Brindle, T. and Holbrook, N. (2022). Land at Denmark Road, Gloucester: Archaeological Excavation. Cotswold Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1098563.  Cite this via datacite

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Title: Land at Denmark Road, Gloucester: Archaeological Excavation
Series: Cotswold Archaeology unpublished report series
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1098563
Publication Type: Report (in Series)
Abstract: The location of the excavation area was agreed with Andrew Armstrong (GCC), informed by the results of the previous work at the site. The archaeological excavation was carried out sequentially in four phases (Phases 1–4) throughout an area which totalled approximately 3.7ha in size. . Two hotspots with elevated levels of contamination were identified during ground investigation works within Trial Pits 43 and 48 and, subject to prior written agreement from Andrew Armstrong (GCC), these areas were removed in advance of the archaeological works under archaeological watching brief. Between April and July 2019, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological excavation of land off Denmark Road, Gloucester, followed by a short watching brief in August and September 2020. An area of 3.7ha was excavated, comprising the former Civil Service Playing Field and an area of hard standing to the south of the A38 (Estcourt Road) and to the north of Denmark Road. In an area of extensive post-medieval quarrying, features dating to the mid 1st to 2nd century AD were recorded. Contemporaneous with the establishment and occupation of Kingsholm fortress immediately to the west, these features included a stone-lined waterhole, numerous pits and a ditch. The ditch may share its alignment with the defences of the military fortress at Kingsholm. Some distinctive activity was located in the north-eastern corner of the site, comprising four pits and two gullies, possibly dating to the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD. In the south-eastern corner of the site, a disarticulated skeleton, radiocarbon dated to the Late Roman period, was recovered from a post-medieval quarrying pit, and likely represents the remains of a Late Roman burial disturbed and then redeposited during quarrying. A large assemblage of unstratified Roman finds was recovered, particularly in the western half of the site. Including Early Roman coinage, fragments of armour and other items of military metalwork, these finds probably originated in features disturbed by quarrying activity. Small stratified assemblages of biological remains were recovered, including animal bone, charred plant remains, insect remains and pollen. The animal bone suggests that animals at the site were culled for meat, with animals probably provisioned from elsewhere. The botanical and insect evidence suggest that the local environment during the Roman period was an area of dry, waste ground, with possible grazed grassland and arable land nearby.
Author: Tom Brindle ORCID icon
Neil Holbrook
Publisher: Cotswold Archaeology
Year of Publication: 2022
Locations:
County: Gloucestershire
District: Gloucester
Country: England
Parish: Gloucester, unparished area
Grid Reference: 383660, 219545 (Easting, Northing)
Subjects / Periods:
EXCAVATION (Event)
QUARRY (Monument Type England)
POST MEDIEVAL QUARRY (Tag)
WATERHOLE (Monument Type England)
ROMAN WATERHOLE (Tag)
PIT (Monument Type England)
ROMAN PIT (Tag)
DITCH (Monument Type England)
ROMAN DITCH (Tag)
INHUMATION (Monument Type England)
ROMAN INHUMATION (Tag)
MILITARY EQUIPMENT (Object England)
ROMAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT (Tag)
ROMAN (Historic England Periods)
POST MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
Identifiers:
OASIS Id: cotswold2-507859
Report id: CR0032_1
Note: This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
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Created Date: 09 Aug 2022