Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through b... more Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through broken lowfired clay artefacts known as "briquetage". The vessels used in stoves are called salt moulds or salt containers. They serve both as crystallizer and mould for the salt obtained from concentrated brine. For the origin of salt production, archaeological evidences in Europe indicate that salt exploitation was intensified from the 5th millennium BC by using salt moulds in ceramic material. In this paper, we will present two studies conducted on "chaîne opératoire" of salt moulds making from two production sites, one in NorthEastern Bulgaria (Solnitstata, Provadia, c. 4700-4450 BCE), the other in West-Central France causewayed enclosures (c. 3400-2900 BCE). In both cases, the contexts in which these salt exploitations arose testify to an increase in social tensions. By focusing on the technical choices adopted in the manufacture and the use of these particular pots, we will see that for a same function several technical solutions are possible. However, we will attempt to define a general framework of technical choices and patterns observed in these pots which are often fragmented and rarely identified as salt moulds on archaeological sites except on production sites. This pottery is also excellent evidence for the development of specialised salt extraction throughout Europe since the late prehistoric period.
Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through b... more Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through broken lowfired clay artefacts known as "briquetage". The vessels used in stoves are called salt moulds or salt containers. They serve both as crystallizer and mould for the salt obtained from concentrated brine. For the origin of salt production, archaeological evidences in Europe indicate that salt exploitation was intensified from the 5th millennium BC by using salt moulds in ceramic material. In this paper, we will present two studies conducted on "chaîne opératoire" of salt moulds making from two production sites, one in NorthEastern Bulgaria (Solnitstata, Provadia, c. 4700-4450 BCE), the other in West-Central France causewayed enclosures (c. 3400-2900 BCE). In both cases, the contexts in which these salt exploitations arose testify to an increase in social tensions. By focusing on the technical choices adopted in the manufacture and the use of these particular pots, we will see that for a same function several technical solutions are possible. However, we will attempt to define a general framework of technical choices and patterns observed in these pots which are often fragmented and rarely identified as salt moulds on archaeological sites except on production sites. This pottery is also excellent evidence for the development of specialised salt extraction throughout Europe since the late prehistoric period.
Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analys... more Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analyses, GIS techniques and basic geostatistics to evaluate in detail the agro-ecological determinants of the first Neolithic diffusion in continental temperate Europe (the Linearbandkeramik or LBK), as well as its underlying settlement dynamics around half a millennium (5550-4925 BCE). More than 6600 LBK site locations, spread from Moldavia to Normandy, are initially assessed for their informative coherence and ability to offer a unified perspective on the evidence established at more local and regional levels. Most of these data can be used to define the broad geo-pedological options involved in the location of sites across Europe; loess substrate was far from being an exclusive settlement choice and a variety of soils, typically of medium moisture, were exploited. LBK farmers thus had a great capacity to adapt to the different geographical contexts they encountered. With regard to settlement dynamics in Central and Western Europe, the data reveal a systemic interplay between creation, stability and abandonment of sites, supporting the diffusion of the LBK subsistence system. The progressive decline in the number of new sites was compensated by an increase in their stability until the last stage of the expansion process. At this point, abandonments became widespread without significant renewal, except in the westernmost regions. The easternmost parts of Europe could not be integrated in the large-scale temporal modelling, since the chronological data available in the database are insufficiently precise. Shedding new light on the systemic variability of the geo-environmental options followed by these early farmers and highlighting some modalities and spatial-temporal limits of the resilience of their agro-sylvo-pastoral system, our overall analysis confirms and somewhat clarifies current interpretations of the LBK phenomenon.
This paper deals with the origin of salt production and discusses different approaches ranging fr... more This paper deals with the origin of salt production and discusses different approaches ranging from technology, ethnoarchaeology and paleoenvironmental studies to chemical analyses. Starting from the current research on the Neolithic exploitation of salt in Europe, we examine the types and nature of the salt resources (sea water, salt springs, soil or rock), the diversity of archaeological evidence of forms of salt working. We also scrutinize the types of production for these early forms of salt exploitation, with or without the use of crudely fired clay vessels (briquetage). Finally, we contextualise the socio-economic dimensions and highlight both the diversity of salt products and their characteristics, which go well beyond dietary roles.
GAUTHIER E., WELLER O., PÉTREQUIN P., GABILLOT M. et BRIGAND R., 2022.- Dynamiques de circulation... more GAUTHIER E., WELLER O., PÉTREQUIN P., GABILLOT M. et BRIGAND R., 2022.- Dynamiques de circulation et de consommation de produits bruts et manufacturés : recherches méthodologiques appliquées à l'exploitation et à la diffusion de produits en Europe occidentale et centrale durant la Pré-Protohistoire, in : E. Gauthier, M. Georges-Leroy, N. Poirier et O. Weller (éd.), Archaedyn. Dynamique spatiale des territoires de la Préhistoire au Moyen Age. Les Cahiers de la MSHE Ledoux, Besançon, Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté : tome 1, 97-263.
The pre-colonial history (i.e. before the 16th century) of Tonga and West Polynesia still suffers... more The pre-colonial history (i.e. before the 16th century) of Tonga and West Polynesia still suffers from major gaps despite significant scientific advances in recent years, particularly in the field of archaeology. By the 14th century, the powerful Tu’i Tonga kingdom united the islands of the Tongan archipelago under a centralised authority and, according to tradition, extended its influence to neighbouring island groups in the Central Pacific. However, some periods of deep crisis were identified, e.g. in the mid- 15th century, marked by an abrupt cessation of inter-archipelago migration on the deep seas in the Pacific, significant cultural changes, and a decrease in accessible natural resources. The origins of these disturbances are still debated, and they are usually assigned to internal political problems or loss of external influence vis-à-vis neighboring chiefdoms. However, the hypothesis of a major natural disaster was rarely suggested up to now, while field evidence points to the occurrence of a very large tsunami in the past, including the presence of numerous megablocks that were deposited by a “red wave” (or peau kula, which also mean tsunami in the Tongan language) according to a local myth. Drawing on a body of new evidence from sedimentary signatures and radiocarbon dating of charcoal and marine bioclasts, geomorphology, and sedimentology, in support of previously published archaeological data, we argue that a large tsunami inundated large areas of Tongatapu island in the mid-15th century with runup heights up to 30 m, and that the Tu’i Tonga kingdom was severely impacted by this event. We also discuss the likely sources of this tsunami.
Since the Early Neolithic, salt has played an important role in the social and economic developme... more Since the Early Neolithic, salt has played an important role in the social and economic development of populations. Consequently, the study and comprehension of salt management strategies have become a significant component of current archaeological research. This study is part of an interdisciplinary research program consisting of excavations and detailed analyses on two Early Neolithic salt working sites situated in the sub-Carpathian region of Romania, Lunca and Tolici (county Neamt¸ ). These remarkably well-preserved sites are characterised by stratified deposits several meters thick. Detailed stratigraphic descriptions were followed by optical microscopy analysis (soil micromorphology) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with geochemical analysis (EDS). The aim of these analyses was to identify specific sedimentary, petrographic and chemical characteristics that could be linked to salt working process. The results enable us to describe the main site formation process over time and to detect chemical components of edible salt (Na and Cl) in Early Neolithic ashes. These new data consolidate previous interpretations of the operating procedures implemented from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Two techniques appear to have been preferentially adopted: pouring natural brine onto combustion structures during the Early Neolithic and evaporation in specific ceramic containers from the Chalcolithic onwards.
