Excavations of a Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age occupation site at L'Erée, Guernsey, Channel Islands

Duncan Garrow & Fraser Sturt

Introduction
Figure 1
Figure 1. Location map of the Guernsey. Click to enlarge.

The excavation described here forms part of a larger project, directed by the authors, entitled Neolithic land- and seascapes in Guernsey, 5500-2500 BC, which aims to investigate changes in settlement, landscape occupation and environment over the course of three millennia. In doing so, we also hope to situate the impressive and well-known monumental evidence on the island in its broader landscape context and shed light on the initial introduction of Neolithic practices there. This detailed regional study will ultimately make a significant contribution to understandings of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in north-western Europe in general, and the mechanisms by which Neolithic practices spread into western France and then across the Channel to Britain in particular (Figure 1).

The Neolithic of Guernsey

The Neolithic of Guernsey is renowned for the impressive number of burial monuments found within its shores. In stark contrast, the settlement record of the same period remains poorly understood. Across the Channel Islands as a whole, only three potential Neolithic occupation sites have been identified: an artefact scatter/midden at La Motte, Jersey (Patton 1997: 41), a group of ephemeral post-holes and pits at the Royal Hotel site, Guernsey (Sebire 2005: 55), and the site under discussion here. In Guernsey, and indeed the Channel Islands more broadly, the archaeological cliché that we know more about the dead than the living is truer than ever. It is therefore critical that we gain a better knowledge of the sites where people lived out their daily lives (see also Scarre 2009).

Survey and excavation at L'Erée in 2008
Figure 2
Figure 2. Panoramic view of eroding cliffs at L'Erée. Click to enlarge.

Since the 1970s, seasonal storms have revealed a promising Neolithic/Early Bronze Age site on the west coast of Guernsey at L'Erée. Each year, quantities of pottery and flint along with settlement features such as hearths are eroded out of the cliff face (Figure 2). Concerned by the continuing loss of this vital material, Barry Cunliffe (Oxford) and Heather Sebire (then Archaeology Officer, Guernsey Museum) initiated a small-scale excavation at the site in 1998. Their work recovered substantial Neolithic/Early Bronze Age artefactual evidence, two buried horizons (assigned to the Early and Late Neolithic) and a ditch-like feature, all within two 2 x 4m trenches (Cunliffe & De Jersey 2000). In addition, Early-Middle Neolithic radiocarbon dates of 5270-5060 cal BC (from charcoal within the ditch) and 4230-4190 cal BC (from a hearth eroding out of the cliff face 50m to the east) were obtained.

Ten years on, this very important site was still severely threatened by coastal erosion. This, along with the site's research potential for understanding Neolithic/Early Bronze Age settlement on the island, prompted our interest in the site.

In March 2008, we carried out a preliminary geoarchaeological survey, consisting of three separate elements: an auger transect survey, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey and a topographic survey (Garrow & Sturt 2008). In combination, these identified a number of potential sub-surface archaeological features and defined the extent of the local loess soils.

Cunliffe's previous work at the site had suggested that any settlement relating to the substantial quantities of material eroding out of the cliff face was likely to be located to the north of his trenches. In response to this suggestion, and to the results of the GPR survey, we located our own excavation a short distance upslope of these. Neolithic settlement remains are notoriously difficult to identify, often consisting of ephemeral pits and post-holes. Therefore, to secure the best possible opportunity of finding features of this character, we decided to open a single large trench, measuring 10 x 5m (Figures 3 & 4).

Figure 3
Figure 3. Location of the 1998 and 2008 excavations. Click to enlarge.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Excavation in progress, September 2008. Click to enlarge.

Nine 9 stratigraphic layers were identified (Figure 5). Those of greatest archaeological significance were contexts [4] and [7], interpreted as Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age 'A' and 'B' horizons. A total of 516 sherds of prehistoric pottery (including 'Jersey bowl' and Beaker), twelve pieces of daub and 194 pieces of worked flint were recovered, confirming significant Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age activity. In addition, two archaeological features - a shallow gully and post-hole - of probable Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date were identified (Figures 5 & 6). These are likely to represent the remains of a dwelling structure.

Figure 5
Figure 5. South facing section (above) and plan (below) of features within the 2008 trench. Click to enlarge.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Features 1 (gully) and 2 (post-hole). Click to enlarge.

Summary

The 2008 excavations confirmed previous expectations that there must have been significant Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age occupation at L'Erée. However, they revealed no definitive Earlier Neolithic material, and thus did little to substantiate previous suggestions of occupation of that date, in that part of the site at least. The presence of structural remains suggests that the site may well have witnessed substantial and long-term settlement; further excavations (in September 2009) are required to confirm this. The site, if indeed it is a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age settlement, represents the first of its kind in the Channel Islands - clearly a significant discovery. At a more local scale, it also provides an important landscape context for the Le Creux ès Faïes passage grave located 100m upslope. The tomb is known to have been used - if not built - during the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age (Kendrick 1928: 184-5). Its close physical proximity and use probably at the same time as a contemporary settlement represent an important addition to our knowledge of burial practices at that time, shedding new light on life as well as death in prehistoric Guernsey.

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Philip de Jersey and Jason Monaghan of Guernsey Museums for their continuing support and assistance to the project. We would also like to thank the States of Guernsey for allowing access to the land, members of La Société Guernesiaise for advice about minimising our impact on the ecology of the site, Janice Dockerill for her assistance in gaining permission to excavate, and Jamie Hooper for his help in reinstating the ground. We are also very grateful to Barry Cunliffe, Ian Kinnes, John Renouf and Chris Scarre for their continuing help and advice; to Heather Sebire for discussions about the history of the site's archaeology; and to Anwen Cooper who undertook vital specialst analysis of the pottery. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the help and hard work of all those without whom the site would not have been excavated at all: Jon Adams, Jenny Cataroche, Anwen Cooper, Philip de Jersey, Cate Frieman, Cara Garrow, Kit Hughes, Jody Joy, Sheila Kohring, John Lihou, Millie Rowe, Tim Sly, Dan Stansbie, Tanya Walls, Sue Wood and Tracey Woosley. The excavation was funded by the Universities of Liverpool and Southampton, with substantial additional support from Guernsey Museums Service. Full excavation reports are and will be available from the Guernsey Museums Service or online at: http://www.soton.ac.uk/archaeology/research/projects/Neolithic_Guernsey.html

References

  • CUNLIFFE, B. & P. DE JERSEY. 2000. Rescue excavations on coastal sites on Guernsey and Herm, 1998 and 1999. Report and transactions of La Société Guernesiaise 24: 867-944.
  • GARROW, D. & F. STURT. 2008. Geoarchaeological survey at Camp Varouf, L'Erée, Guernsey: interim report. Unpublished report deposited at Guernsey Museum.
  • KENDRICK, T. 1928. The archaeology of the Channel Islands, Vol. 1: the Bailiwick of Guernsey. London: Methuen.
  • PATTON, M. 1995. Neolithic communities of the Channel Islands (British Archaeological Reports British Series 240). Oxford: Tempus Reparatum.
    - 1997. The social construction of the Neolithic landscape of the Channel Islands, in P. Topping (ed.) Neolithic landscapes: 41-54. Oxford: Oxbow.
  • SCARRE, C. 2009. Herm - island of the dead? The buried Neolithic landscape of Herm. Available online at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/herm.project/.
  • SEBIRE, H. 2005. The archaeology and early history of the Channel Islands. Stroud: Tempus.

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