La métallurgie du fer au Sahel : Répartition spatiale de bas fourneaux au Sud-Ouest du Niger. Premiers résultats

International audience; A 15 km à l'Est de Niamey (Sud-Ouest du Niger), une prospection pédestre exhaustive a permis de dénombrer plus de 4000 bas-fourneaux sur un bassin versant de 24 km². Ils sont identifiables par la présence de scories correspondant aux résidus de réduction du fer. Ce grand nombre de structures de réduction est lié au fonctionnement à usage unique des bas-fourneaux, qui est peu étudié dans la région ouest africaine. Les premières études de répartition spatiale montrent que l'implantation de ces bas-fourneaux est principalement soumise à la géomorphologie. Les forgerons ont installé leurs sites de réduction à proximité des talus de plateaux où affleure le minerai de fer …

Géoarchéologie alluviale du site antique de Molesme en plaine alluviale de Laigne (Bourgogne). Réunion des Sciences de la Terre (RST), Dijon.

International audience

History and environmental impact of mining activity in Celtic Aeduan territory recorded in a peat-bog (Morvan – France)

International audience; The present study aims to document early mining and smelting activities by means of geochemical and pollen analyses performed in a peat-bog core collected around the Bibracte oppidum (Morvan, France), the largest settlement of the great Aeduan Celtic tribe (ca 180 BC -25 AD). The anthropogenic Pb profile indicates local mining operations starting from the Late Bronze Age, ca cal. 1400-1300 BC. Lead inputs peaked at the height of Aeduan civilization, and then decreased after the Roman conquest of Gaul, when the site was abandoned. Other phases of mining are recognised from the 11th century to Modern Times. They have all led to modifications in plant cover, probably re…

Six années de suivi du flux d'érosion éolienne sur un sol sableux cultivé au Sahel : Impacts des résidus de culture et de l'encroûtement

In the Sahel, wind erosion occurs particularly in cultivated fields. This work was leaded at Banizoumbou in Niger where wind erosion fluxes have been measured for six years. The aims of this study was i) to monitor crop residues cover on traditional field and to quantify its influence on wind erosion ii) to characterize the impacts of soils crusting on erosion flux, iii) to characterize the impact of herbaceous strips on wind flux. Results showed that crop residues efficiently prevent cultivated fields from wind erosion during the dry season (January to April) and considerably reduce erosion fluxes at the beginning of the rainy season (May to July). Under a minimal crop residues cover rate …

Les matériaux abrasifs utilisés à Chassey au Néolithique

International audience

Le rempart et les structures de la levée 1 - Vix "Le Mont-Lassois" (Côte-d'Or)

International audience

Pointer years in modern Picea glauca from the Giddings’ collection (AD 1600-1941)

At the beginning of the second millennium AD, northwestern Alaska is the scene of significant climate and cultural changes. It is during this period of climatic instability of the transition from Medieval Climate Anomaly to Little Ice Age (AD 1000-1350), that appears the Thule culture, direct ancestor of the today’s Inuit people (Mason 2017).

Caractérisation des changements environnementaux dans la basse vallée du Doubs (Neublans, Jura) durant le 1er millénaire après J.-C. Le rôle de l'Homme et de la rivière

International audience

Les objets du Bronze moyen récemment découverts à Chalonnes-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire)

Among a set of objects accidentally discovered in 2003 at Chalonnes- sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire, France), a Middle Bronze Age hoard has been identified. The other objects, including a triangular side scraper, are dated from the Late Bronze Age and will be studied later. These eleven Middle Bronze Age objects (called "the Belvédère set" in this paper) are two frag- ments of chisels, a fragment of the handle of another flanged tool, a fragment of the handle of a flanged axe belonging to an eastern type (Porcieu-Amblagneu or Langquaid or some variants), two fluted flanged axes with a rare lateral pattern, two simple undecorated bracelets, and three pieces of bracelets of the Drône type. They…

Le quartier bas (BK 04)

Mesures continues du flux d'érosion éolienne sur les champs de Mil traditionnels au Sud-Ouest du Niger : Impacts des résidus de culture.

International audience; Au Sahel, l'effet des résidus de culture sur l'érosion éolienne, a été essentiellement étudié avec des taux de recouvrement supérieurs à la réalité. La présente étude vise à déterminer l'impact sur l'érosion des couverts réellement rencontrés en milieu paysan. Pour cela, des suivis continus de flux d'érosion éolienne ont été effectués pendant trois campagnes agricoles sur deux parcelles de même taille (1,5 ha) présentant des états de surface contrastés: PA avec une surface nue et PB cultivée traditionnellement en mil. Sur le champ traditionnel, les résidus de cultures empêchent toute érosion au coeur de la saison sèche et diminuent de plus de trois fois le flux horiz…

Approche géoarchéologique de la vallée de la Laigne

The conclusions from the research project in the Laigne Valley show the relevance of the geoarchaeological approach conducted on two scales of investigation. The first, over the entire alluvial plain, allows general data to be collected which characterise the specific functions of each catchment basin during the Holocene period : determination of sedimentary sequences, evolution of specific functions of each catchment basin during the Holocene period : determination of sedimentary sequences, evolution of vegetation and phases of human occupation. The second is a geoarchaeological approach on the scale of a test site: it demonstrates and dates as precisely as possible, interactions between n…

Morphometry of Middle Bronze Age palstaves by discrete cosine transform.

9 pages; International audience; The Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is a Fourier-related transform widely used in signal processing and well suited to the analysis of open outlines. This method was applied here to evaluate the discrimination power of the inner lateral rib for two palstave populations dating from the Middle Bronze Age, excavated in northwest France. A corpus of almost 400 palstaves (bronze axes) of the Breton and Norman types was processed, and compared to specimens found at Sermizelles in Burgundy. The procedure is robust and produces a discrimination in good agreement with the traditional typology. Besides the definition of a ‘standard' shape for each population, the morp…

The karstic aquifer of Lake Antre (Jura Mountains - France): an anthropic control since the first century A.D.?