The salt spring exploitation from Hălăbutoaia-Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Ea... more The salt spring exploitation from Hălăbutoaia-Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000-3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved in several archaeological levels of Hălăbutoaia site. The most identified morphotypes come from grass family. Analysis revealed an important representation of inflorescence bracts phytoliths (especially ELONGATE DENDRITIC) showing the anthropogenic origin of the assemblages. BILOBATE are also well represented. These forms attest the presence of wild panicoid grasses (e.g. wild millet) and/or cultivated millets in the area. In some very punctual assemblages, forms produced by dicots are well represented. Considering the low phytoliths production by dicots plants, it involves a special accumulation of these types of plants that could be related to woody plants used as fuel for salt production. It is very possible that grasses had a very important role in pyrotechnology used to produce salt, either as the main fuel or as a mean for controlling the temperature or even as a firelighter.
A B S T R A C T Romanian Moldavia is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneoli... more A B S T R A C T Romanian Moldavia is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneolithic (6000–3500 BCE) settlement dynamics and salt exploitation. The underlying hypothesis is that exploitation of salt, along with that of copper and gold, contributed to the emergence of developed Eneolithic societies from the beginning of the 5th millennium BC. By approaching this process through its geographical dimension, from the beginning of the 6th millennium BC, one can measure the simultaneity of certain facts, be they social (the affirmation of elites), territorial (the appearance of controlling sites), or technical (first copper metallurgy, intensification of salt exploitation). The sub-Carpathian region of eastern Romania is particularly interesting, as the density of salt springs is much higher than elsewhere, salt exploitation dating to the Early Neolithic (Criș) and the region subsequently develops into an Eneolithic cultural centre (Precucuteni and Cucuteni) of unequalled wealth and importance. After a decade of research on the nature and use of the salt resources, together with the creation of an archaeological database covering the period from 6000 BCE to 3500 BCE, we can now undertake a preliminary assessment of the territorial strategies implemented by these societies in the eastern Carpathian region. Archaeological approaches are enhanced by use of powerful tools such as GIS and the application of spatial analysis methods thus enabling us to model settlement patterns and dynamics. Following on from these analyses, several results emerge. A coherent settlement model is observed for the Early Neolithic: the sites, which are often grouped together and currently inter-visible, are located in valley zones and on modest terraces close to minor water courses. With the appearance of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture, this situation evolves: now much more dispersed, the settlements are established in more open landscape. In the first half of the 5th millennium, we witness a radical change in preferred topographical contexts: high-and mid-altitude terraces are favoured, a trend which is reflected in the establishment of settlements on open promontories which provide particularly commanding views over the wider area. Following a marked diversification in the forms of land use in the second half of the 5th millennium, the beginning of the 4th millennium is characterised by a densification of population centres and a strengthening of territorial control. Analyses of the accessibility of salt springs allow these observations to be further developed. Firstly, we note a significant increase in sites located close to salt springs in the period spanning the second half of the 5th millennium and the first half of the 4th millennium. It is precisely during these two phases that the exploitation of salt appears to increase. Secondly, the numbers of important fortified sites and prestige goods (copper axes) occurring close to salt springs illustrates the polarising role of salt resources.
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Neo-Eneolithic s... more The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Neo-Eneolithic settlement pattern and salt exploitation in Romanian Moldavia” (R. Brigand, O. Weller, 2018, JAS Report) . Kernel density estimation (KDE) is used in order to move beyond the discrete distribution of sites and to enable us to work on a continuous surface that reflects the intensity of the occupation in the space. Maps of density per period – Neolithic I (Cris), Neolithic II (LBK), Eneolithic I (Precucuteni), Eneolithic II (Cucuteni A), Eneolithic III-IV (Cucuteni A-B and B) – are used to create maps of density difference (Fig. 1-4) in order to analyse the dynamic (either non-existent, negative or positive) between two chronological sequences.
Historical Archaeologies of Transhumance across Europe, 2018
BRIGAND R., WELLER O., TENCARIU F., ALEXIANU M. & ASANDULESEI A. 2018. Ovine pastoralism and mobi... more BRIGAND R., WELLER O., TENCARIU F., ALEXIANU M. & ASANDULESEI A. 2018. Ovine pastoralism and mobility systems in Romania: an ethnoarchaeology approach. In : E. Costello & E. Svensson (eds.), Historical Archaeologies of Transhumance across Europe, EAA Monograph Series, Themes in Contemporary Archaeology, 6, London : Routledge, p. 245-263.
L’archéologie du XXe siècle ne saurait se réduire à celle des guerres, de l’internement, bref des... more L’archéologie du XXe siècle ne saurait se réduire à celle des guerres, de l’internement, bref des traumatismes. Dans la continuité de l’archéologie des déchets, un récent projet propose d’explorer une nouvelle voie, celle du cinéma et des restes matériels que laisse la construction d’une fiction derrière elle. Avant de présenter notre propre projet, un court bilan sur les relations entre archéologie et aménagements ou ruines cinématographiques, en passant par la destruction, l’enfouissement ou la patrimonialisation de certains décors s’impose et permet de resituer notre recherche et d’en illustrer les enjeux. Loin des grandes productions hollywoodiennes ou du cinéma de studio, nous nous sommes penché sur un conte de fées millénaire mis en image par Jacques Demy en 1970, Peau d’âne, un film qu’il a souhaité ancrer dans la réalité de son époque. Plus précisément, ce projet d’archéologie contemporaine s’articule autour de la fouille fine d’une cabane en forêt où la princesse, revêtue de sa peau d’âne, se réfugie pour échapper au désir incestueux de son père. Outre documenter des espaces et des vestiges spécialisés, visibles ou non à l’écran, côtoyant ceux de la vie quotidienne d’une équipe de cinéma, cette archéologie du merveilleux permet de confronter réalité matérielle, images de fiction et mémoire individuelle ou collective et ouvre ainsi la réflexion sur la construction mémorielle et patrimoniale. Elle le fait d’autant mieux que le sujet de ce conte de fées, le désir incestueux et son franchissement, est inhérent à la construction de l’individu depuis fort longtemps. C’est également une formidable occasion pour la discipline de renforcer son référentiel sur des matériaux et des objets techniques encore inconnus en fouille, mais surtout pour tester nos méthodes et nos raisonnements sur l’occupation d’un site très éphémère mais densément utilisé, un site d’habitat temporaire qui continue de faire rêver petits et grands.
