6533b839fe1ef96bd12a60e2

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Climatic and anthropogenic influences on three burgundian watercourses : geoarchaelogy of crossing sites on Loire, Saône and Doubs during the Holocene

subject

description

A geoarchaeological study was led on four sections of the valleys of the Loire, Saône and Doubs rivers (Burgundy, France) in order to point out the factors influencing the alluvial dynamics on a multimillennial scale, and their effects on the preservation of archaeological information. Investigations started by roman and medieval remains of bridges discovered in active channels, were then carried out on larger parts of alluvial plains, and altogether allowed the evolutions of the channels during the Holocene period to be deducted. Various types of information on alluvial characteristics were crossed through time and space: ancient maps and XXth century or aerial photographs for centennial scale, archaeological data, geomorphological analysis, but mostly alluvial deposits for older periods. Facies analyses on fluvial sediments led to the identification and the reconstitution of successive sedimentary environments through time. The main steps of the evolution of the three rivers, after being identified and dated, were compared to previous studies in order to estimate the respective roles of climatic changes and anthropic influence on alluvial dynamics, on this regional scale, during the Holocene. Preservation of archaeological information in fluvial deposits is therefore discussed here, to reach a better understanding of taphonomic issues in such environmennts, which are potentially rich in archaeological remains.