Recherches sur les exploitations minières anciennes du Morvan

International audience

Le bassin gallo-romain de Molesme (Cote d’Or) : questions et perspectives de recherche sur les viviers antiques d’eau douce

The great pond of the Gallo-Roman period discovered at the Molesme site (Côte d’Or) in a meander of the Laigne River has been identified as a fish pond because of its technical characteristics (recesses built into the walls, freshwater intake) which can be found in ancient agricultural treaties. This raises the question of the role of freshwater fish-farming in the ancient world: identification of production structures, farming techniques and species determination. Sites for comparison and other studies on this subject are rare: is this due to the state of research or the exceptional character of these fishponds? The Molesme pond, situated beneath the ancient town of Vertillum, could be lin…

ÉTUDE GÉOARCHÉOLOGIQUE D'UN LIEU DE CULTE ROMAIN IMPLANTÉ SUR UNE SOURCE THERMALE : LE SANCTUAIRE DE JEBEL OUST, TUNISIE

The ancient site of Jebel Oust (Tunisia) grew up around a hot spring, which was a focus for worship at the start of the first millennium AD, until it dried up in Late Antiquity. A geoarchaeological study of the hydrological functioning of the spring, catchment mechanisms for hot water and associated anthropic infrastructure makes it possible to trace the environmental history of the sanctuary/hot spring complex and draws on the example of Jebel Oust to provide new evidence supporting the identification of a water cult in the Roman era.

Chupicuaro archaeological sites: from magnetic survey to excavation (Late pre-classic period, Middle Lerma Valley, Mexico)

Rhine flood deposits recorded in the Gallo-Roman site of Oedenburg (Haut-Rhin, France).

13 pages; International audience; From the first to the fourth century AD, the Gallo-Roman town of Oedenburg developed in the alluvial landscape of the southern Upper Rhine Graben. Throughout this period, the landscape mosaic, composed of palaeochannels, stable palaeoislands and river terraces, continued to evolve. A district of this town, situated on a lateral Rhine channel system, was archaeologically excavated. Largescale excavation and cross-section analysis provide evidence of changing fluvial conditions during the period under study. At about AD 20 or earlier, this lateral part of the floodplain, affected by very fine sedimentation, was occupied by moribund marshy palaeochannels. When…

Dynamique sociétale et évolutions des paysages fluviatiles de la Seine : exemples de paléo-chenaux sur le territoire de la Petite-Seine

International audience

Temps archéologique, temps géologique : des biais d’enregistrement sédimentaire identifiés sur des sites antiques en domaine alluvial (Molesme (21), Biesheim (68)).

International audience

Der Gallorömische Tempelbezirk und seine Umgebung

Erosion des sols viticoles par les évènements orageux (Vosne-Romanée) : quels risques pour le futur ?

International audience; Des différences de maturité des raisins ont été constatées, en particulier entre les fruits produits sur les sols clairs et ceux provenant de vignes poussant sur des sols plus sombres. Ce constat a été testé par une expérience de mesures de températures en continu dans le Clos Vougeot et dans Les Cras, deux stations situées à la même altitude, distantes d'environ cent mètres et caractérisées par des sols plus bruns et plus argileux pour la première et par des sols plus clairs et pierreux pour la seconde. Dans les deux stations, les mesures de températures automatiques et régulières (toutes les trente minutes) ont été réalisées pendant un an à partir du 18 mai 2003, à…

L’évolution du paysage des plaines alluviales du haut bassin versant de la Seine en Pays châtillonnais à l’âge du Fer

National audience; Depuis 15 ans, des études géoarchéologiques ont fait intervenir des spécialistes de plusieurs disciplines des sciences humaines et des sciences naturelles afin de reconstituer les environnements de la vallée de la Laigne, affluent de la Seine près du site archéologique de Molesme, Sur les Creux. Des études similaires ont été menées en vallée de seine au pied du site princier de Vix.

Paléométallurgie dans le Morvan : l'apport des analyses polliniques et géochimiques

National audience

Continental late Pliocene paleoclimatic history recorded in the Bresse Basin (France)

International audience; We present results to show that the Beaune P & C borehole, cored in the Bresse Basin (France), records late Pliocene climatic variations. Pollen analysis allows precise correlations with northern and southern European stratigraphies. Using Kukla et al.'s (1981) climate index, we show that cold climate phases occur during the Brunssumian, at around 3.2, 3.6 and 5.2 Myr B.P., respectively, in agreement with Atlantic core results. The onset of a general cooling trend is felt early in the Reuverian, at about 3 Myr B.P. which corresponds to the end of a warm event characterized by high percentages of oak. This is followed by minor climatic pulses of increasing magnitude s…

Rhine’s floods during roman antiquity. Geoarchaeology of the Oedenburg Gallo-Roman site (France).

International audience

Un déboisement par le feu du littoral de Chalain (Jura, F) pour l’exploitation agro-pastorale à l’époque carolingienne :caractérisation géo-archéologique et paléo-environnementale d’une « anomalie » pédo-sédimentaire.

International audience

Cartographie géologique à haute résolution pour une meilleure compréhension de la diversité du sous-sol viticole de la " Côte " (Bourgogne, France)

International audience

Ancient mining near the Bibracte oppidum and its impact on ecosystems: a multidisciplinary approach

International audience

Les exploitations minières en pays éduen

International audience

Formations de versant de l’Auxois : l'exemple du système de base de corniche du Mont-Auxois (Cote d'Or)

International audience

Dendroarchaeological contributions to the history of forest exploitation: the case of the Gallo-roman settlement of Oedenburg (Alsace, France) between 10 AD and 180 AD

International audience; Dendro-archaeological contribution to the history of forest exploitation. The case of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Oedenburg (Alsace, France) between 10 and 180 AD summary Dendrochronology has never been considered as simply a dating tool. In addition to the dates, which are always based on a regional scale signal, tree-ring series can provide information about forest structure and woodland development. Our study of the settlement of Oedenburg, established in the Rhine Limes of the Roman Empire, was conducted within this framework. The dated series provide a description of some structural aspects of oak-stands that were exploited for construction. In this aim, the a…

Sur les traces d'Erik le Rouge (film et conférence)

International audience

Les Éduens producteurs et pollueurs

National audience

Vineyard soils and landscapes of the Burgundy Côte (France): a historical construction worth preserving

International audience; The construction of vineyard landscapes along the Burgundy Côte is the result of geological processes and of human labour. Substratum diversity in this vineyard is the result of a very long history explained by the diversity of Jurassic sedimentary facies and Tertiary tectonic activity. The nature and thickness of Quaternary deposits (Weichselian scree debris and alluvial fans) reflect sediment dynamics concurrent with the last glaciation. As soon as humans started to occupy and cultivate these slopes, the changes they made in the land through crop development and roads began to structure the vineyard plots in a lasting way. The footprint of vine work in soils can be…

Magnetic survey on Chupicuaro's archaeological sites (late preclassic period, middle Lerma valley, Guanajuato - Mexico)

Géoarchéologie des systèmes fluviaux : les exemples de Molesme et Biesheim.

