Petroarchaeological analyses
The year 2026 has started at full speed. A new petroarchaeological study programme has been launched as part of a Collective Research Project led by the Department. With the support of colleagues from Jersey Heritage, particularly Olga Finch (Curator of Archaeology) and Linda Romeril (Deputy Chief Executive and Archives and Collections Director), samples have been taken from collections containing Iron Age pottery.
The aim of this study is to produce thin sections of ceramic sherds, which will allow Benjamin Gehres (Research Fellow, CNRS, UMR 6566) to analyse the nature of the clays and the mineral inclusions present in the selected vessels. This work will help identify pottery manufacturing techniques, craft traditions and technical know-how, as well as the provenance of the raw materials. Ultimately, it may allow us to determine whether these ceramics were produced locally on the island or imported from the mainland.
The preliminary results of this study are expected by the end of 2026, with full results anticipated in 2027. This project is co-funded by the Société Jersiaise and Jersey Heritage, whom we warmly thank for their scientific interest and support.
Seminar at Caen University
What was initially planned as a trip to Normandy was transformed into an online presentation due to last weekend’s challenging weather conditions! With the support of the University, the seminar dedicated to the archaeology of islands was nevertheless successfully held and attracted a large audience of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Field Archaeologist delivered a presentation focusing on archaeological research in Jersey, while our colleague Nicolas Cauwe (Université catholique de Louvain) gave a fascinating talk on Easter Island and its famous Moai statues. Despite the change in format, the seminar proved to be a rewarding opportunity for exchange and discussion.
Dr Hervé Duval-Gatignol
