An exciting and unique new Roman find has just been unearthed at the archaeological dig behind Colchester's former post office.

And it could be one of Colchester's first houses.

Part of the house wall dating from around AD 50 was today (Friday) being studied on the Head Street site by staff from the town's museums.

One of the dig team said the find was very rare as its plaster still remains, and more importantly, a paint covering can also still be seen after almost 2000 years.

Mike Ripley, from Colchester Archaeological Trust, said the museum experts were looking to see if they could remove it from the site.

The find is also relevant because it shows part of a Colchester house before Boadicea ravaged the town in AD 61.

Mr Ripley said: "This is basically Colchester number one. Before this, is was a Roman fort and, before that, there was nothing.

"It could be one of the very first houses in Colchester when it stopped being a fort and became a Roman town."

The piece of wall uncovered so far measures about one metre, but workers are currently trying to find more.

The trust has been given two extra weeks, starting next week, to work on the dig by Licet Developments before a multi-screen cinema is built by Odeon.

Painstaking - a volunteer works on excavating part of the ruin thought to be one of Colchester's first homes

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