Mots clés : archéologie contemporaine, cinéma, Jacques Demy, conte de fée, mémoire, inceste
This article presents the use of salt water springs in the Moldavian sub-Carpathians (eastern Rom... more This article presents the use of salt water springs in the Moldavian sub-Carpathians (eastern Romania) for treating certain diseases. The authors take into consideration archaeological discoveries and ethnographical surveys, correlated with known facts from the literature in the field. A special focus is on the presence of archaeological sites next to salt water springs, where specific objects were noted that are used in the extraction, storage, manipulation and use of salt waters. Nevertheless, what distinguishes the Romanian region under discussion from similar regions of Europe is the intense, unexpected continuity in the use of a traditional, non-industrial water supply from salt water springs. Among the uses of salt water and halite in the area, we will mention numerous traditional halotherapeutic practices. The concordances shown between ancient and current traditional halotherapeutic practices in eastern Romania infer the existence of a strong halotherapeutic element in prehistory. This aspect is generally neglected by archaeologists who deal with the evolution of human communities in an area rich in salt. The ancient and current halotherapeutic practices in eastern Romania are proof of an authentic ethnoscience acquired by human communities with salt outcrops and salt water springs. The analysis of these practices demonstrates their scientific validity from the current biochemical and biophysical standpoint. The scientific explanation of the various effects of salt upon the human body is, in fact, given by the influence of NaCl aerosols and nanodispersions. Parts of these practices are being adopted by a series of recent halotherapeutic procedures, with reliable scientific and technological bases.
Observations on an unusual context We would like to discuss a hypothesis concerning the function ... more Observations on an unusual context We would like to discuss a hypothesis concerning the function of an unusual type of pottery found in the Neolithic of western France: a flat-based circular dish with a near-vertical wall. This pottery type is unknown in the settlements and passage tombs in the region (4200-3500 BC), and is only known from four individual graves under mounds, dating to the preceding period (4600-4200 BC), and also from two contemporary, and regionally-specific 'ce-remonial' contexts, associated with standing stones. This cultural context is marked by the development of the Castellic culture. The most famous of these tombs is the Tumulus Saint-Michel at Carnac (Fig. 1), one of the three largest and richest monuments around the northern edge of the Gulf of Morbihan (the others being Mané er Hroëck and Tumiac) which are famous for their polished axe heads of Alpine stone, and for beads and pendants of Iberian variscite. The Tumulus Saint-Michel is also the youngest of these three monuments, being dated fairly precisely to the middle of the 5 th millennium BC (Cassen et al. 2012). A typochronological comparison of the various vessels in question has revealed that there are points of similarity with some other flat-based vessels in ABSTRACT-A rare type of pottery, found in four single graves under earthen mounds in the Carnac region of Brittany, consists of a circular, flat-based vessel with a near-vertical wall. On the basis of the equipment known from elsewhere in the world, it is possible that the morphology of these dishes is related to processes involved in the production of salt. To help us in exploring their function, we chose to compare these vessels with another enigmatic class of pottery from the Cyclades-the so-called 'frying pans'-which seems to have functioned in a similar way, as an object-sign, and has been found in a maritime milieu and in high-status contexts. IZVLE∞EK-V zemljeni gomili v regiji Carnac v Bretaniji smo v ∏tirih posameznih grobovih odkrili nov tip posode, za katero je zna≠ilna kro∫na oblika z ravnim dnom in skoraj navpi≠no steno. Na podlagi predmetov, ki jih poznamo drugje po svetu, sklepamo, da je oblika teh skled povezana s pri-dobivanjem soli. O njihovi uporabi sklepamo s pomo≠jo primerjav s t.i. 'ponvami' s Kikladskega oto≠-ja, za katere se zdi, da so jih uporabljali v podobne namene, tudi kot predmet-znak in se pojavljajo v obmorskih okoljih ter v kontekstih, povezanih z vi∏jim dru∫benim slojem.
Gandini, C. – Favory, F. –Nuninger, L., dir., Settlement Patterns, Production and Trades from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. ArchaeDyn. BAR-IS 2370. Oxford 2012, 65-76
The Workgroup 3 of the ArchaeDyn programme, gathering 18 researchers, investigates the spatial dy... more The Workgroup 3 of the ArchaeDyn programme, gathering 18 researchers, investigates the spatial dynamics of trade and of consumption of products during the different stages of their life cycles. Its main focus is on the spatial analysis of interconnections between quarries, workshops, areas where items were consumed or hoarded, and the ways in which they circulated or were transferred. As the principle of ArchaeDyn was to work with already built up datasets brought into the program by the participating researchers, the team was confronted by the very high heterogeneousness of these already existing databases. This article therefore presents several investigations to reduce the problems linked to the considerable differences in time and space scales, in methods of collecting and recording information and in reliability of the data distributions. In a second step, we have decided to orient our researches to the identification and the study of the places at the end of the trajectories taken by objects: consumption areas. The proposed methods are then presented through a case study about modelling the main potential areas of metal consumption during the Bronze Age in Northern France.
WELLER O., GOULETQUER P., SEBILLAUD P. and LIN Y. 2018. 盐业技术: 从中国长江流域到世界背景 (Techniques of salt ma... more WELLER O., GOULETQUER P., SEBILLAUD P. and LIN Y. 2018. 盐业技术: 从中国长江流域到世界背景 (Techniques of salt making: from China (Yangtze River) to their world context), Nanfang Wenwu, 2018 (1), p. 217-224.
Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through b... more Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through broken lowfired clay artefacts known as "briquetage". The vessels used in stoves are called salt moulds or salt containers. They serve both as crystallizer and mould for the salt obtained from concentrated brine. For the origin of salt production, archaeological evidences in Europe indicate that salt exploitation was intensified from the 5th millennium BC by using salt moulds in ceramic material. In this paper, we will present two studies conducted on "chaîne opératoire" of salt moulds making from two production sites, one in NorthEastern Bulgaria (Solnitstata, Provadia, c. 4700-4450 BCE), the other in West-Central France causewayed enclosures (c. 3400-2900 BCE). In both cases, the contexts in which these salt exploitations arose testify to an increase in social tensions. By focusing on the technical choices adopted in the manufacture and the use of these particular pots, we will see that for a same function several technical solutions are possible. However, we will attempt to define a general framework of technical choices and patterns observed in these pots which are often fragmented and rarely identified as salt moulds on archaeological sites except on production sites. This pottery is also excellent evidence for the development of specialised salt extraction throughout Europe since the late prehistoric period.
Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through b... more Numerous studies have been made on salt production in the European Iron Age, especially through broken lowfired clay artefacts known as "briquetage". The vessels used in stoves are called salt moulds or salt containers. They serve both as crystallizer and mould for the salt obtained from concentrated brine. For the origin of salt production, archaeological evidences in Europe indicate that salt exploitation was intensified from the 5th millennium BC by using salt moulds in ceramic material. In this paper, we will present two studies conducted on "chaîne opératoire" of salt moulds making from two production sites, one in NorthEastern Bulgaria (Solnitstata, Provadia, c. 4700-4450 BCE), the other in West-Central France causewayed enclosures (c. 3400-2900 BCE). In both cases, the contexts in which these salt exploitations arose testify to an increase in social tensions. By focusing on the technical choices adopted in the manufacture and the use of these particular pots, we will see that for a same function several technical solutions are possible. However, we will attempt to define a general framework of technical choices and patterns observed in these pots which are often fragmented and rarely identified as salt moulds on archaeological sites except on production sites. This pottery is also excellent evidence for the development of specialised salt extraction throughout Europe since the late prehistoric period.
Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analys... more Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analyses, GIS techniques and basic geostatistics to evaluate in detail the agro-ecological determinants of the first Neolithic diffusion in continental temperate Europe (the Linearbandkeramik or LBK), as well as its underlying settlement dynamics around half a millennium (5550-4925 BCE). More than 6600 LBK site locations, spread from Moldavia to Normandy, are initially assessed for their informative coherence and ability to offer a unified perspective on the evidence established at more local and regional levels. Most of these data can be used to define the broad geo-pedological options involved in the location of sites across Europe; loess substrate was far from being an exclusive settlement choice and a variety of soils, typically of medium moisture, were exploited. LBK farmers thus had a great capacity to adapt to the different geographical contexts they encountered. With regard to settlement dynamics in Central and Western Europe, the data reveal a systemic interplay between creation, stability and abandonment of sites, supporting the diffusion of the LBK subsistence system. The progressive decline in the number of new sites was compensated by an increase in their stability until the last stage of the expansion process. At this point, abandonments became widespread without significant renewal, except in the westernmost regions. The easternmost parts of Europe could not be integrated in the large-scale temporal modelling, since the chronological data available in the database are insufficiently precise. Shedding new light on the systemic variability of the geo-environmental options followed by these early farmers and highlighting some modalities and spatial-temporal limits of the resilience of their agro-sylvo-pastoral system, our overall analysis confirms and somewhat clarifies current interpretations of the LBK phenomenon.
This paper deals with the origin of salt production and discusses different approaches ranging fr... more This paper deals with the origin of salt production and discusses different approaches ranging from technology, ethnoarchaeology and paleoenvironmental studies to chemical analyses. Starting from the current research on the Neolithic exploitation of salt in Europe, we examine the types and nature of the salt resources (sea water, salt springs, soil or rock), the diversity of archaeological evidence of forms of salt working. We also scrutinize the types of production for these early forms of salt exploitation, with or without the use of crudely fired clay vessels (briquetage). Finally, we contextualise the socio-economic dimensions and highlight both the diversity of salt products and their characteristics, which go well beyond dietary roles.
GAUTHIER E., WELLER O., PÉTREQUIN P., GABILLOT M. et BRIGAND R., 2022.- Dynamiques de circulation... more GAUTHIER E., WELLER O., PÉTREQUIN P., GABILLOT M. et BRIGAND R., 2022.- Dynamiques de circulation et de consommation de produits bruts et manufacturés : recherches méthodologiques appliquées à l'exploitation et à la diffusion de produits en Europe occidentale et centrale durant la Pré-Protohistoire, in : E. Gauthier, M. Georges-Leroy, N. Poirier et O. Weller (éd.), Archaedyn. Dynamique spatiale des territoires de la Préhistoire au Moyen Age. Les Cahiers de la MSHE Ledoux, Besançon, Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté : tome 1, 97-263.
The pre-colonial history (i.e. before the 16th century) of Tonga and West Polynesia still suffers... more The pre-colonial history (i.e. before the 16th century) of Tonga and West Polynesia still suffers from major gaps despite significant scientific advances in recent years, particularly in the field of archaeology. By the 14th century, the powerful Tu’i Tonga kingdom united the islands of the Tongan archipelago under a centralised authority and, according to tradition, extended its influence to neighbouring island groups in the Central Pacific. However, some periods of deep crisis were identified, e.g. in the mid- 15th century, marked by an abrupt cessation of inter-archipelago migration on the deep seas in the Pacific, significant cultural changes, and a decrease in accessible natural resources. The origins of these disturbances are still debated, and they are usually assigned to internal political problems or loss of external influence vis-à-vis neighboring chiefdoms. However, the hypothesis of a major natural disaster was rarely suggested up to now, while field evidence points to the occurrence of a very large tsunami in the past, including the presence of numerous megablocks that were deposited by a “red wave” (or peau kula, which also mean tsunami in the Tongan language) according to a local myth. Drawing on a body of new evidence from sedimentary signatures and radiocarbon dating of charcoal and marine bioclasts, geomorphology, and sedimentology, in support of previously published archaeological data, we argue that a large tsunami inundated large areas of Tongatapu island in the mid-15th century with runup heights up to 30 m, and that the Tu’i Tonga kingdom was severely impacted by this event. We also discuss the likely sources of this tsunami.
Since the Early Neolithic, salt has played an important role in the social and economic developme... more Since the Early Neolithic, salt has played an important role in the social and economic development of populations. Consequently, the study and comprehension of salt management strategies have become a significant component of current archaeological research. This study is part of an interdisciplinary research program consisting of excavations and detailed analyses on two Early Neolithic salt working sites situated in the sub-Carpathian region of Romania, Lunca and Tolici (county Neamt¸ ). These remarkably well-preserved sites are characterised by stratified deposits several meters thick. Detailed stratigraphic descriptions were followed by optical microscopy analysis (soil micromorphology) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with geochemical analysis (EDS). The aim of these analyses was to identify specific sedimentary, petrographic and chemical characteristics that could be linked to salt working process. The results enable us to describe the main site formation process over time and to detect chemical components of edible salt (Na and Cl) in Early Neolithic ashes. These new data consolidate previous interpretations of the operating procedures implemented from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Two techniques appear to have been preferentially adopted: pouring natural brine onto combustion structures during the Early Neolithic and evaporation in specific ceramic containers from the Chalcolithic onwards.
The salt spring exploitation from Hălăbutoaia-Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Ea... more The salt spring exploitation from Hălăbutoaia-Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000-3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved in several archaeological levels of Hălăbutoaia site. The most identified morphotypes come from grass family. Analysis revealed an important representation of inflorescence bracts phytoliths (especially ELONGATE DENDRITIC) showing the anthropogenic origin of the assemblages. BILOBATE are also well represented. These forms attest the presence of wild panicoid grasses (e.g. wild millet) and/or cultivated millets in the area. In some very punctual assemblages, forms produced by dicots are well represented. Considering the low phytoliths production by dicots plants, it involves a special accumulation of these types of plants that could be related to woody plants used as fuel for salt production. It is very possible that grasses had a very important role in pyrotechnology used to produce salt, either as the main fuel or as a mean for controlling the temperature or even as a firelighter.
A B S T R A C T Romanian Moldavia is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneoli... more A B S T R A C T Romanian Moldavia is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneolithic (6000–3500 BCE) settlement dynamics and salt exploitation. The underlying hypothesis is that exploitation of salt, along with that of copper and gold, contributed to the emergence of developed Eneolithic societies from the beginning of the 5th millennium BC. By approaching this process through its geographical dimension, from the beginning of the 6th millennium BC, one can measure the simultaneity of certain facts, be they social (the affirmation of elites), territorial (the appearance of controlling sites), or technical (first copper metallurgy, intensification of salt exploitation). The sub-Carpathian region of eastern Romania is particularly interesting, as the density of salt springs is much higher than elsewhere, salt exploitation dating to the Early Neolithic (Criș) and the region subsequently develops into an Eneolithic cultural centre (Precucuteni and Cucuteni) of unequalled wealth and importance. After a decade of research on the nature and use of the salt resources, together with the creation of an archaeological database covering the period from 6000 BCE to 3500 BCE, we can now undertake a preliminary assessment of the territorial strategies implemented by these societies in the eastern Carpathian region. Archaeological approaches are enhanced by use of powerful tools such as GIS and the application of spatial analysis methods thus enabling us to model settlement patterns and dynamics. Following on from these analyses, several results emerge. A coherent settlement model is observed for the Early Neolithic: the sites, which are often grouped together and currently inter-visible, are located in valley zones and on modest terraces close to minor water courses. With the appearance of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture, this situation evolves: now much more dispersed, the settlements are established in more open landscape. In the first half of the 5th millennium, we witness a radical change in preferred topographical contexts: high-and mid-altitude terraces are favoured, a trend which is reflected in the establishment of settlements on open promontories which provide particularly commanding views over the wider area. Following a marked diversification in the forms of land use in the second half of the 5th millennium, the beginning of the 4th millennium is characterised by a densification of population centres and a strengthening of territorial control. Analyses of the accessibility of salt springs allow these observations to be further developed. Firstly, we note a significant increase in sites located close to salt springs in the period spanning the second half of the 5th millennium and the first half of the 4th millennium. It is precisely during these two phases that the exploitation of salt appears to increase. Secondly, the numbers of important fortified sites and prestige goods (copper axes) occurring close to salt springs illustrates the polarising role of salt resources.
