early Roman date.Footnote ²³⁹

(4) Colchester (Camulodunum): (a) land adjacent to Park Road, Lexden (TL 98097 24773): monitoring of groundworks and a strip, map and sample excavation revealed two severely truncated cremation burials. Both burials contained burnt bone which in one case did not contain pieces large enough to allow identification, whilst in the other the identifiable fragments were mainly of sheep/goat. Both features contained fragmentary Colchester-type brooches (c. a.d. 25–60), whilst one contained nails suggesting the original presence of a box. During a previous evaluation two urned cremations and several Roman ditches were also uncovered,Footnote ²⁴⁰ which may suggest that the site could represent the periphery of a more extensive burial ground, possibly located to the east.Footnote ²⁴¹

(b) 2–3 Priory Street (TM 00013 24995): this site lies 40 m south of the Roman town wall. Previous investigation indicates that there was at least one late Roman extramural building nearby. Evaluation prior to the construction of an extension revealed Roman deposits, including at least one in-situ surface, and debris from the demolition of a Roman building. The Roman deposits were truncated by medieval inhumation burials associated with St Botolph's Priory.Footnote ²⁴²

(c) 9 Ashley Gardens (TL 9827 2506): a test-pit revealed a second-century Roman pit south of (and extending under) a newly constructed extension. The absence of burials indicates that this site is to the west of the main area of the Roman western cemetery, which lies to the south and east along the Roman road to London.Footnote ²⁴³

(d) County High School for Girls, Norman Way (TL 9794 2461): the school is within both the oppidum of Camulodunum and the Roman town's western cemetery. Evaluation revealed a later first-century Roman ditch aligned at right-angles to defensive triple-ditches seen on the school site in 1955, and parallel to part of the Heath Farm Dyke North seen at St Benedict's School site in 1939. What is unclear is whether the 2014 ditch is merely an agricultural field ditch, or part of a wider defensive scheme including the Heath Farm Dyke and the triple-ditches on the school site.Footnote ²⁴⁴

(e) Garrison Alienated Land Area E, Mersea Road (TL 99820 24270): evaluation and excavation on a site now occupied by St John's Primary School revealed three phases of Roman cemetery, ditches and enclosures. The first consisted of a first-century cemetery including high-status individuals to one side of an early ditch which formed part of a north-west/south-east-aligned landscape. The cemetery continued into Phase 2, when it may have been associated with an early Roman farmstead and with the northern of two newly laid-out enclosures at right angles to the Roman road (on the approximate line of the current Mersea Road) which led to the Roman town's south-east gate. The cemetery and the east–west landscape may have continued in use into the early third century, by which time the Romanised building was abandoned. In Phase 3 (later second/third century) a large sand and gravel quarry was dug through the earlier ditches and the southern edge of the earlier cemetery. The quarry was itself cut by several large pits filled with second- to third-century domestic rubbish, contemporary with the abandonment of the Romanised building. The élite nature of three early burials, including an in-situ cremation (bustum), probably male, of c. a.d. 70, may indicate that the Phase 1 and 2 cemetery was exclusively used by one prosperous family.Footnote ²⁴⁵

(f) Gosbecks Business Park, Cunobelin Way (TL 97489 22624): geophysical survey and fieldwalking on the ploughed field to the south of Cunobelin Way revealed very sparse finds, including one Roman sherd and a fragment of lava quernstone. A geophysical survey on two fields to the north and south of Cunobelin Way located very few anomalies, but may have picked up indications of the Roman road running from Colchester to Gosbecks, which crosses this site south-west–north-east.Footnote ²⁴⁶

(g) ‘High Trees’, St Clare Drive (TL 9740 2511): the site is within the oppidum of Camulodunum (and east of the Lexden Dyke) and also within the area of the late Iron Age and early Roman ‘Lexden Cemetery’. Evaluation trenches revealed six Roman inhumation graves, and Roman ditches. The spacing of the Roman inhumations may indicate that the Lexden Cemetery (previously known only for cremation burials) also contained family burial groups separated by ditches.Footnote ²⁴⁷

