Insight

The Channel Islands' ancient burial sites reveal more about our Neolithic ancestors

  • Archaeologists hope the islands' dolmens could be key to finding out more about our Neolithic ancestors

We all know the Channel Islands are a rich source of history going back thousands of years, home to some of the first recorded Neolithic hunter-gatherers and also their ancient burial sites or dolmens. Archaeologists are now hoping further specialist DNA testing can be done on human remains - to discover more details about those who strode across these rocky outcrops - far before we all did.

The Les Monts Grantez passage grave was built around 6,000 years ago in around 4000 BCE. Credit: ITV Channel TV

These megalithic tombs give us a glimpse into what life was like in the Channel Islands in bygone times.

They were used to commemorate the dead and represent the first real attempt by settlers to organise and shape the landscape around them.

Dr Hervé Duval-Gatignol, Field Archaeologist, Société Jersiaise, says the Les Monts Grantez passage grave 'is massive', he explains how it is likely "the stones used to build this construction came from at least two to three miles away from this location and they are from the L'Etacq area or Corbière".

Dr Hervé Duval-Gatignol hopes further research will help us understand more about our Neolithic past. Credit: ITV Channel TV

The Les Monts Grantez site was first discovered in 1839 and further excavated in 1912 by the Société Jersiaise.

The main chamber was found to contain the skeletons of six adults and one child, all lying on their sides in a crouched position with quantities of limpet shells, bones and teeth of cow, horse, sheep, pig and deer and colourful sea pebbles.

Many human remains and artefacts were discovered at the Les Monts Grantez site when it was first excavated in 1912. Credit: ITV Channel TV

A further skeleton was found in a seated position, propped up by stones in the entrance passage and the scattered remains of a ninth individual in the side chamber.

Three round-bottomed bowls, broken vase supports, a clay spindle whorl, stone rubbers, hammers, a fine flint pick and a steatite bead were also found.

  • Olga Finch, the Curator of Archaeology at Jersey Heritage, explains more about the remains found at the Les Monts Grantez site.

Archaeologists in Guernsey have managed to do some specialist DNA testing on human remains found at the Dehus Dolmen situated to the northeast of the island.

The Dehus is thought to be Guernsey's most impressive passage grave, largely due to a rare carving found on one of the capstones. It is affectionately known as 'The Guardian of the Tomb 'and depicts a bearded face, arms and hands, with what appears to be a strung bow and a series of symbolic designs.

The carving is affectionately known as 'The Guardian of the Tomb '- and depicts a bearded face. Credit: ITV Channel TV

Dr Phil De Jersey, Guernsey's States Archaeologist says: "It is one of the earliest representations of a human figure anywhere in Northwest Europe. It's just exceptionally rare, that's what makes it so special."

But what is also significant about this megalithic site, is that thanks to specialist DNA testing, we now know more about the people buried here.

  • Dr Phil De Jersey, Guernsey's States Archaeologist, explains the specialist testing that was done on the human remains found at the Dehus dolmen.

The human remains found at the Dehus dolmen and the Les Monts Grantez site are thought to be around 6,000 years old.

There's hope further DNA testing on them will hopefully one day tell us exactly who these people were, what they looked like and the reasons they eventually settled here, in the Channel Islands.

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