International audience

Première datation par chronologie radiocarbone du dernier maximum glaciaire dans le Jura

International audience

L’hydrosystème karstique du sanctuaire gallo-romain du lac d’Antre et des sources de l’Héria.

National audience

La résilience de l’érosion du sol en réponse à l’évolution des occupations culturales du sol en contexte viticole (Monthelie, Côte de Beaune)

National audience; Les événements naturels extrêmes sont à l’origine de l’essentiel du transfert de matière observé sur les versants. Outre des enjeux sociétaux et économiques, ces événements peuvent également avoir des répercussions environnementales et culturales irréversibles en modifiant les répartitions spatiales des surfaces cultivables, en affectant aussi bien quantitativement que qualitativement les sols de ces versants. Il apparaît donc essentiel de comprendre, quantifier et prévoir les transferts de matière sur les versants en réponse à des événements naturels extrêmes.Parmi les différents contextes agricoles, les versants viticoles sont reconnus comme des versants particulièremen…

Le territoire de la résidence pricière de Vix (Côte-d'Or, France): une approche géomorphologique

International audience

Evolution des paysages Sahélines au cours des six dernières décennies dans la région de Niamey : de la disparition de la brousse tigrée à l'encroutement de surface des sols

In the Sahel, the rapid increase of the population during the last decades and the climate variation lead to an important environmental degradation. This work aims to measure the impacts of the human pressure on ecosystem during the six last decades. A diachronic cartography of a 100 km² area close to Niamey was done with aerial photographs (1950 and 1975) and GPS measurements (2009). Results showed that the tiger bush vegetation was completely cleared between 1950 and 2009 while the fallow decreases from 7 % to 1 %. In the sandy valley, the increase of cultivated fields from 20,7 % (1950) to 69,4 % (1975) favoured wind and water erosions which allowed surface soil crusting. Between 1975 an…

Dynamique d’abandon de chenaux dans le territoire de la Petite-Seine

Le territoire de la résidence princière de Vix (Côte-d'Or, France): une approche géomorphologique

The Territory of the Princely Residence of Vix (Côte-d'Or, France): a Geomorphological Approach In the northwestern area of the Alps, the end of the Hallstatt period was characterized by an uncommon social phenomenon illustrated by rich tombs near fortified sites on top of hills, and by an expansion of the territory. Archaeologists represent these territories in the shape of a circle with a radius of 20-25 km. Yet this model needed to be refined by taking into account the sites' natural environment. A test has been administered using the data of the princely residence of Vix.

Minéralogie de la mine du Prabis (Villapourçon, Nièvre, France)

L'exploitation de la forêt vue par la dendro-archéologie : l'exemple d'Oedenburg (Alsace) entre 10 et 180 apr. J.-C.

Le paysage de la vallée de la Seine au pied du site "princier" de Vix (Côte-d'Or)

Dendro-archaeological contribution to the history of forest exploitation. The case of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Odenburg (Alsace, France) between 10 and 180 AD

Paléométallurgie dans le Morvan : l’apport des analyses polliniques et géochimiques

Palaeometallurgical activities in the Morvan: the contribution of pollen and geochemical analyses Palaeoenvironmental research was carried out on three peat cores collected in the Morvan mid-level mountain (burgundy, France), documenting early palaeometallurgical activities from the 2nd millennium bc. Pollen and geochemical analyses show contemporaneous clearings of forests in close connection with metallic contaminations. the comparison between each of the three sites shows that this kind of study in such an environment documents a local impact of paleometallurgy. studying many sequences allows the reconstruction of the regional history of the Morvan Mountain. thus, the Morvan could have b…

Mise en évidence de crues antiques sur le site gallo-romain d’Oedenburg.

International audience

A detailed record of recent climatic changes in a laminated lake record in the Sahel

International audience

Erosion rates and sediment budgets in vineyards at 1-m resolution based on stock unearthing (Burgundy, France).

Abstract A new and simple method is developed to efficiently quantify erosion and deposition rates based on stock unearthing measurements. This is applicable to spatial scales ranging from plot to hillslopes, and to time scales ranging from single hydrologic events to centennial scales. The method is applied to a plot area on vineyard hillslopes in Burgundy (Monthelie, France), with measurement of 4328 vine plants. A sediment budget established at the plot scale shows a mean soil lowering of 3.44 ± 1 cm over 20 years, involving a minimal erosion rate of 1.7 ± 0.5 mm yr − 1 . Locally, erosion rates can reach up to 8.2 ± 0.5 mm yr − 1 . This approach allows the sediment redistribution to be m…

The spatial analysis of cemeteries revisited. The example of the Late Iron Age and Early Gallo-Roman cemetery of Lamadelaine (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg)

Gräberfelder zeigen selten zufällig angelegte und verteilte Grabstrukturen. Die Gräber selbst entstehen normalerweise in einem spontanen Prozess; in ihnen werden meist vollständig erhaltene Grabbeigaben absichtlich deponiert. Aus diesem Grund eignet sich diese Gattung archäologischer Befunde gut für eine quantitative und räumliche Analyse, die erlaubt, Informationen über die räumliche Organisation, den zeitlichen Ablauf und über sozio-ökonomische Aspekte des Friedhofes zu erhalten. Dieser Artikel bewertet die wichtigsten Methoden der räumlichen Analyse eines Fundplatzes, angepasst an Gräberfelder, auf Basis der vorgeschichtlichen und römischen Nekropole von Lamadelaine; weiter hin liefert e…

Conditions environnementales de l'exploitation des espaces ruraux en Gaule du Nord

International audience

Le paysage de la vallée de la Seine au pied du site « princier » de Vix (Côte d’Or)

The spatial configuration of the archaeological features of the aristocratic site of Vix (settlement, fortification and cemetery) suggests a strong link between the site’s manmade structures and its natural environment. Before being able to characterise this link, a study of the protohistoric environment of the mont Lassois region was undertaken concentrating on the Seine’s alluvial plain.The first results indicate that the landscape of the Seine’s alluvial plain underwent radical changes at the end of the La Tène and during the Roman period. Drawing on the morpho-sedimentary evolution of other rivers of the Paris basin, hypotheses have been formulated in relation to the factors governing t…

Prospection autour de Bibracte : nouvelles méthodes et nouveaux résultats

National audience

Tracking archaeological and historical mines using mineral prospectivity mapping.

