'Roman burial site' found in Alderney
What is believed to be a Roman burial site has been found in Alderney, following the discovery of a skull there last week.
Workmen digging along Rue des Mielles discovered the skull on Tuesday, and four more grave sites have been found since, two with skeletal remains inside.
A late Roman pot with cremated remains inside and two grave capstones were also found during the excavation.
Dr Jason Monaghan, director of Guernsey museums, says the find shows "how exciting Alderney's archaeology is".
It is not the first time remains have been found there, in 1905 workmen discovered three skeletons just three metres away from the current site.
A record states: "There was decayed wood around them, suggesting that they had been enclosed by a coffin, but they were also covered and surrounded by stones, some of which were simply pebbles from the beach."
They had bronze rings round their necks, about a foot below them was a fire-blackened vessel containing burnt bones and Roman pottery shards were found nearby.
Two more skeletons were found in a later discovery, and David Thornburrow, from the Alderney Society, says the remains are probably all from the same group.