Roman droveway, a possible circular enclosure and significant pottery finds on land north of Clacton Road, Elmstead Market (EHER 80452)

The trial trenching evaluations revealed features and finds dating from the Prehistoric to Post-Medieval periods. Thirty-seven features (consisting of about 16% of total finds) produced finds dated to the Late Iron Age/early Roman period, with the vast majority of the activity focussed on the early Roman period. These features were concentrated in the southeastern half of the development site, largely consisting of field boundary ditches and pits. Possible later Roman features were limited to three features forming a droveway which crossed the development site on a NNW/SSE alignment.

Archaeological evaluation, 2022 Thirty-seven features (16%) produced finds dated to the Late Iron Age/early Roman period, with the vast majority of the activity focussed on the early Roman period. These features were concentrated in the southeastern half of the development site, largely consisting of field boundary ditches and pits. At least seven of the field boundary ditches relate to cropmarks on the site, which include a possible circular enclosure and a long S-shaped ditch associated with a droveway. Significant assemblages of early Roman pottery wasters were recovered from two features, pit F131 and ditch F132. The same features also produced large fragments of baked clay identified as possible kiln/structural remains and kiln furniture. Pit F131 was positioned adjacent to F112, a feature that showed signs of in situ burning. This feature was not excavated as it was identified as a possible pottery kiln or kiln-related feature, and it was decided that the full excavation of this feature should wait for any subsequent excavation phase on the development site. Despite no pottery kilns being positively identified or excavated, the pottery wasters would certainly seem to indicate the presence of at least one kiln on the development site representing a local pottery industry. So far the evidence would suggest that the Elmstead pottery industry was of relatively short duration, limited to the period AD 43-69. It does however, appear to have been on a reasonably large-scale with the mass production of a limited range of standard early forms. These were mostly jars and bowls but included copies of butt-beakers and terra nigra platters, plus flagons, storage jar and lids, all in fine sandy/early grey wares (fabric FSW/EGW), in the standard Roman grey ware (fabrics GX, GX S) and in Romanising oxidized ware (fabric ROW). Likely to be supplying a local market, the development and growth of the Colchester pottery industry during the course of the 1st century AD may have impacted and brought an end to the production of pottery at Elmstead. It is interesting to note that the only real significant assemblages of finds from the whole site come from the two features that produced the pottery wasters and baked clay. Pottery sherds were scattered across the whole site but were largely small in number and size, and there were only three pieces of Roman brick. Aside from one small fragment of possible loomweight from F204, there were no other small finds of Roman date, and none of the early Roman/Roman features produced any animal bone or oyster shell. This would suggest that although an important early Roman pottery industry existed on the site, very few other activities were taking place here with occupation seemingly focussed on land to the south of Clacton Road, which was possibly the site of a farmstead or villa (CAT Report 1575). The most significant feature investigated during the evaluation was the Roman droveway which crossed the development site on a NNW/SSE alignment. This was initially identified during excavations on land south of Clacton Road, where it was c 7m wide, included at least one phase of ditch recut, led into the northern corner of a large enclosure, and produced pottery of 2nd to 3rd century date (CAT Report 1575). The current evaluation shows that the droveway widened to c 11.5-13m towards the NNW. Dating evidence from the ditch sections varied considerably and included prehistoric pottery, early Roman pottery and a piece of intrusive post-medieval/modern brick. <1>