Monument record 8707 - Excavated Roman Soil Deposit, Hunter Street

<1> Oxford Archaeology North, 2020, Northgate Redevelopment, Phase 1, Chester: Archaeological Watching Brief Report, R4492 (Client Report). SCH8981.

A Roman soil deposit was identified in three test pits (TPs 2, 3 and 4), located on Hunter Street, during an archaeological watching brief in 2020. The deposits comprised a mid-brown silty clay with mortar and sandstone fragments which is thought likely to have formed shortly after the demolition of the barracks of the legionary fortress. A similar deposit was also encountered in Test Pit 1, although was interpreted as Roman/Medieval in date. Details of the deposit in each of the test pits are as follows:-

In Test Pit 1, the soil deposit (1004), a brownish-grey sandy silt with occasional mortar flecks, was the earliest deposit encountered. The trench was excavated to a level of 23.50m aOD.

In Test Pit 2, the soil deposit (2004), a 0.25m-thick mid-brown silty clay deposit (2004), with frequent red sandstone and mortar fragments and occasional fragments of ceramic building material, was encountered at 25.11m aOD. It overlay the remains of a sandstone wall (see CHER 8706) thought to represent the remains of a barrack block building.

In Test Pit 3, the soil deposit (3004), a mid-brown silty-clayey-sand with frequent mortar and sandstone fragments, was encountered at 25.27m aOD.

In Test Pit 4, the soil deposit (4003), a greyish-brown clayey silt was encountered at 26.65m aOD. It contained a sherd of Roman pottery, five fragments (98g) of wall plaster, 2 fragments of slate and a copper alloy hoop/loop. The pottery fragment was Black-burnished ware 1, from the rim of a handled beaker, dated to c AD 120-70.

In Test Pits 1, 2 and 3 the Roman soil deposit was overlain by a thick layer of dark soils of medieval and later date (see CHER 13009).