13 pages; International audience; The present study proposes a technological transfer from modern mining prospection to the field of archaeology, providing a methodology to facilitate the discovery of ancient mining sites. This method takes advantage of the thousands of geochemical analyses of streambed sediments, performed by national geological surveys to inventory mineral substances. In order to delineate geochemical anomalies, the datasets are treated following two different approaches: Exploratory Data Analysis and a fractal-based method often recognised as more powerful. Mineral prospectivity maps are then obtained by combining the results with a geographical information system. The s…

Environmental impact of early palaeometallurgy: pollen and geochemical analysis

International audience

Major palaeohydrographic changes in Alpine foreland during the Pliocene - Pleistocene

International audience; The changing palaeogeographical pattern of Alpine deposits across the European forelands can be traced by identifying mineral assemblages and establishing the chronology of Pliocene-Pleistocene deposits in Alpine foreland. In the late Miocene, the upper courses of the Rhine and the Aar flowed east from the Swiss molasse plain towards the Danube. In the early Pliocene (Brunssumian, 5-3.2 Ma), these same rivers headed north-wards towards the Rhine Graben of Alsace. In the early Reuverian, these streams were captured south of the Rhine Graben by the Doubs. They ceased their northward flow and headed west to feed the Bresse Graben. This phase is dated to the Lower and Mi…

Analyse géo-archéologique de la stratigraphie néolithique de la redoute du camp de Chassey

International audience

Vers l'Amérique : l'implantation médiévale scandinave de la côte sud-ouest du Groenland. Approches historiques et premiers résultats des études paléoenvironnementales

International audience; During the Viking Age (ca AD 800-1100) Scandinavian explorers settled the islands of the western North Atlantic, making the northernmost agricultural area of the medieval period. Expansion to south-west coast of Greenland at the end of the tenth century brought Norse settlers closer to the limits of their European-style agricultural systems. In response to the harsh low arctic climate, the Greenland Norse have adapted their farming strategies and changed their subsistence pattern, giving a more important place to hunting and fishing. This evolution had probably been accelerated by climatic changes of the Little Ice Age. A good knowledge of the Greenland Norse economy…

Les exploitations minières anciennes dans le haut Morvan

International audience

Classification et chronologie de bas fourneaux de réduction du fer à usage unique au sud-ouest du Niger

In southwestern Niger, near Niamey, several thousand single-use bloomery furnaces have been mapped and identified. The archaeological study of approximately 30 furnaces and their slag reveals the existence of four methods for iron smelting: three types of pit furnace and one slag-tapping type. The slag pit furnaces are clearly differentiated by the form and volume of their pits. All slag-tapping furnaces drain off slag through small openings. The slag is tapped either vertically or laterally. According to radiocarbon dates, the smelting activity developed in the 2 nd century AD and intensified through to the 14 th century. It continued to evolve until the middle of the 20 th century. The lo…

Anthropisation des zones humides : « fenêtre » sur le cas de la basse vallée du Doubs

This study concerns a «window» of approximately 40 km², opening on to two different landscapes : the lower Doubs Valley and the Bresse plateau, both very humid zone. The interaction of man with his environment is studied from Antiquity to the Middle Ages by comparing archaeological evidence of human settlements with paleoenvironmental reconstruction of land dynamics. There is dense occupation throughout all periods, which proves the attractiveness of the area. However, local factors, both natural and anthropic, seem to have influenced spatial implantation along the river.

Quantification de l’ablation d’un bassin versant marno-calcaire alpin durant le Petit Age Glaciaire par l’étude d’un système lacustre (cas du lac du « Claps » de Luc-en-Diois Drôme, France)

Measurements of present-day erosion may give heterogeneous results according to the methods used. This article proposes an approach to erosion during the Little Ice Age by the quantitative analysis of detritical materials trapped in a dammed lake. This infill is recognized through two drillings, and these specific observations are supplemented by a seismic reflexion survey which provided a reliable estimate of the geometry of the lake infill. The sedimentary production is calculated from three pieces of data: (1) the surface of the drainage area, (2) duration of the lake system activity and (3) the volume of trapped sediments. From the three determined variables, we propose a detritical product…

The history and impacts of farming activities in south Greenland: an insight from lake deposits.

International audience; Agriculture in southern Greenland has a two-phase history: with the Norse, who first settled and farmed the region between 985ad and circa 1450ad, and with the recent reintroduction of sheep farming (1920ad to the present). The agricultural sector in Greenland is expected to grow over the next century as anticipated climate warming extends the length of the growing season and increases productivity. This article presents a synthesis of results from a well-dated 1500-year lake sediment record from Lake Igaliku, south Greenland (61°00′N, 45°26′W, 15m asl) that demonstrates the relative impacts of modern and Norse agricultural activities. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs…

A history of mining activity in Celtic Aeduan territory, and its environmental impact (Morvan-France)

International audience

APPROCHE GÉOARCHÉOLOGIQUE ET PALÉOENVIRONNEMENTALE D'UNE ZONE HUMIDE EN CONTEXTE CULTUEL LE CAS DE MAGNY-COURS (NIÈVRE)

Im Rahmen einer Präventivgrabung wurde auf dem Gebiet der Gemeinde Magny-Cours (Departement Nièvre) ein großes antikes Heiligtum freigelegt. Die Bedeutung des Fundplatzes beruht eher auf der Entdeckung mehrerer Torfzonen mit organischen Funden (Exvotos und Holzabfälle) als auf dem Heiligtum selbst. Ein interdisziplinärer Ansatz ermöglichte es, die Natur dieser Funde und ihre Verbindung mit den benachbarten Kultstrukturen zu verstehen. Die archäologische Studie wurde durch geomorphologische und paläoumweltliche Studien ergänzt, insbesondere dendrologische, karpologische, palynologische und sedimentäre Analysen.

