An archaeological excavation at Trethevy Quoit near Darite has made an exciting discovery which means that our understanding of the prehistoric site will have to be reassessed.
Between 9th and 13th July, more than thirty volunteers took part in the dig, which was supervised by Andy Jones and Ryan Smith of the Cornwall Archaeological Unit.
A geophysical survey had been undertaken in the field around the monument earlier this year and recorded a number of below-ground anomalies, which were targeted through excavation.
The largest below-ground feature was positioned close to the Quoit itself and, on investigation, this was found to be a significant platform of greenstone. The material had been quarried locally and brought to the site. It was clearly an integral part of the monument.
During the week school children from Darite and St Cleer Primary Schools made educational visits and were shown around the site.
In addition, there was an open day at the dig on Saturday, which was attended by a steady stream of people including many of the children who had visited the site during the week and had returned to show their parents what they had been studying.
Chief Operating Officer at the Cornwall Heritage Trust Cathy Woolcock said: “The excavation at Trethevy Quoit was a great success and I would like to thank our partners for their support, along with everyone who volunteered and took part in the dig. It was fantastic to welcome so many people to join us on the open day, to find out more about the Quoit and the work of our charity.”
The findings from the project will soon be reviewed and published in an archaeological report which will be made available to all interested parties.
Cornwall Heritage Trust would like to thank Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Archaeological Society, Historic England and English Heritage for making the project possible and to Malletts Home Hardware, Mole Valley Farmers and The Cornish Bakery for their kind support.
To find out more about Trethevy Quoit, which is managed by CHT on behalf of English Heritage, please click here
If you would like to register your interest as a volunteer for future projects please click here
