A major new excavation is being carried out ahead of work to extend the runway safety areas at Guernsey Airport (Channel Islands, UK).
     Dr Philip de Jersey said the Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement - dating back to around 2,500 BCE - could provide a valuable insight into some of the island's earliest inhabitants. Dr de Jersey said also that while a number of burial sites from the same era had been discovered, this was a rare example of early prehistoric settlement in Guernsey. "We have some good research on how our ancient ancestors buried their dead, but little evidence of how they lived," he added.
     Pottery and flint was discovered about 65cm (25 inches) down in some of the 16 test pits, dug when the initial investigations were carried out in March 2009. Further trenches then uncovered evidence of settlement, including a number of ditches and pits, which could be associated with industrial processes.
     Work in the field next to La Mare Road is due to start this week and last for six weeks.

Edited from BBC News (5 June 2011)