(h) Williams & Griffin Store, 147–155 High Street (TL 9950 2525): the site overlies parts of the first-century legionary fortress, and Insulae 17 and 18 of the later Roman town. Major redevelopment was designed to leave archaeological deposits largely untouched, but deep excavation was required for three access and structural lift shafts.Footnote ²⁴⁸ Two of these deep excavation areas were positioned over the predicted (and actual) course of the Roman gravel street between Insulae 17 and 18, with one area in Insula 18. The remains of robbed-out Roman town-houses (with associated tesserae and hypocaust tile) were encountered beneath post-medieval deposits. These overlay the collapsed remains of Roman buildings burnt during the Boudican revolt in a.d. 61, which in turn overlay an earlier military building demolished c. a.d. 50. Judging by its position, this building should be the accommodation for a tribune of the Twentieth Legion.

Three aspects of the Boudican destruction horizon were of particular significance. First, on a house floor lay rarely found food debris — the carbonised remains of dates, figs, wheat, peas and grain (and possible other plant types). Second, human remains are almost unknown in the Boudican debris, but this site produced part of a mandible and a tibia, which appear to have been cut by a heavy sharp implement such as a sword. These remains may suggest that at least one person fought and died in the building during the revolt. Third, and most visually spectacular, was the first Roman hoard of precious metals ever found in Colchester town centre, comprising a jewellery box and associated objects. The treasure was buried under the floor of a house sealed by Boudican destruction debris, The wooden box was lidded, covered with thin silver sheet and set on ivory legs. The objects comprised gold and silver bracelets, a silver chain, gold finger-rings, gold and pearl earrings, a copper-alloy pendant and a glass intaglio. There were 22 silver and 3–4 copper-alloy coins; only 2 denarii (of Augustus) are so far legible. Some of the objects had been in the box when buried, and most of the coins had been buried in a leather or cloth bag or purse.Footnote ²⁴⁹

(5) Great Chesterford, land south of Stanley Road (TL 511 431): excavation subsequent to evaluation examined a roadside ditch and evidence of roadside settlement in the form of two clusters of large pits, two parallel linear features and a well. A large pottery assemblage was recovered from one of the pit clusters, along with a number of glass and metal artefacts. The pottery from the roadside ditch dates to the early second century, which is contemporary with the founding of the Roman town, while that from the pits dates to the late second century, a period when Great Chesterford was relatively prosperous. The roadside ditch was recut in the early third century before falling into disuse in the mid-third to early fourth century, at a time when the town was in decline. The pits and parallel linear features contained large quantities of hammerscale and clinker, indicating nearby smithing activity. The alignment of the Roman road suggests that it may have been a formalised section of the Icknield Way Southern Route, which has prehistoric origins.Footnote ²⁵⁰

(6) Great Dunmow, rear of 26 Springfields (TL 62463 21619): evaluation at this site within the southern central area of the Romano-British ‘small town’ at Great Dunmow revealed no archaeological features, but Roman tile came from a layer sealing the natural geology.Footnote ²⁵¹

(7) Lawford, Dale Hall, Cox's Hill (TM 096 314): an evaluation of this 9 ha site revealed generally low levels of archaeological activity, but with small pockets of prehistoric and Roman material. Of three Roman ditches on the Cox's Hill side of the site, one coincided precisely with the ditches of a cropmark trackway and the other two are probably connected with it. On the northern edge of the site, a small group of pits may represent localised prehistoric and Roman activity.Footnote ²⁵²

(8) Southend-on-Sea, ‘Danish Camp’, Shoebury Garrison (TQ 93886 84608): evaluation (2013) and excavation (2014) on a site within the scheduled Iron Age settlement has shown the main period of activity to be late Bronze Age to Iron Age (especially the middle Iron Age), but a few sherds of late Iron Age/Roman pottery indicate limited activity during that period.Footnote ²⁵³

(9) Thaxted, Weaverhead Close (TL 6144 3137): evaluation located a north–south-aligned late Iron Age/early Roman field-system.Footnote ²⁵⁴