Archaeology Review - Spring 2008

At the end of the Summer of 2007 two members of the Section were invited to join a team from a national archaeological research unit on an excavation at a Gallo-Roman Villa site in Brittany and, in spite of some soaking rain, enjoyed a week working with a group of French professionals, students and volunteers. The dig produced finds by the barrow-load from the 2nd century AD, which had to be cleaned and recorded. We hope that a further visit to the site can be arranged in future years. The site at La Gare, Le Quiou, near Evron, Bretagne, is 35 minutes by road from St Malo and is open to the public at certain times with ‘visites guidées’ in Summer.

Investigation has continued at the site in field 1285 near La Saline, St Ouen. After cleaning the ox bones found it is concluded that they came from a 21/2 year old bovine that had been slaughtered then crudely butchered. The more valuable joints of meat had been taken and the other parts buried. The cranium may have been removed because it contained a bullet? This suggests an illegal slaughter possibly during the Second World War by hungry soldiers or conscripted labour. The origin of the building or dating is still unknown but suggestion has been made that it may have once been thatched. The site has now been reinstated for this season’s early potatoes.

The Section continued to advise on Sites of Archaeological interest suggested for inclusion in Schedules by the Planning and Environment Department. Recommendations and opinions have been conveyed to the Minister for final decisions.

Survey research over the La Moye Golf Course is being carried out by Drs Nichols and Renouf of the Geology Section, Jeremy Percival with GPS and Photography and Ms Olga Finch of the JHT to determine which upstanding granite is natural bedrock and which may be menhirs or orthostats. We are grateful for the co-operation of the officials of La Moye Golf Club. This may result in minor excavation this year.

A desk based assessment of a site in Hue Street near sites excavated in the 1970s was requested by a States Department. The report required a high level of technical presentation and stretched the available skills and resources of the Section to the limit.

The Section organized the removal of the remaining chestnut fencing from Green Island and hope the visual impact has improved and the erosion has been halted.

After discussing the details of proposals for work on the La Hougue Bie Chapel the Section favours re-roofing with French slate and re-pointing the walls with lime mortar. This will give long term protection to the interior which has valuable and vulnerable mediaeval paintings on the ceiling.

At the Autumn equinox we were pleased to have a visit by Miss Heather Sebire and Mr Philip de Jersey from Guernsey, we are sad that Heather is leaving the Channel Islands. We wish her well in her appointment with English Heritage and hope she will keep in touch.

The brick collection has received additions of tapered bricks found on the Elizabeth Castle Bridge and a Copp brick from Les Minquiers. The latest specimens have come from the vault in St Helier Church where Major Francis Peirson was laid to rest in 1781.

This year we hope to be completing excavations in the backyard of No. 16 New Street when the demolition of the out-building is complete. Hopefully this will solve the question as to whether there was a well or a rainwater cistern for the kitchen.

After the equinoctial gales prehistoric land surfaces were exposed on some of the Island’s beaches. At Easter, one of our members noticed a group of introduced granite in St Brelade’s Bay. Advised by the JHT Archaeologist, between tides and in “wintry showers”, the feature was investigated and uncovered a stone circle one-metre across of granite that had been brought from some distance away. First appearance was that it had been a hearth, but no dating material was found. Other suggestions have been that it might have been a cairn or remnants of a posthole. We await a geological examination of the stone and further examination of the peat beds.

Excavation at St Brelade Beach. Photo: John Clarke

Société Members who wish to get involved or have their own Archaeological interest are invited to join the Section by contacting a Committee Member or turning up at La Hougue Bie at 8pm on a Thursday.

John Clarke, Chairman