Monument record 8690 - Excavated Roman deposits, 105-109 Foregate Street

<1> Oxford Archaeology North, 2019, Former Argos Store, 105-109 Foregate Street, Chester: Archaeological Evaluation Report, R4361 (Client Report). SCH8776.

Three archaeological test pits were excavated in August 2019 on the site of the former Argos store, 105-109 Foregate Street, Chester. The three test pits measured 1.5m square and were excavated to a maximum depth of 1.2m below ground level. Two test pits were located inside the former Argos store (TP 2 and 3), one placed up against the known location of a pile cap and associated ground beams, whilst the other was placed away from the pile caps and ground beams. One test pit was excavated in the service yard to the rear of the former Argos store (TP 1).

Archaeological remains of Roman date were encountered in Test Pits 1 and 3, below modern made ground and leveling deposits. In Test Pit 1 the earliest deposit identified was deposit 105, identified at a depth of 0.6m below ground level, it consisted of a mid grey brown sandy silt and contained sandstone fragments and Roman pottery. A rubble deposit, 104, was identified at the same level as the silt layer, but their exact stratigraphical relationship was unclear. The rubble deposit extended through the test pit on an approximate east/west alignment and consisted of subangular sandstone rubble, up to 0.2m is diameter, with no evidence of bonding material.

Within Test Pit 3, the earliest remains identified was rubble deposit, 304, containing a large amount of irregularly-hewn sandstone and limestone blocks, roughly coursed with no evidence of bonding material. The top of the deposit was identified at a depth of 0.8m below ground level. Rubble deposit 304 was overlain by deposit 303, which was identified as a mid-brown grey clay silt with few inclusions. Deposit 303 is likely a relict soil horizon, however, it contained Roman ceramics, suggesting that rubble deposit 304 is also Roman in date. These archaeological remains were heavily truncated by the cut for thepile cap and ground beams.

A small assemblage of ceramics and animal bone were recovered during the evaluation. The majority of the recovered ceramics dating to the Roman period, probably mid to late 2nd to early 3rd century AD. A single small piece of copper alloy slag was also recovered from context 105.