Castle Cornet excavation unearths porcelain and clay pipes

Experts have been excavating Prisoners Walk at Guernsey's Castle Cornet

A team of archaeologists excavating one of the oldest parts of Castle Cornet have said they have unearthed Chinese porcelain and clay pipes.

Experts excavating Prisoners Walk said they had found artefacts that could help date layers they were digging up.

Phil De Jersey, States archaeologist, said the porcelain was used by the "highest of society".

The dig follows Guernsey Museum's proposal to excavate the area ahead of planned surface repair works.

Clay pipes show the current level worked on by the team can date back to no later than 1590.

The next stages of the dig should take them into medieval times.

The Bellarmine jug was made in Germany in the mid-17th century

Mr De Jersey said the area was the perfect place to search for new findings.

Others from the dig include a Bellarmine jug made in Germany in the mid-17th century, two stone cannonballs and a piece of slate used as a tally.

However, archaeologists are yet to locate any coins.

Two stone cannonballs are among the finds

Mr De Jersey said: "The one thing we haven't found which I would have expected is coins, people are always dropping coins even these days and things were just the same in the old days.

"Coins can give a very accurate date but we haven't found a single one."

Once the excavation is complete, the ground will be refilled and a new path put in to improve the accessibility of the walk way.