Colchester, Fortress of the War God : an Archaeological Assessment

• Author: Radford, David.
• TeilnehmendeR: Gascoyne, Adrian.; Wise, Philip.
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (1327 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

This volume is a critical assessment of the current state of archaeological knowledge of the settlement originally called Camulodunon and now known as Colchester. The town has been the subject of antiquarian interest since the late 16th century and the first modern archaeological excavations occurred in 1845 close to Colchester Castle, the towns most prominent historic site. The earliest significant human occupation recorded from Colchester dates to the late Neolithic, but it was only towards the end of the 1st century BC that an oppidum was established in the area. This was superseded initial

Table of Contents

Cover Page; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; List of illustrations (figures and tables); Foreword; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Summary; Résumé; Zusammenfassung; Introduction; 1 The History of Archaeology in Colchester; The antiquarians and collectors; The excavators; The Colchester Archaeological Trust; 2 Geology and the Deposit Model; Solid Geology; Drift Geology; The Colchester Deposit Model; Introduction; Character of archaeological deposits in Colchester; Sequence and nature of the deposits; Preservation of finds; Archaeological deposits; Results of the modelling

3 Prehistoric ColchesterIntroduction; Past work; The finds evidence; The archaeological evidence; Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic; The Bronze Age; The early and middle Iron Age; The current state of knowledge; Preservation; Importance; Potential for future research; 4 Camulodunon in the Late Iron Age, c 50 BC-AD 43; Introduction and historical framework; Past work; The finds evidence; The archaeological evidence; The oppidum; The dykes; Settlement - Sheepen; Other settlement evidence; Manufacturing and trade; Agriculture and the field system; Burials and ritual structures

The current state of knowledgePreservation; Importance; Potential for future research; 5 The Roman Legionary Fortress, AD 43-49; Introduction and historical framework; Past work; The finds evidence; The archaeological evidence; Military structures outside the legionary fortress; Siting, preparation, laying-out and construction of the fortress; Industrial activity; Food, water supply and drainage; Disposal of the dead; Claudian occupation evidence and Iron Age continuity; The current state of knowledge; Preservation; Importance; Potential for future research

6 The Early Roman colonia, AD 49-61Introduction and historical framework; Past work; The finds evidence; The archaeological evidence; The creation of the colonia and its hinterland; Fortress into colonia: the revised layout; Defences; Buildings of the colonia; Manufacturing and trade; Diet; Cemeteries; Resistance to Rome - evidence for the Boudican revolt; The current state of knowledge; Preservation; Importance; Potential for future research; 7 The Later Roman town, AD 61-410; Introduction and historical framework; Past work; The archaeological evidence; Topographical organisation

Boundaries, defences and roadsPublic and monumental buildings and structures; Water supply; Domestic and commercial buildings; Manufacturing and trade; Farming strategies and diet; Religious and burial practice; Extramural development; The current state of knowledge; Preservation; Importance; Potential for future research; 8 Early Anglo-Saxon Colchester, 410-916; Introduction and historical framework; Past work; The finds evidence; The archaeological evidence; Occupation; Coins; Burials; Possessions; Pottery; The current state of knowledge; Preservation; Importance

Potential for future research