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Neo-Eneolithic s... more The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Neo-Eneolithic settlement pattern and salt exploitation in Romanian Moldavia” (R. Brigand, O. Weller, 2018, JAS Report) . Kernel density estimation (KDE) is used in order to move beyond the discrete distribution of sites and to enable us to work on a continuous surface that reflects the intensity of the occupation in the space. Maps of density per period – Neolithic I (Cris), Neolithic II (LBK), Eneolithic I (Precucuteni), Eneolithic II (Cucuteni A), Eneolithic III-IV (Cucuteni A-B and B) – are used to create maps of density difference (Fig. 1-4) in order to analyse the dynamic (either non-existent, negative or positive) between two chronological sequences.
Historical Archaeologies of Transhumance across Europe, 2018
BRIGAND R., WELLER O., TENCARIU F., ALEXIANU M. & ASANDULESEI A. 2018. Ovine pastoralism and mobi... more BRIGAND R., WELLER O., TENCARIU F., ALEXIANU M. & ASANDULESEI A. 2018. Ovine pastoralism and mobility systems in Romania: an ethnoarchaeology approach. In : E. Costello & E. Svensson (eds.), Historical Archaeologies of Transhumance across Europe, EAA Monograph Series, Themes in Contemporary Archaeology, 6, London : Routledge, p. 245-263.
L’archéologie du XXe siècle ne saurait se réduire à celle des guerres, de l’internement, bref des... more L’archéologie du XXe siècle ne saurait se réduire à celle des guerres, de l’internement, bref des traumatismes. Dans la continuité de l’archéologie des déchets, un récent projet propose d’explorer une nouvelle voie, celle du cinéma et des restes matériels que laisse la construction d’une fiction derrière elle. Avant de présenter notre propre projet, un court bilan sur les relations entre archéologie et aménagements ou ruines cinématographiques, en passant par la destruction, l’enfouissement ou la patrimonialisation de certains décors s’impose et permet de resituer notre recherche et d’en illustrer les enjeux. Loin des grandes productions hollywoodiennes ou du cinéma de studio, nous nous sommes penché sur un conte de fées millénaire mis en image par Jacques Demy en 1970, Peau d’âne, un film qu’il a souhaité ancrer dans la réalité de son époque. Plus précisément, ce projet d’archéologie contemporaine s’articule autour de la fouille fine d’une cabane en forêt où la princesse, revêtue de sa peau d’âne, se réfugie pour échapper au désir incestueux de son père. Outre documenter des espaces et des vestiges spécialisés, visibles ou non à l’écran, côtoyant ceux de la vie quotidienne d’une équipe de cinéma, cette archéologie du merveilleux permet de confronter réalité matérielle, images de fiction et mémoire individuelle ou collective et ouvre ainsi la réflexion sur la construction mémorielle et patrimoniale. Elle le fait d’autant mieux que le sujet de ce conte de fées, le désir incestueux et son franchissement, est inhérent à la construction de l’individu depuis fort longtemps. C’est également une formidable occasion pour la discipline de renforcer son référentiel sur des matériaux et des objets techniques encore inconnus en fouille, mais surtout pour tester nos méthodes et nos raisonnements sur l’occupation d’un site très éphémère mais densément utilisé, un site d’habitat temporaire qui continue de faire rêver petits et grands.
Mots clés : archéologie contemporaine, cinéma, Jacques Demy, conte de fée, mémoire, inceste
This article presents the use of salt water springs in the Moldavian sub-Carpathians (eastern Rom... more This article presents the use of salt water springs in the Moldavian sub-Carpathians (eastern Romania) for treating certain diseases. The authors take into consideration archaeological discoveries and ethnographical surveys, correlated with known facts from the literature in the field. A special focus is on the presence of archaeological sites next to salt water springs, where specific objects were noted that are used in the extraction, storage, manipulation and use of salt waters. Nevertheless, what distinguishes the Romanian region under discussion from similar regions of Europe is the intense, unexpected continuity in the use of a traditional, non-industrial water supply from salt water springs. Among the uses of salt water and halite in the area, we will mention numerous traditional halotherapeutic practices. The concordances shown between ancient and current traditional halotherapeutic practices in eastern Romania infer the existence of a strong halotherapeutic element in prehistory. This aspect is generally neglected by archaeologists who deal with the evolution of human communities in an area rich in salt. The ancient and current halotherapeutic practices in eastern Romania are proof of an authentic ethnoscience acquired by human communities with salt outcrops and salt water springs. The analysis of these practices demonstrates their scientific validity from the current biochemical and biophysical standpoint. The scientific explanation of the various effects of salt upon the human body is, in fact, given by the influence of NaCl aerosols and nanodispersions. Parts of these practices are being adopted by a series of recent halotherapeutic procedures, with reliable scientific and technological bases.
Observations on an unusual context We would like to discuss a hypothesis concerning the function ... more Observations on an unusual context We would like to discuss a hypothesis concerning the function of an unusual type of pottery found in the Neolithic of western France: a flat-based circular dish with a near-vertical wall. This pottery type is unknown in the settlements and passage tombs in the region (4200-3500 BC), and is only known from four individual graves under mounds, dating to the preceding period (4600-4200 BC), and also from two contemporary, and regionally-specific 'ce-remonial' contexts, associated with standing stones. This cultural context is marked by the development of the Castellic culture. The most famous of these tombs is the Tumulus Saint-Michel at Carnac (Fig. 1), one of the three largest and richest monuments around the northern edge of the Gulf of Morbihan (the others being Mané er Hroëck and Tumiac) which are famous for their polished axe heads of Alpine stone, and for beads and pendants of Iberian variscite. The Tumulus Saint-Michel is also the youngest of these three monuments, being dated fairly precisely to the middle of the 5 th millennium BC (Cassen et al. 2012). A typochronological comparison of the various vessels in question has revealed that there are points of similarity with some other flat-based vessels in ABSTRACT-A rare type of pottery, found in four single graves under earthen mounds in the Carnac region of Brittany, consists of a circular, flat-based vessel with a near-vertical wall. On the basis of the equipment known from elsewhere in the world, it is possible that the morphology of these dishes is related to processes involved in the production of salt. To help us in exploring their function, we chose to compare these vessels with another enigmatic class of pottery from the Cyclades-the so-called 'frying pans'-which seems to have functioned in a similar way, as an object-sign, and has been found in a maritime milieu and in high-status contexts. IZVLE∞EK-V zemljeni gomili v regiji Carnac v Bretaniji smo v ∏tirih posameznih grobovih odkrili nov tip posode, za katero je zna≠ilna kro∫na oblika z ravnim dnom in skoraj navpi≠no steno. Na podlagi predmetov, ki jih poznamo drugje po svetu, sklepamo, da je oblika teh skled povezana s pri-dobivanjem soli. O njihovi uporabi sklepamo s pomo≠jo primerjav s t.i. 'ponvami' s Kikladskega oto≠-ja, za katere se zdi, da so jih uporabljali v podobne namene, tudi kot predmet-znak in se pojavljajo v obmorskih okoljih ter v kontekstih, povezanih z vi∏jim dru∫benim slojem.
