The Archaeology Section of the Société Jersiaise caters for people who would like to know more about Jersey’s past through its archaeological study. We meet weekly and mount additional special events throughout the year.
The Section currently has about 25 members, of which many participate in our practical activities. We are always interested in welcoming new members – it is not necessary to have previous experience, as you will be given tuition in all practical activities.
Contact: archaeology@societe.je
Meetings & Activities
The Section meets every Thursday evening, usually between 19.30 and 21.30, though times may vary. Depending on the season, this may take one of the following forms:
Work Sessions
These are held in the Section’s rooms at La Hougue Bie and usually deal with post-excavation work on sites which we or other archaeologists have excavated. This work may involve finds washing, sorting and marking. The Field Archaeologist leads these sessions, which are an excellent opportunity to learn about the wide variety of artefacts which have been found in the island.
Lectures
Interspersed between work meetings are talks and lectures by local archaeologists and, when possible, by visiting colleagues.
Site Visits
Summer evenings are ideal for this (dependant on the weather of course) and a often take the form of visits to one of the island’s many prehistoric dolmens or other archaeological sites. Site visits tend to start earlier in the evening, check the section calendar for more details.
The Section also visits sites on neighbouring islands and France.
Excavation
The Section has been involved in several archaeological excavations in recent years.
Field Walking & Field Survey
The Section carries out field walking and surveys from time to time.
Artefact Studies
Post-excavation research often includes the need to study particular types of artefact, such as tobacco pipes, glassware, metalwork and coins.
Some members of the Section are experts in the study of ceramics, which usually take the form of broken fragments of pottery, sometimes attractively glazed. Apart from the Neolithic to early Bronze Age periods, and the products of art potteries from the 20th century, pottery was never made in Jersey, due to the lack of suitable clays. This meant that it had to be imported from many places in France, England and elsewhere.
The Section has therefore become expert in identifying the extraordinary variety of ceramics imported into the island. We need more people to learn about this subject, to enable this area of expertise to continue into the future!
Research & Learning Resources
Excavation and other activities are only part of the Section’s work. Members are encouraged in their own research, guidance and assistance is on hand as are the resources of the Section’s specialist libraries, at La Hougue Bie and in the Archaeology office at the Société’s offices at 7 Pier Road, St. Helier.
Other Events
The Section is also involved with Dolmen Day, organised by Jersey Heritage, which is in September every year, advertised widely, including on the Jersey Heritage website.
On these days, pre-booked participants are conveyed by coach to a series of dolmen and standing stone sites around the island, where Archaeology Section members and Jersey Heritage staff give a brief introduction to each site and its archaeology. These tours are an excellent way of educating locals and visitors alike and showing off various guardianship sites around the island, many of which are owned or leased by the Société Jersiaise.
Each summer we also participate in the Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of British Archaeology, which usually includes guided walks and a research excavation in which Section members and others from the Societe Jersiaise are encouraged to participate, to have fun and gain archaeological experience.
The Committee meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month.
