1st-2nd century Roman palisade ditch at Great Chesterford Temple precinct (north of gateway) (EHER 7311)

Excavation in 1987 was centred on an area outside and to the north of the gateway but did not find the boundary ditch encountered in 1983. Excavation adacent to the wall, just north of the gateway, produced further evidence of an earlier palisade on an almost identical line to the wall, probably dating to the 1st-2nd century AD.

1987. Archaeological excavation. Previous excavations in 1984 (see EHER 4978) failed to locate the boundary ditch in the area outside the gateway in the eastern wall of the precinct. In 1987, an area outside and the to north of the gateway and covering the line of the ditch was excavated. It was found that the ditch did not extend uninterrupted along the eastern side of the precinct. The northern section was found to have a butt-end in front of the gateway discovered in 1983. The area of the ditch adjacent to the butt-end had been purposely filled and lay beneath the remnants of the path leading to the gateway. Excavation adjacent to the wall, just north of the gateway, produced further evidence of an earlier palisade on an almost identical line to the wall. It seems likely that the palisade and ditch are contemporary and belong to the early (1st-2nd century) phase of the site, and when the 3rd century masonry wall was erected the entrance was repositioned (and possibly doubled) necessitating the filling of part of the ditch. <1> <2> Excavation of part of the temple precinct, including much of the eastern gateway area and the south-west corner of the precinct; principal features comprised the gateway and ancillary temple building, and a series of pits containing sacrificial animal bone deposits. <3> See also <4>.