Gandini, C. – Favory, F. –Nuninger, L., dir., Settlement Patterns, Production and Trades from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. ArchaeDyn. BAR-IS 2370. Oxford 2012, 65-76
The Workgroup 3 of the ArchaeDyn programme, gathering 18 researchers, investigates the spatial dy... more The Workgroup 3 of the ArchaeDyn programme, gathering 18 researchers, investigates the spatial dynamics of trade and of consumption of products during the different stages of their life cycles. Its main focus is on the spatial analysis of interconnections between quarries, workshops, areas where items were consumed or hoarded, and the ways in which they circulated or were transferred. As the principle of ArchaeDyn was to work with already built up datasets brought into the program by the participating researchers, the team was confronted by the very high heterogeneousness of these already existing databases. This article therefore presents several investigations to reduce the problems linked to the considerable differences in time and space scales, in methods of collecting and recording information and in reliability of the data distributions. In a second step, we have decided to orient our researches to the identification and the study of the places at the end of the trajectories taken by objects: consumption areas. The proposed methods are then presented through a case study about modelling the main potential areas of metal consumption during the Bronze Age in Northern France.
WELLER O., GOULETQUER P., SEBILLAUD P. and LIN Y. 2018. 盐业技术: 从中国长江流域到世界背景 (Techniques of salt ma... more WELLER O., GOULETQUER P., SEBILLAUD P. and LIN Y. 2018. 盐业技术: 从中国长江流域到世界背景 (Techniques of salt making: from China (Yangtze River) to their world context), Nanfang Wenwu, 2018 (1), p. 217-224.
Mirrors of Salt publishes the proceedings of the First International Congress on the Anthropology... more Mirrors of Salt publishes the proceedings of the First International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt, which took place at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi (Romania). The impact of salt on the development of human communities, from the Neolithic to the present, has generated a huge number of specialized studies. However, scientific research has become so atomized that the primordial importance of the mineral has been lost, creating a need for a holistic, comprehensive vision of the dimensions generated by salt. This can only be achieved through anthropology. The anthropology of salt encompasses the entirety of human behavior, i.e. cognitive, spiritual, pragmatic, and social reactions to salt, and provides a holistic view of its role in the evolution of human communities. The anthropology of salt thus brings salt studies from an ancillary position to an autonomous discipline. The papers in this volume are organized into six sections: theory, archaeology, history, ethnography/ ethnoarchaeology/ethnohistory, linguistics, and literature. Topics include salt in Greek and Roman antiquity, as well as from Cameroon, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru, Romania, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, the USA and Venezuela. The congress was organized within the project The Ethnoarchaeology of the Salt Springs and Salt Mountains from the Extra-Carpathian Areas of Romania, financed by the Government of Romania (CNCS – UEFISCDI) (2011-2016). Its theoretical novelty and geographical range render Mirrors of Salt a unique study of the world’s most-used non-metallic mineral.
Seven millennia of Saltmaking. 3rd international congress on the Anthropology of salt (ed. A. Plata Montero). Fundación Valle Salado de Añana, 2022
Este Libro recoge las actas del III Congreso Internacional de Antropología de la Sal celebrado en... more Este Libro recoge las actas del III Congreso Internacional de Antropología de la Sal celebrado en el año 2018 en el Valle Salado de Salinas de Añana (País Vasco. España). Se publican un total de 63 artículos escritos por los expertos de los 14 países diferentes que participaron. Durante el Congreso, Europa estuvo representada por investigadores de la Universidad Alexandru Ioan Cuza de Rumanía; las universidades de Oporto, Coimbra y el C.M. Viana do Castelo de Portugal; las universidades de Milán y Siena en Italia; la Universidad de Regensburg y la asociación de amigos de la Salina Gottesgabe en Alemania; de Francia destacaron Inrap GSO, UPPA y la Universidad de la Sorbona; de Croacia la Universidad de Zadar; de Ukrania expusieron sus investigaciones representantes de la Universidad de Vinnytsya y de Berdyansk. En lo que a representantes nacionales se refiere, asistieron expertos de las universidades de Vigo, Valladolid, Comillas, Madrid, Sevilla, Cádiz y Granada, así como también una representación nutrida de la UPV/EHU y Cataluña. También destacaron conferenciantes de la Junta de Andalucía, IPAISAL, QARK, Landa Ochandiano, el Archivo Municipal de Sigüenza y el CSIC; África estuvo representada por las Universidades de Yaounde y Buea de Cameroon; Asía por la Universidad de Tblisi de Georgia, Osmania en India, el Museo del Tabaco y la Sal de Tokio en Japón y el M.R. Bloch Salt Archive de Israel. Por último, de América llegaron representantes mexicanos del Centro de Estudios Integrales de Innovación y el Territorio de Florida, el colegio de Michoacán y el Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia y de Estados Unidos firmaron las conferencias una nutrida representación de las universidades de Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, Alabama, Bozoar Laboratories, Wiregrass Archaeological Consulting y el Departamento de Agricultura del Gobierno de Estados Unidos.
Salt is an invisible object for research in archaeology. However, ancient writings, ethnographic ... more Salt is an invisible object for research in archaeology. However, ancient writings, ethnographic studies and the evidence of archaeological exploitation highlight it as
an essential reference for humanity. Both an edible product and a crucial element for food preservation, it has been used
by the first human settlements as soon as food storage appeared (Neolithic).
As far as the history of food habits (both nutrition and preservation) is concerned, the identification and the use of
that resource certainly proves a revolution as meaningful as the domestication of plants and wild animals. On a global
scale, the development of new economic forms based on the management of food surplus went along an increased use of
saline resources through a specific technical knowledge, aimed at the extraction of salt from its natural supports.
Considering the variety of former practices observed until now, a pluralist approach based on human as well as environmental sciences is required. It allows a better knowledge of the historical interactions between our societies and this “white gold”, which are well-known from the Middle-Ages, but more hypothetical for earlier times.
This publication intends to present the most recent progresses in the field of salt archaeology in Europe and beyond; it also exposes various approaches allowing a thorough understanding of this complex and many-faceted subject. The complementary themes dealt with in this
book, the broad chronological and geographical focus, as well as the relevance of the results presented, make this contribution a key synthesis of the most recent research on this universal topic.