Towards America: environmental consequences of the Viking occupation in Greenland.

A 2500 year record of natural and anthropogenic soil erosion in South Greenland

International audience; The environmental impact of the Norse landnám in Greenland has been studied extensively. But to date, no study has quantified the soil erosion that Norse agricultural practices are believed to have caused. To resolve this problem, a high resolution sedimentary record from Lake Igaliku in South Greenland is used to quantitatively reconstruct 2500 years of soil erosion driven by climate and historical land use. An accurate chronology allows for the estimation of detritic fluxes and their uncertainties. Land clearance and the introduction of grazing livestock by the Norse around 1010 AD caused an acceleration of soil erosion up to 8 mm/century in 1180 AD which is two-fo…

Modeling of 137Cs migration in soils using an 80-year soil archive: role of fertilizers and agricultural amendments

An 80-year soil archive, the 42-plot experimental design at the INRA in Versailles (France), is used here to study long-term contamination by 137Cs atmospheric deposition and the fate of this radioisotope when associated with various agricultural practices: fallow land, KCl, NH4(NO3), superphosphate fertilizers, horse manure and lime amendments. The pertinence of a simple box model, where radiocaesium is supposed to move downward by convectional mechanisms, is checked using samples from control plots which had been neither amended, nor cultivated since 1928. This simple model presents the advantage of depending on only two parameters: α, a proportional factor allowing the historical atmosph…

Historical mining and smelting in the Vosges Mountains (France) recorded in two ombrotrophic peat bogs

Two peat sequences were sampled in the vicinity of the main mining districts of the Vosges Mountains: Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and Plancher-les-Mines. Lead isotopic compositions and excess lead fluxes were calculated for each of these radiocarbon-dated sequences. Geochemical records are in very good agreement with the mining history of the area, well known over the last millennium. Except for an anomaly corresponding to the Middle Bronze Age which has not yet been resolved, there is no clear geochemical evidence of local metal production in the Vosges before the 10th century as excess lead deposition archived between 500 BC and 500 AD is attributed to long-range transport of polluted particul…

The impact of Norse occupation in south Greenland: pollen, NPP's and sedimentological analyses from lakes and peat deposits.

Geoarchaeology of "anthropogenic" travertine: a story of water and life etched in stone

The notion of “anthropogenic” carbonate deposits takes into consideration human impact on continental limestones precipitated from hot (travertine) or cold (calcareous tufas, speleothems) waters. It is documented here by a geoarchaeological study of the Roman site of Jebel Oust, Tunisia, where the exploitation of a hot spring is attested from the first century AD to the end of Late Antiquity. Petrographical and geochemical analyses performed on travertine deposits offer evidence of the anthropisation of the hot spring and its associated deposits, and reveal new elements of water management and bathing practices during Roman times.

USING AERIAL IMAGE ANALYSIS AS A TOOL FOR TOPSOIL, SOIL AND SUBSTRATE MAPPING IN VINEYARDS(BURGUNDY, FRANCE)

International audience; In Burgundy, vineyards present a high diversity of Terroirs, controlled by complex interactions between natural and human factors. The relationship between these factors leads to define wine typicity. However, a better understanding of how Terroirs have been defined is necessary for the sustainable, rational management of vineyard soils.The objectives of the study are (i) to identify Terroirs variability in vineyards of Burgundy (France) at hillslope scale and (ii) to highlight natural (soil, substratum) and anthropogenic factors (management practices) controlling Terroir diversity.To study Terroir at a fine scale, we developed a method based on a very high spatial r…

Impact of very low crop residues cover on wind erosion in the Sahel

International audience; In the Sahel, with average annual precipitation in the order of 500 mm yr− 1, wind erosion occurs mainly on cultivated millet fields whose surfaces are only partially covered by crop residues. The impact of these residues on wind erosion was not clearly established. The objective of this study is thus to quantify the actual amount of crop residues in traditional Sahelian fields and to determine their impacts on wind erosion by reference to a bare surface throughout the seasonal cycle over several years. At the beginning of the year during dry season, Sahelian farmers use to "clean" their fields, i.e. cut and lay flat on the soil surface any millet stalks still standi…

Environmental consequences of the Norse occupation in south Greenland: first results of pollen and NPP's data from a peat bog (Qassiarsuk).

Milieux humides et aménagements anthropiques dans la plaine alluviale du Rhin : le site romain d’Oedenburg (Haut-Rhin).

International audience

Geochemical records of limestone façades exposed to urban atmospheric contamination as monitoring tools?

International audience; Magnetic susceptibility, surface rock soiling, elemental composition and lead isotope ratios were measured in surface stone samples collected at different heights of a late 19th century building in Dijon, France. We targeted four limestone facades that differ in orientation and proximity to car traffic. It seems that zinc, copper, sulphur and cadmium are present as diffuse pollutants in urban atmosphere, at least at the scale of the building studied. In contrast, lead and arsenic exhibit point sources: automotive traffic and past coal-burning fly-ash emissions; both coherent with lead isotopic composition measurements. Parameter variations primarily result from expos…

Le projet "identification et impact des sites miniers abandonnés sur les écosystèmes aquatiques et terrestres actuels"

Relations sociétés - milieux en Petite-Seine du Mésolithique à la fin du Moyen Âge : nouvelles problématiques et résultats récents d’archéologie environnementale. In V. Riquier (ed.)

International audience

Tectonics of the Northern Bresse region (France) during the Alpine cycle

International audience; Combining fieldwork and surface data, we have reconstructed the Cenozoic structural and tectonic evolution of the Northern Bresse. Analysis of drainage network geometry allowed to detect three major fault zones trending NE-SW, E-W and NW-SE, and smooth folds with NNE trending axes, all corroborated with shallow well data in the graben and fieldwork on edges. Cenozoic paleostress succession was determined through fault slip and calcite twin inversions, taking into account data of relative chronology. A N-S major compression, attributed to the Pyrenean orogenesis, has activated strike-slip faults trending NNE along the western edge and NE-SW in the graben. After a tran…

Le Canal du Touron

National audience

Alésia en 1986 : le siège de 52 av. J.C. Sondage sur le camp B de la circonvallation

International audience

Aspects de la romanisation dans l'Est de la Gaule

Le paysage antique

International audience

L'eau sur le site d'Alésia : la contrainte hydrogéologique lors du siège de 52 av. J.-C.

