Archaeologists revisit Jersey's Neanderthal site

Experts say the site suggests that Neanderthals lived and hunted in Jersey 250,000 years ago

Archaeologists will be exploring Jersey's Ice Age history through a collection of artefacts from a Neanderthal site.

The items were found at La Cotte à la Chèvre, a small cave near Grosnez on the north coast.

Experts say the site suggests that Neanderthals lived and hunted in Jersey 250,000 years ago.

The team will catalogue items, which include about 16,000 stone tools, animal bones and sediment samples.

The team will be led by Dr Josie Mills, who has studied Palaeolithic sites in Jersey since 2010

The archaeologists will be in Jersey for three weeks working alongside Jersey Heritage's curator of archaeology Olga Finch.

Most of the artefacts have been stored in bags or boxes since they were excavated in the early 20th Century and 1960s, said Jersey Heritage.

The team will be led by Dr Josie Mills, who has studied Palaeolithic sites in Jersey since 2010.

Dr Mills said: "La Cotte à la Chèvre is an important site for understanding Jersey's Ice Age past.

"By repackaging and cataloguing the artefacts, we hope to reveal more about how Neanderthals used this site and how it compares to the larger and better-known La Cotte de St Brelade at Ouaisné.

"I am so excited to be working back in Jersey after a long hiatus due to the pandemic."

People will also have a chance to learn more about La Cotte à la Chèvre through a free guided walk around the area led by Dr Mills on 16 April and a free talk on 4 May at Sir Francis Cook Gallery.

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