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The discovery of an ice-age hunter-gatherer camp at an archaeological dig at Les Varines is the focal point of a feature on Jersey being broadcast tonight on BBC Two’s Coast programme.
The discovery is one the key successes of the two-year Ice Age Island project being led by Jersey Heritage.
The Magdalenian camp – dating back at least 12,000 years – has unearthed thousands of flint artefacts. And it’s hoped that stone slabs and areas of burning mean that there’s even more still to be found in the area.
Ice Age Island archaeologists, Dr Ed Blinkhorn, Site Director and Dr Matt Pope, Ice Age Island Project Coordinator, said: “The 2015 field season was the best yet. At Les Varines, we uncovered a new area with excellent preservation of the hunter-gatherer campsite.
“This confirmed our suspicion that the site in St Saviour is of international importance, and analysis of the results will enhance our understanding of how northwest Europe was recolonised by modern humans after the coldest part of the Ice Age.
“Needless to say we hope to continue our investigations here in the future.
“In addition, our team worked with French colleagues in recording coastal areas with high archaeological potential but equally at high risk from erosion.
“Our work on the National Trust land on the north coast has continued to develop the Mesolithic story of Jersey, this year uncovering a very concentrated flint scatter and worked stones.”
The project has been supported by sponsorship from Capco Trust and the Jersey Tourism Development board.
A pop-up museum at the dig saw 1,000 visitors come to the site, some from as far afield as Germany and America.
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