Mount Auxois, the theatre of operations during the siege of Alesia, was the object of a field study aimed at defining the area's natural hydraulic barriers. By combining archaeological and historical knowledge, the influence of this environment during a crisis situation such as that of 52 BC was evaluated. Quantification of the water available during the summer months, together with knowledge of the positions occupied by the opposing forces during the siege, provided more detailed information as to how the warring factions organised water supply and water management within their respective entrenchments.

Mise en évidence de structures anthropiques gallo-romaines sur le versant viticole de la Côte de Beaune et de leur influence sur les sols. Exemple du lieu-dit de « l’Ile des Hautes Vergelesses » (Pernand-Vergelesses, Côte d’Or)

International audience

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph evidence of medieval farming activities in southwestern Greenland

International audience; Radiocarbon dating, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses from a lake core were used to establish the timing and effects of farming activities around Lake Igaliku, Eastern Settlement, Greenland. The absence of agro-pastoral impact before the medieval colonization by Europeans provides an opportunity to understand the development of farming activity in a pristine landscape. The results show that the first phase of clearance and grazing pressure, without the expansion of the Norse apophyte (native plant, in habitats created by humans) Rumex acetosa type, could have occurred in the 9–10th century A.D. The presence of Norse settlers and livestock is clearly recorded…

La lecture des archives naturelles : une histoire de la métallurgie autour de Bibracte

National audience; La confirmation archéologique de l’importante activité métallurgique dans la ville celtique, située au cœur d’une région riche en minerais, a conduit les archéologues à s’interroger sur le rôle de l’exploitation métallurgique dans l’installation et laprospérité du site de Bibracte, à la fin de l’âge du Fer.

Analyses polliniques du marais de l’Abîme à Molesme (Côte-d’Or, France)

The pollen analysis of a borehole from the Laigne Valley, in Molesme (21), gives the first complete Holocene reference for the southeast of the Paris Basin. This low altitude sequence differs from those obtained in mid-mountainous regions: the pine forest is not replaced by oak and beech woods until the end of the Atlantic chronozone. Certain fluctuations which reveal changes in humidity in the alluvial plain, also shown by malacological analyses on a nearby outcrop, could be the result of more global climatic changes. The first palynological clues to anthropisation do not appear until the Iron Age, and fit perfectly with local archaeological data.

Approche géoarchéologique sur la nécropole monumentale d'Escolives-Ste-Camille (Yonne): un site en bordure d'un chenal de l'Yonne à l'époque néolithique

Die Herausbildung des Mittelneolithikums I Cerny wird im Südosten des Pariser Beckens von dem Auftauchen monumentaler Nekropolen in den Sohlen von Flusstälern begleitet. Die Eingliederung dieser Bestattungsplätze in die Landschaft lässt eine ausdrückliche Absicht erkennen und tradiert möglicherweise den Anspruch einer Gruppe, ihr Gebiet deutlich als das ihre auszuweisen. Vor diesem Hintergrund waren die Ausgrabungen der Nekrolpole von Escolives-Sainte-Camille ‘La Pièce de l'Étang’ von Untersuchungen begleitet, welche die Umgebung des Fundplatzes in neolithischer Zeit bestimmen sollten. Es ging darum, die Einfügung des Platzes zwischen zwei Paläorinnen in ihrem hydrographischen Milieu zu rek…

Stone lines and heaps on south-western Niger plateaus as remains of ancient agricultural land

Les plateaux de la rive occidentale du fleuve Niger sont recouverts de lignes et de tas de pierres sèches alors que ces surfaces tabulaires sont aujourd'hui dépourvues de toutes cultures. Le sol du plateau est constitué d'un horizon argilo-sableux visible uniquement dans la zone où ces structures sont présentes. Elles témoigneraient d'un épierrage pour faciliter le travail agricole du sol. Les matériaux extraits ont été disposés en ligne puis en tas si la quantité de blocs était trop élevée. Ce parcellaire pourrait être contemporain de l'activité métallurgique située au pied des plateaux et datée de la deuxième moitié du premier millénaire.

Structures en pierre du plateau du Châtillonnais (Côte-d'Or) : du Hallstatt à l'Antiquité tardive : l'apport de l'archéologie forestière

International audience

Au Niger, un paysage sahélien façonné par l'homme

National audience

Identification des indices environnementaux d'anthropisation dans la séquence sédimentaire historique du lac d'Igaliko (Groenland)

Magnetic Prospecting of Diachronic Structures (Antiquity to First World War) on the Site of the Sanctuary of Ribemont-sur-Ancre (Somme, France)

International audience; The site of the sanctuary of Ribemont-sur-Ancre (Somme, France) is of major scientific interest for the knowledge of the Celtic civilization in Europe. It also presents other peculiarities: two clearly identifiable periods of occupation-the first one as early as third century BC-to the second century AD and the second one from 1914-1918. In the area disrupted through military operations, the remains of several epochs are intermingled. In order to obtain a precise knowledge of the space time organisation of each occupation, a magnetic survey was carried out. The comparison of geophysical results with the aerial photographs shot during the war allows an exact determina…

Prospections autour de Bibracte. Paléoenvironnement du Mont-Beuvray

Rapport annuel d'activité 2006 BIBRACTE Centre archéologique européen Rapport annuel d'activité 2006 Société anonyme d'économie mixte nationale

History and Environmental Impact of Mining Activity in Celtic Aeduan Territory Recorded in a Peat Bog (Morvan, France)

The present study aims to document historical mining and smelting activities by means of geochemical and pollen analyses performed in a peat bog core collected around the Bibracte oppidum (Morvan, France), the largest settlement of the great Aeduan Celtic tribe (ca. 180 B.C. to 25 A.D.). The anthropogenic Pb profile indicates local mining operations starting from the Late Bronze Age, ca. cal. 1300 B.C. Lead inputs peaked at the height of Aeduan civilization and then decreased after the Roman conquest of Gaul, when the site was abandoned. Other phases of mining are recognized from the 11th century to modern times. They have all led to modifications in plant cover, probably related in part to…

Tiempos de crisis y cambios socioculturales en Chupicuaro al final del Preclásico: evidencias paleoambientales e indicadores arqueológicos en el valle de Acámbaro, Guanajuato, México

International audience; "Los trabajos realizados en el valle de Acámbaro evidenciaron para finales del Preclásico (hacia 100 a.C.), una serie de cambios que denota un tiempo de crisis y de transición. El estudio revela una reducción drástica del número de sitios del Preclásico Terminal (fase Mixtlán: 1-250 d.C.), así como una nueva configuración espacial. Las excavaciones avalan las observaciones de superficie y comprueban que, a partir de 100 a.C., los asentamientos sufren una desocupación: en dos sitios excavados observamos estratos de abandono y luego de reocupación, y en los demás constatamos un abandono definitivo. Esta evolución parece coincidir con una baja demográfica. Los acontecim…

Palaeoecological and geochemical evidences of early metallurgy in Burgundy (Morvan and Nivernais - France)

Morphometry of Middle Bronze Age palstaves. Part II - spatial distribution of shapes in two typological groups, implications for production and exportation.