The 1970s and 1980s discovery in Romania’s East-Carpathian area of the oldest traces of salt prod... more The 1970s and 1980s discovery in Romania’s East-Carpathian area of the oldest traces of salt production in Europe, and probably in the entire world, has led to unprecedented advances of scientific research in the field and across the entire extra-Carpathian region. This volume features, in the first part, three major projects—one French and two others Romanian with French participation—focusing on salt archaeology and ethnoarchaeology in the East-Carpathian area. The second part of this volume includes a collection of papers previously published in various journals and volumes. Assembled within this volume, these three projects highlight the significant international relevance of Romania to the research of an essential mineral and its importance, despite its lack of archaeological visibility, for the development of prehistoric communities.
The volume combines the papers presented at two meetings on prehistoric salt evaporation, a natio... more The volume combines the papers presented at two meetings on prehistoric salt evaporation, a national French one [8 articles] and an international one [13 articles]. They cover the time from the Neolithic to the Iron Age, as a main focus, and at some places to the Roman Imperial period. Geographically, a region from Spain to Romania and from Italy to Northern France is covered, complemented by contributions on Mexico, Niger and China. Thematically, questions of the history of research, the production processes and their products, the type-chronology of the briquetage, salted food, salt trade and experimental archaeology are touched upon. Emphasis is laid on salt extraction techniques without briquetage, environmental changes caused by salt evaporation of sometimes almost industrial dimensions as well as on the socio-economic and political background of the salt production. Available source material are the results of old and modern rescue and research excavations, interdisciplinary research projects, surveys, modern attempts of reconstructions, and the analysis of secondary publications.
ALEXIANU M., WELLER O. et BRIGAND R. 2008.- Izvoarele de apa sarata din Moldova subcarpatica. Cercetari etnoarheologice, Iasi, Casa Editoriala Demiurg, 206 p., Jan 1, 2008
FILM :
Une équipe d’archéologues fouillent là où Jacques Demy
a tourné plusieurs scènes de son ... more FILM :
Une équipe d’archéologues fouillent là où Jacques Demy
a tourné plusieurs scènes de son film Peau d’Âne : la cabane
où Catherine Deneuve se réfugie, la clairière où Delphine Seyrig
la reçoit… Dès que l’on gratte le sol, perles, clous,
paillettes et autres fragments apparaissent.
En suivant ces fouilles, Peau d’Âme approche la magie du film
de Jacques Demy, le charme du texte de Charles Perrault,
la tradition orale des contes.
Qu’est-ce que cette histoire continue de fouiller en nous ?
WEB Série (16 épisodes) :
https://leblob.fr/series/journal-dun-archeologue-du-merveilleux<b>
Pourquoi un archéologue, spécialiste de l'histoire de l'exploitation du sel au Néolithique, a-t-il un jour décidé de mener une fouille scientifique sur les lieux du tournage d'un film ? Et pas n'importe quel film : Peau d'âne de Jacques Demy, tourné en 1969. Pas seulement parce qu'il est un amoureux du cinéma de Demy... Ce chantier de fouilles, aussi extravagant soit-il, est le point de départ d'une quête plus profonde
... halshs-00486180, version 1. http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00486180/fr/. oai:halsh... more ... halshs-00486180, version 1. http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00486180/fr/. oai:halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr:halshs-00486180. Contributeur : Olivier Weller <>. Soumis le : Mardi 25 Mai 2010, 11:44:27. Dernière modification le : Mardi 25 Mai 2010, 11:44:27.
This volume containing papers given at a 2008 international colloquium in Romania takes a range o... more This volume containing papers given at a 2008 international colloquium in Romania takes a range of approaches to the study of salt production and its role in past societies. Ranging from the Neolithic to traditional methods of salt extraction in the present day, a particular focus in on central and eastern Europe, whilst ethnographic, archaeological, historical, textual and linguistic methods are adopted.
Call for Papers
THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF SALT
12–15 September 20... more Call for Papers
THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF SALT
12–15 September 2018, Salinas de Añana, Basque Country, Spain
vallesalado.com/congressalt
Dear colleagues,
We are glad to invite you the attend the “Third International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt”, organized between the 12th and 15th of September 2018, in Salinas de Añana, Basque Country, Spain — vallesalado.com/congressalt
Please print and share this call with anyone who might be interested in attending, and this includes not only anthropologists and archaeologists, but also historians, geographers, linguists, and specialists from any domain researching common salt.
You can find more information on the event on its dedicated webpage: vallesalado.com/congressalt [ENG] / vallesalado.com/congresosal [ESP]
Historiquement, le sel est au coeur des échanges politiques, commerciaux et intellectuels entre l... more Historiquement, le sel est au coeur des échanges politiques, commerciaux et intellectuels entre la Franche-Comté et les cantons suisses. Le projet Interreg France-Suisse « Terra Salina – Patrimoine du sel et développement économique » met en lumière ce patrimoine commun, souvent classé au titre des Monuments Historiques ou inscrit sur la Liste du Patrimoine Mondial de l'UNESCO, mais parfois reconverti selon des modèles distincts – voire contraires – ou quelquefois oublié, et nécessitant alors l'effort d'une « remise en mémoire ». Terra Salina propose six itinéraires de randonnée pour découvrir les voies historiques du sel, bordées de vingt-quatre sites touristiques en France et en Suisse, afin d'accroître la notoriété de ce patrimoine transfrontalier, de fédérer les acteurs du réseau européen du sel et d'actualiser l'état des connaissances scientifiques sur le sujet. (www.terrasalina.eu)
CALL for posters :
PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (graduated for less than 3 years) wh... more CALL for posters : PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (graduated for less than 3 years) who would like to present a poster, need to fill in the enclosed form and send it before 15 January 2018 at the following address: mshe@mshe.univ-fcomte.fr. Proposals will be studied by the scientific committee of the symposium.
Dear colleagues,
We are glad to invite you the attend the “Second International Congress on the... more Dear colleagues,
We are glad to invite you the attend the “Second International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt”, organized between the 12th and 16th of October 2017 in Los Cabos, Mexico — http://saluniversalis.com
Themes — http://saluniversalis.com/themes Presentations are invited on any of the following open themes: Salt and Gastronomy, Salt and Medicine, Shamanism, magic, esoterism and witchcraft, Art and salt, Tourism and salt, Religion Rituals and salt, Ecotourism and salt, Salt and science, Salt, astronomy and NASA, Economy and salt, History and salt, Prehistory and salt, Lexicon and vocabulary of salt, Toponymy, Literature and salt, Salt inheritance, Archaeology and salt, Salt, Art rock and petroglyphs, Sal and technology, Health and medicine, Salt and industry, Salt and ancient costumes, Salt and indigenous culture, Salt and university education, Salt palaeontology, Salt and artcraft, Salt and environment, Microbial carpets and salt, Salt and biology, Salt and geology, Salt, beauty, cosmetics and make up, Cinema, music and arts of salt, Photography and salt, Salt and tanning leather, The Encyclopedia of Salt, etc.
