Site Event/Activity record ECH4259 - Evaluation and watching brief at Dee House, Chester in 2000 (Amphitheatre Site)

An archaeological excavation and watching brief carried out during ground disturbance works in relation to development within the grounds of Dee House, Little St John St., Chester. Briefly, archaeological deposits of Roman date were observed on the northern and southern edges of the site, and within Lift Pit II. In Area I these consisted of a drain, a pit and layers associated with the backfilling of a natural terrace, and in Area II and Lift Pit II there were structural elements of the amphitheatre as well as demolition deposits. The pit may have served as a latrine before being used as a refuse pit, from which animal bone and pottery were recovered. An assemblage of animal bone revealed the butchery of pig and horse in addition to other details, and soil samples from the pit and sewer provided the first known assemblage of fish bones in Roman Chester. This indicates exploitation of the Dee estuary with species such as salmon, eel and flounder represented. Palaeoenvironmental remains included the first recorded occurrence of parsnip of Roman date within Britain, as well as lentils, poppy, soft fruits and mussels. The likelihood of these deposits having accumulated as cess within the pit is extremely high. Human remains were recorded on the eastern part of the site (in Area III). The two skeletons were on an east-west alignment and were thought to be Christian, and probably associated with St John's church, immediately to the east. The accompanying burial practices and associated radiocarbon date for these burials would strongly argue for them being of late Anglo-Saxon (tenth century) date, and they therefore pre-date the earliest surviving remains of St John's church.