10 pages; International audience; For archaeologists, metallic artifacts are key materials to assess Middle Bronze Age production areas and cultural exchanges. Here, a set of 629 bronze palstaves excavated in northern France, belonging to Breton and Norman typological groups, was treated by (open) outline-based morphometrics with orthogonal polynomial regression. Using robust statistics developed for outlier detection, these Norman and Breton palstave outlines can be divided into two groups: those for which the shape fluctuates close to the standard shape, called "congruent" axes, and those which are far enough from this standard to be considered as "non-congruent", although they possess mo…

Quantification of the ablation of an Alpine Marno-Calcareous catchment during the Little Ice Age by analysis of a lacustrine system (case of the Claps Lake in Luc-en-Diois Drome France)

International audience

Recherches extérieures soutenues par le Centre : l’occupation celtique dans la Grande Plaine hongroise : la campagne de fouille 1998 sur le site de Sajopetri-Hosszu-Dulo

International audience

Découverte d'un ex-voto particulier sur le site cultuel d'Essarois (Côte-d'Or) : un cas de polydactylie chez les Gallo-Romains ?

During geo-archaeological research on the slope where the source associated with the Essarois (Côte-d'Or) cult site is located, in the locality of La Cave, an anatomic votive offering of a human foot was discovered in the alluvial sedimentary deposits. Carved from local oolitic limestone, it is rather crude in appearance but it is possible to make out that it has the unusual number of six toes. Although it may have been a blunder or the result of negligence by the sculptor, the phenomenon may equally have been a deliberate representation of a case of polydactyly, a malformation that was known in Antiquity.

Roman Rhine settlement dynamics evidenced by coin distribution in a fluvial environment (Oedenburg, Upper Rhine, France).

International audience; On the basis of archaeological and alluvial records, this paper presents the first spatial analysis of artefacts in relation to the evolution of the Rhine River, at the Gallo-Roman site of Oedenburg, during the first four centuries AD. The dataset consisted of several thousand Roman artefacts found by pedestrian prospecting over the last twenty years, over half of which were coins. This dataset was used together with high-resolution topography and geomagnetic mapping, to reconstruct settlement evolution, both on the terrace and in the floodplain. A comprehensive monetary chart has been compiled for the Oedenburg site, which highlights four major phases of settlement.…

Soil erosion rates in Burgundian vineyards.

Burgundian vineyards are affected by erosion phenomena that induce sediment transfer along hillslopes. The vineyard under study has occupied the western Bressan rift border for 1000 years, benefiting from marly limestone bedrock and its silt-sand covering. The combined effects of rainstorms and monoculture on slopes reaching 25°, induce a high level of erosion in the arable soil layer. Quantification of erosion rates on a pluri-decennial scale, using vine roots'as a palaeo-surface marker, has been performed on three parcels on three sites along the Côtes-de-Nuits and Côtes-de-Beaune. Assessed erosion rates of around 1 mm.yr-1 characterise current erosive dynamics involving a critical situat…

Un événement hydrodynamique de haute énergie de type tsunami sur le lac de Neuchâtel pour expliquer le gisement du Pont de Cornaux (et celui de la Tène ?).

International audience

Land use change, soil erosion and alluvial dynamic in the lower Doubs Valley over the 1st millenium AD (Neublans, Jura, France)

International audience; Geochemical and particle size analyses, surface scanning magnetic susceptibility, microscopic charcoal counting and pollen analysis, have been carried out on two cores from the lower Doubs valley in order to reconstruct the land use history. The interpretation of anthropogenic pollen indicators and micro-charcoal deposits is discussed in relation to the lithological variation of sedimentary accumulation and evolution of the settlement. The environmental changes which occurred during the 1st and the 6th century AD reflect the impact of human activities on the landscape in the immediate surroundings of the site. Multiproxy indicators indicate that soil erosion as a con…

Relations entre sociétés et environnement en Petite Seine du Mésolithique à la fin du Moyen Âge : nouvelles problématiques et résultats récents d’archéologie environnementale

Actes du colloque Arkéaube; International audience; This jointly authored paper encompasses several contributions which highlight new issues in environmental archaeology and incorporate palaeo-environmental data from preventiveexcavations. More specifically, it broaches three questions:-The evolution of the environment from the Late Glacial to the present day is analysed using faunal remains (malacofaunae—molluscs, etc.) and botanicalremains (pine trunks) preserved in the alluvial deposits of the river Seine;-Riverside occupations based on reconstructions of the hydrography and hydrographic functioning of the channels documented in the Pont-sur-Seine sector and in Bassée;-The marshes assume…

Caractérisations pétrographique et granulométrique d’imitations de sigillées d’Argonne dans le Diocèse des gaules

International audience

Evolution de la végétation du massif du Morvan : résultats des premières analyses polliniques et mise en évidence de l'impact des activités paléométallurgiques

Intérêts de l’analyse pétrographique des calages de trous de poteaux : l’exemple du site de Molesme « Sur-les-Creux »

International audience

L'oppidum de Bibracte (Mont Beuvray, France). Bilan de 10 années de recherches (1996-2005)

International audience

Evolution de l’environnement et de l’exploitation minière en Morvan. Palynologie, géochimie et prospections (intervention 557, chantier 303).

