We approach the end of 2025 having celebrated with a special event on 19th November. The commemorative event was dedicated to two distinguished members of the Société Jersiaise: Margaret Finlaison and Brian Phillipps. Both of them dedicated a part of their life to Jersey’s archaeology and helped shaping our vision of the past. This tribute was not only necessary, but it also felt as a natural order of things. At a time when archaeological research in the Island is gaining momentum, remembering where we come from is essential to knowing where we are headed.
Fig. 1. Legacy Day dedicated to Margaret Finlaison and Brian Phillipps (picture by H. Duval-Gatignol)
A short summary of 2025
This year has been exceptionally rich in fieldwork and discoveries. The excavations at La Hougue de Vinde, St Brelade, carried out as part of JICAS Archaeological Summer School (Dir. H. Dawson & H. Duval-Gatignol) concluded a multi-year programme assessing an overlooked monument, despite several earlier digs. This megalithic structure may ultimately prove to date from the Early Bronze Age and appears to bridge British architectural traditions with Armorican material culture, placing Jersey at the crossroads of exchange networks during the dawn of prehistory.
In France, the co-direction of an excavation at Vieux-Vy-sur-Couesnon, Ille-et-Vilaine, in collaboration with Éveha (Dir. Y. Dufay-Garel & H. Duval-Gatignol), revealed a site unprecedented in Brittany: the largest Celtic town discovered so far. This major breakthrough is reshaping our understanding of the Riedones territorial organisation during the Late Iron Age.
In St Lawrence, trial trenches uncovered a new Iron Age farmstead (Dir. H. Duval-Gatignol), adding to the growing evidence that late protohistorical rural settlements were far more numerous in Jersey than previously thought. The artefacts recovered from the domestic structures shed light on everyday life on the Island nearly 2,000 years ago.
Fig. 2. Aerial view of the excavation of St Lawrence (picture by M. Yates)
On the Island’s largest intertidal zone, an archaeological survey initiated by Bob Tompkins was carried out through an international collaboration between the Société Jersiaise, Jersey Heritage, and the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO). Early results reveal a remarkably rich archaeological and historical landscape, ranging from prehistoric human presence to more recent coastal and maritime activities.
Several additional surveys were conducted at Le Câtillon, Grouville, in St Lawrence and in St Ouen. Thanks to a training provided with the support of the Archaeology Section and its Head, Marc Yates, the Société Jersiaise can now undertake magnetometry surveys across archaeologically sensitive areas using our Grad601. This marks a significant advance toward future non-invasive research programmes aimed at documenting past land in the island.
Public engagement remained central to our mission in 2025: CBA events and Open Days, press coverage of excavations and surveys, contributions to television documentaries (Des Racines et des Ailes, France 3; La fabuleuse histoire de l’argent, Arte), as well as scientific communications during conferences (Kiel Conference; Island Conference, Jersey; European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) Belgrade; Groupe de Recherche Aquitain en Archéologie Protohistorique (GRAAP), Bordeaux) and ongoing academic publications led by the Field Archaeologist. All together, they ensure that the archaeological research and its results continued to be shared to a wide community
Strategic direction for 2026
As we move toward 2026, and in light of such a productive year, reflection is essential as usual. The Field Archaeology Department must now deliver full excavation reports and proceed with the deposition of archaeological material for curation managed by Jersey Heritage. This necessary step requires putting field operations temporarily on hold, especially as the new Heritage Law may soon come into force in Jersey. This period will be used to define strong, coherent research priorities in collaboration with all archaeological stakeholders in the Island. With the Archaeological Research Framework (Jersey Heritage) nearing publication, such strategic planning is more crucial than ever.
This moment is also appropriate for the refurbishment of Hougue Bie Lodge, whose role as a Research Hub has never been more important. The year 2026 will therefore be a pivotal one, setting the foundations for future archaeological research to benefit our community. “Stepping back in order to leap forward” could well be our guiding principle for the coming year. In continuity with those who built archaeological research in the past, and in line with the projects developed in recent years, this approach strengthens the guiding motto of our Department: Digging into the Past, Shaping the Present, Inspiring the Future.
Hervé Duval-Gatignol
