Bronze Age post hole and pottery sherds, Crescent Road (EHER 7793)

Archaeological excavation in 1972 recorded one post hole which could be dated to the Late Bronze Age by pottery in its fill. Also recovered was a Late Bronze Age pottery assemblage, much of which was residual within later features.

March-May 1972. Archaeological excavation. The only Late Bronze Age feature was a post hole, dated by pottery in its fill. A Late Bronze Age pottery assemblage was recovered which included types with applied, finger-impressed cordons and rims with internal and external finger-impressions. Fine wares are also represented, including burnished sherds and a jar sherd with incised decoration on the neck. Much Late Bronze-Early Iron Age residual pottery was found in later features. Some of this pottery could be Neolithic (see EHER 7792). Two battered fragments of fired clay may represent perforated slabs, an artefact type occurring frequently in Late Bronze Age ceramic assemblages at Mucking, Essex. Heybridge fits into the known distribution of this material along the lower Thames (the nearest findspot is North Shoebury). The coastal siting may strengthen the idea that these slabs relate to salt production. The substantial assemblage of Late Bronze Age pottery suggests that the excavated area was on the edge of contemporary settlement foci. On the evidence of sites such as Mucking, these tend not to remain static through the earlier periods of prehistory. <1> Finds and excavation archive are held in Colchester Museum. <2> <3> Finds of pottery of Beaker and Bronze Age date, were made in 1972 during the excavation of a roughly 1600 square m site at Crescent Road, Heybridge. Various pits, ditches, and post holes were interpreted as indicating a Bronze Age hut. <4> <5> September 1976. Field visit. The area of the 1972 excavations is now covered by modern housing. <6> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. NRHE summary description: A multi period settlement with evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age, Romano-British and Early Medieval occupation. A Bronze Age hut and an Iron Age enclosed settlement were found with circular and rectangular structures. There is evidence for 2nd, 3rd and 4th century Roman occupation which Rodwell suggests is a town, and recent excavations would tend to confirm this. 5 Grubenhäuser of early Anglo-Saxon date were excavated. Note: The material described in this record may be associated with the settlement at Elms Farm, see EHER 81912.