Contribution to the Holocene North Atlantic wind activity reconstruction from Lake Igaliku, South Greenland

International audience

Approche géoarchéologique sur la nécropole monumentale d'Escolives-Sainte-Camille (Yonne) : un site en bordure de chenal de l'Yonne à l'époque néolithique

International audience; L'émergence du Néolithique moyen I Cerny s'accompagne dans le sud-est du Bassin parisien de l'apparition de nécropoles monumentales implantées dans les fonds de vallée fluviales. L'insertion de ces lieux funéraires dans le paysage révèle une volonté ostentatoire marquée et traduit peut-être une forme d'affirmation du groupe sur son territoire. Dans ce cadre, la fouille engagée sur la nécropole d'Escolives-Sainte-Camille "La Pièce de l'Étang" a fait l'objet de travaux spécifiques visant à caractériser l'environnement du site. ll s'agissait de restituer l'insertion de ce site bordé de deux paléochenaux dans le milieu hydrographique et d'éclairer la compréhension des co…

Le programme « Identification et impact des sites miniers abandonnés sur les écosystèmes aquatiques et terrestres actuels ». Bilan au sein du Parc naturel régional du Morvan

National audience

Ancient mining near the Bibracte oppidum and its nowadays impact on ecosystems: A multidisciplinary approach

International audience

Geoarchaeology or the contribution of geosciences for studying past human societies

International audience

Gestion des ressources naturelles dans le Pays de Tulle : impacts paysagers et histoire du châtaignier (Castanea sativa Mill.) de l'Antiquité à la Renaissance d'après la palynologie

Este artículo presenta los resultados paleoambientales de los primeros análisis palinolójicos y sedimentológicos llevados a cabo en el area de Tulle (Mars, Gimel-les-Cascades, Corrèze, Francia). Se basan en la comparación de distintos indicadores bióticos (polen, microfósiles no polínicos) y sedimentarios y en la realización de 9 dataciones radiocarbónicas. Esta investigación establece datos inéditos sobre las dinámicas paisajísticas desde la Antigüedad y sus factores de control tanto climáticos como antrópicos. También analiza de que manera estos cambios paisajísticos pueden significar el desarrollo de sistemas de uso diversificados de los recursos vegetales como el cultivo del castaño (Ca…

Paysage géomorphologique du site de Vix et évolution de la vallée de la Seine

Mapping soil and substratum at a very high spatial resolution in the hillslope of Couchey (France)

International audience; In this work, we present a method based on very high spatial resolution (VHSR) aerial images acquired in the visible domain and that map soil surface diversity at the hillslope scale with a spatial resolution of a few centimeters. This method combines aerial VHSR image classification with local soil sampling. Principal component analysis (PCA) and non-supervised classification was performed on image characteristics to define soil surface characteristic classes (SSC). Then soil surface mapping was combined with soil surface descriptions and soil profiles to define soil types by physical and chemical characteristics. As soil results from parent material alteration, ide…

Oedenburg. Une agglomération d’époque romaine sur le Rhin supérieur : fouilles françaises, allemandes et suisses à Biesheim-Kunheim (Haut-Rhin)

Die römische Fundstelle Oedenburg (Biesheim-Kunheim, Haut-Rhin, France) wird seit 1998 von einem international Team ausgegraben (Ecole pratique des hautes études, Paris, Universität Freiburg im Breisgau, Deutschland, Universität Basel, Schweiz). Gegenüber dem keltischen Oppidum von Breisach, nahe am heutigen Rhein gelegen, war die Siedlung in einer deutlich anderen Landschaft angelegt worden, die damals von verschiedenen Flussarmen durchzogen war. Nach dem bisherigen Stand der Erforschung scheint der Ort zu Beginn der tiberischen Zeit von einem Militärlager besetzt gewesen zu sein, das zum Kommandobereich von Vindonissa im Nordteil des Territoriums der Rauriker gehörte. Zur gleichen Zeit en…

Impact alluvial du Rhin sur l’occupation du site gallo-romain d’Oedenburg d’après la répartition spatiale des monnaies.

International audience

Rythmes et mobilité d'occupation du massif du Morvan du second âge du Fer au haut Moyen Âge. Spatialisation et croisement des données archéologiques et paléoenvironnementales

Magnetic survey on Chupicuaro archaeological sites (late pre-classic period, Middle Lerma Valley, Guanajuato, Mexico)

Une fortification inédite de la résidence princière de Vix

Within the framework of a palaeoenvironmental study of the princely site of Vix, a trench was excavated at the foot of the eastern slope of the mont Lassois. This trench allowed to unearth a new fortification of the Hallstattian defensive system. The geophysical surveys showed that a segment of the eastern slope is lined with this new fortification. The second significant discovery was the presence of a new settlement in this area of the hill. Some data point out a possi-ble craft production area dated in the Hallstatt D2/D3. This data set noticeably modifies our view of the spatial organi-sation of the princely site of Vix

Vers l'Amérique : l'implantation médiévale scandinave de la côte sud-ouest du Groenland

During the Viking Age (ca AD 800-1100) Scandinavian explorers settled the islands of the western North Atlantic, making the northernmost agricultural area of the medieval period. Expansion to south-west coast of Greenland at the end of the tenth century brought Norse settlers closer to the limits of their European-style agricultural systems. In response to the harsh low arctic climate, the Greenland Norse have adapted their farming strategies and changed their subsistence pattern, giving a more important place to hunting and fishing. This evolution had probably been accelerated by climatic changes of the Little Ice Age. A good knowledge of the Greenland Norse economy by means of historical …

Du plomb chez les Gaulois du Morvan

Étude paléoenvironnentale des tourbières autour du Mont Beuvray. Premiers résultats

International audience

Le rempart et les structures de la levée 1

Le Clos de Vougeot (Côte-d’Or) : nouvelles observations sur les matériaux de construction et la chronologie du bâti médiéval

Mithilfe sehr unterschiedlicherMethoden hat es sich diese Arbeit vor allem zur Aufgabe gemacht, bestimmte Phasen der Baugeschichte des Clos de Vougeot zu verstehen, um die Organisation und die Entwicklungen eines Zisterzienserhofsin Hinsicht auf diesozialen und historischen Wandlungen besser zu verstehen. Diese Studie bot ebenfalls Gelegenheit, die geologischen Eigenschaften der im Clos de Vougeot eingebrachten Baumaterialien genauestens zu untersuchen und neue Erkenntnisse zum Bau dieser Gebäude zu gewinnen und zu präzisieren.