The final piece of the puzzle, according to archaeologists excavating at a sizable Neolithic site in northeast France, has been found: indications of a permanent settlement.
150 years after the first flints were uncovered, a settlement was discovered at the massive Neolithic site of Marais de Saint-Gond, providing unique insights into its social organization.
“This is the last piece of the jigsaw we were missing,” said Remi Martineau, a researcher at France’s national centre for scientific research (CNRS), who located the village with his team this summer.
In Marais de Saint-Gond, in northern France, 135 hypogeum — built underground chambers — and 15 sizable flint mines have previously been located on 450 hectares.
Since flints were initially unearthed a century and a half ago, five megalithic covered lanes, ten axe polishers, and fields nurtured by controlled burns have also been discovered.
This new discovery makes it possible to pass a milestone in the understanding of “the economic, societal and territorial organisation of the Neolithic”, Martineau said, adding that there is “no equivalent” in all of Europe.
Around 136 kilometers (84 miles) from Paris, in the commune of Val-des-Marais, a ditch for the construction of a palisade was found.
According to archaeological assessments, the ancient enclosure encircled a hill and included an estimated one hectare (2.5 acres) of land.
A building known as an apse was demolished along with wells and a sizable trash pit with a circumference of around 20 meters.
“The site was completely structured,” said Martineau.
“The foundations of our society are already there.”
The CNRS-led research initiative that was initiated 20 years ago is what led to these subsequent discoveries.
A total of 50 persons, including academics from France and abroad and 20 “excavators,” mostly archaeology students, participated in the most recent campaign, which brought together CNRS, the joint laboratory Artehis, the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comte, and the cultural ministry.
They have also unearthed a tiny oval object made of mother-of-pearl — a true “museum piece”, according to Martineau.
It is pierced with two holes in the centre and is a likely ancestor of the button, which dates to 3,400 to 3,300 years ago.
Given its well-preserved state, researchers hope that the rest of the site will be equally well-preserved if more excavations are conducted in the future.
