Rare archaeological finds in Herm

Work to uncover Herm's Stone Age

A three year archaeological dig, which started in 2008, has unearthed some rare finds in Herm.

Amongst the island's already well known Neolithic tombs students from Durham university unearthed a menhir that is now visible to the public.

Professor Chris Scarre explained that this discovery showed that Herm had been inhabited for between 2,000 and 6,000 years.

The dig continued in the spring and autumn of 2009 and 2010.

Before this dig there had been more than a century of archaeological interest in Herm's northern common - in the 1840s a number of Neolithic sites were discovered and have been sign posted for visitors since.

The sand that makes up Herm common has preserved items well

Since then investigations have led archaeologists to believe that there could be up to 19 megalithic, or stone, tombs scattered around the common.

Professor of Archaeology Chris Scarre who led the dig said the sand dunes which make up the common meant structures underneath were often well-preserved and relatively easily accessible.

He hoped this might lead to them discovering more than just tombs as he said finding settlements from that era was "very rare".

Modern technology was employed to give the team clues as to what lay beneath the surface, including geophysics and luminescence, which showed the date a layer of sand was last exposed to sunlight.

As well as the menhir (or standing stone) the dig unearthed Roman pottery which added to a previous idea that the area may have been used for farming in Roman times.

Profesor Scarre led the three year dig looking into the history of Herm's common

Professor Scarre explained that previous research revealed that "in the area there are a lot of long linear things, ditches probably, which are typical Roman fashion and may be the site of a Roman farmstead".

Once the unearthed artefacts have been studied at the university in Durham Professor Scarre said they would be returned to the island and that the team would be back in summer 2010 to finish the three-year series of excavations.