On October 5th, Hervé attended the “CReAAH” Scientific Day at the University of Rennes 1, where researchers and students presented their ongoing work. New PhD candidates from the ArCHe Doctoral Network (HORIZON, MSCA) shared their early research on the value of European coastal heritage, a topic relevant to the Channel Islands. We hope to welcome some of these students in the coming years. A new Collaborative Research Project on coastlines and islands in Western France and the Channel Islands was also announced. The Société Jersiaise’s Field Archaeology Department will join this project in 2025. Excavations in Guernsey and Herm done in 2024 revealed prehistoric layers, hinting at early soil cultivation, with further work planned next year.
Post-excavation work has begun for the Mont Cochon archaeological site. Thanks to the help of the Archaeology Section members, the cleaning of archaeological materials is currently underway (pottery, stone objects, flint, and animal bones). Given the large number of finds uncovered, it will likely take several weeks to clean and recondition the discoveries. Once this work is completed, initial observations can be made, inventories will be produced, and the writing of the report will follow, using all these elements. As the post-excavation and writing process always takes considerably longer than the fieldwork phase, the report is expected in the first quarter of 2025.
In parallel with these activities, a work has just started on developing a Conservation Plan for all the archaeological sites owned by the Société Jersiaise. This project will be carried out under the guidance of the Field Archaeology Department, but the input from the Sections is crucial in many ways and will help to consolidate our knowledge of these sites in order to protect them as effectively as possible. Discussions and meetings are expected in the future to coordinate efforts and make this project an opportunity to exchange ideas, collaborate, and raise public awareness of our archaeological heritage. You can find the list of sites concerned with the following link:
Hervé Duval-Gatignol
