There are just three weeks left to secure funding from Le Câtillon II Coin Hoard Fund, with the next round of applications now open.
The fund was set up to support scientific research and educational projects linked to the discovery of Le Câtillon II Coin Hoard and is now nearing the end of its allocation. Since opening in 2023, £168,000 of the original £250,000 has been awarded to eight innovative projects, including:
- An adult education course teaching the skills and ethics of archaeology and metal detecting to local enthusiasts.
- A cutting-edge initiative from Société Jersiaise, which conducted a geophysical survey around the Câtillon site.
- A special edition of the national Wreckwatch magazine, created for archaeology enthusiasts. The edition focused on the coin hoard’s discovery, theories around why it was put there and its context in wider Europe at the time.
David Lord, Chairman of the Highlands College Foundation, says: “We’re calling on anyone with a compelling project to seize what may be the final opportunity to utilise this funding while it’s still available.”
The hoard, uncovered beneath a field in Grouville in 2012, was formally acquired by the Government of Jersey in 2021. As part of the acquisition agreement, the Highlands College Foundation was tasked with administering the ring-fenced fund to support deeper exploration and greater public understanding of the historic find.
Dr Hervé Duval-Gatignol, Field Archaeologist, Société Jersiaise said: “Le Câtillon is a fascinating site, unique in Celtic Europe. Our Field Archaeology Department decided to uncover its secrets without excavation. To do so, we worked in collaboration with a team of French geophysicists from the INRAP (Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives) and scanned around twenty hectares surrounding the site.
“This year, we even used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to produce more precise images of the archaeological remains. These non-invasive methods have revealed traces of ancient occupation at Le Câtillon, and the data is still being processed.
“Upcoming work will help to better understand the environment in which the hoards were buried by the Celts, but early results already suggest signs of human activity. Thanks to the support of the Le Câtillon II Coin Hoard Fund, a whole chapter of the island’s history is being brought to light.”
More information is available on the Highlands College Foundation website.