Key dates — http://saluniversalis.com/important-dates – session/workshops proposals submission: 1 January–31 March 2017 – session/workshops proposals: notification of acceptance: 1–16 April 2017 – individual contribution: submission: 17 April–31 July 2017 – individual contribution: notification of acceptance: 1–10 July 2017
Please print and share this call with anyone who might be interested in attending, and this includes not only anthropologists and archaeologists, but also historians, geographers, linguists, etc. You can find more information on the event on its dedicated webpage: http://saluniversalis.com
The aim of this session is to bring together scholars from the fields of archaeology (from Prehis... more The aim of this session is to bring together scholars from the fields of archaeology (from Prehistory to the Middle Ages) and natural sciences (geography-geomorphology mostly), in order to discuss the " thorny " question of reading time in sedimentary sequences inside and beyond settlements, and its use for a joint reconstruction of past events. It is not always easy indeed to interpret correctly the different lines of evidence and establish solid links between the two records, in order to formulate well-built proposals about their relation — in terms of time (contemporaneous, prior, posterior) or causality (related, simply coeval, irrelevant). We wish to put forward the following elements: a) The necessity to take into account for our interpretations not only the density or the precision of time measures (diagnostic artefacts, absolute dates — especially radiocarbon) but also the nature of the dated facts and the adequacy of the elements used for dating with respect to the dated contexts and to the questions underlying the dating. A charcoal found in a house destruction layer and another found in a colluvium that reworked this same layer do not provide the same information in terms of temporal framing — and this, independent of the short-or long-lived character of the charred wood plant-species. The discrepancies generated by such contextual differences are essential for our understanding of the succession or amplitude of past events. Speaking of " time reading " instead of " time measurement " is a way to draw attention on this important aspect. b) The necessity of a closer dialogue between specialists from the two disciplines that would overcome the separation between intra-site and off-site records, the former being considered as the " ground " of archaeologists, the latter being that of geomorphologists. Although convenient in practical terms and justified to a certain point, this separation minimizes indeed the interaction between the two spaces over the short, middle and long terms (people impacting on their environment but also living with it or " bringing it " at home), and neglects the similarities in the approaches, or the methodological tools, used here and there (core-drills applied inside settlements, study of artefacts' distribution in areas off, etc.). Ultimately, comparisons between intra-site (i.e. basically anthropogenic) sequences with neighbouring off-site (i.e. basically environmental) sequences need to take into account, in addition to distance distortion, the effects of time delay observed, or estimated, in the recording of mutual impacts. This session is proposed as part of the activities of the Working Group 'Environmental and Social changes in the Past', animated in the frame of the Cluster of Excellence " Dynamite " (Territorial and Spatial Dynamics) of the University Paris 1-Sorbonne. Its topic illustrates the kind of questions asked by the Group's members and anticipates the kind of answers that could be given in return. Papers or posters focusing on this topic (time measurement/time reading, dialogue archaeological stratigraphy/environmental sequence, building of historical scenarios) are welcome in our session.
We invite you to peruse this session and consider submitting an abstract to it (from the 15th of ... more We invite you to peruse this session and consider submitting an abstract to it (from the 15th of January). http://wac8.org/academic-program/accepted-sessions-2/ast05/#j
Common salt (sodium chloride) is an invisible object for archaeological research, but the ancient... more Common salt (sodium chloride) is an invisible object for archaeological research, but the ancient texts, the history, the ethnography and our everyday life confirm that both Man and Animal cannot live without it. Salt is a primordial reference for humanity. This “fifth element” is universal in a double sense, diachronically and diatopically. How can archaeology and related disciplines or sciences approximate this soluble good, this “white gold”, this invisible past?
From the diatopic and diachronic perspective, common salt—with all its natural or artificial metamorphoses—has influenced humanity in the most diverse aspects. This is why, within a brief enumeration, the salt-related research themes are intriguingly various: explorations (hunting for salt), exploitation techniques, techniques to obtain different products, exploitation and use tools, transport and storage containers, human and animal feeding, conservation (meat, bacon, cheese, vegetables, green goods, fruits). The themes also include manufacture-related uses (including the construction of salt houses), mythology, religion, cult, rituals, beliefs, superstitions, mentalities, secret societies, magic, vows, curses, prohibitions, popular medicine, sexuality, economy, hide working, population, alchemical procedures, scientific and cultural representations, treatment of the deceased, barter, commerce, contraband, robbery.
On the other hand, the themes also include human and animal mobility, the attraction exerted on savage beasts, symbolic uses, folk literature (stories, tales, and proverbs) and cult literature, the control of salt resources, conflicts, strategic value, geographic perceptions, professions related to salt exploitation and uses, economic, legal and administrative regulations, vocabulary, toponymy, anthroponomy and the list can go on.
All these themes already constitute a study object for an impressive number of sciences, disciplines, or sub-disciplines, such as archaeology, heritage studies, history, ethnography, ethnoarchaeology, economic anthropology, food sciences, statistics, sociology, geology, mineralogy, geography, hydrology, botany, chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, ethology, theology, agronomy, symbology, linguistics, folklore studies, cultural studies, literary studies, hermeneutics, legal sciences, etc. Obviously, some themes must be approached only in an interdisciplinary vision.
12:20-12:40 A mid-5th millennium BC potter's workshop in the settlement near Suvorovo, Varna dist... more 12:20-12:40 A mid-5th millennium BC potter's workshop in the settlement near Suvorovo, Varna district, Bulgaria, Vladimir Slavčev (Varna Regional Museum of History, Bulgaria)
In den vergangenen Jahren wurden in Kooperation
der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität und des Römisc... more In den vergangenen Jahren wurden in Kooperation der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität und des Römisch- Germanischen Zentralmuseums (RGZM), beide Mainz, sowie der hessischen Landesarchäologie Grabungen zur Erforschung der Michelsberger Kultur am Kapellenberg bei Hofheim am Taunus (Main-Taunus-Kreis) unternommen. Diese fanden im Zuge eines übergeordneten Langzeitprojektes zu internen Dynamiken neolithischer Gesellschaften am nördlichen Oberrhein und Mittelrhein statt.
Plaquette de présentation du projet d'archéologie contemporaine "la fouille de la cabane de Peau ... more Plaquette de présentation du projet d'archéologie contemporaine "la fouille de la cabane de Peau d'âne (Jacques Demy, 1970)". Exposition réalisée en juin 2016 dans le Parc du château de Neuville (Gambais, 78) avec le soutien du Conseil Régional d'Ile-de-France
>> Accueil Archéologie en France SADY Patrimoine Documentation Médiation Accueil du site > Patrim... more >> Accueil Archéologie en France SADY Patrimoine Documentation Médiation Accueil du site > Patrimoine > Les sites des Yvelines > L'archéologie, comme complément de mémoire... L'archéologie, comme complément de mémoire...
Il ne fait aucun doute que le sel est une matière première cruciale dans de nombreux systèmes éco... more Il ne fait aucun doute que le sel est une matière première cruciale dans de nombreux systèmes économiques. C'est d'autant plus vrai pour les économies protohistoriques, où le sel sert à la confection de salaisons, à l'alimentation animale, à l'artisanat, mais également comme réserve de valeur et peut-être aussi comme valeur étalon d'échange.
Despite a long tradition of studies of the Moldavian Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures, the ana... more Despite a long tradition of studies of the Moldavian Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures, the analysis of the territorial behaviour of human communities remains underexploited. This work combines concepts used in landscape archaeology with the potential of the Geographic Information System (GIS) to mobilise archaeological artefacts in a large-scale setting and for many thematic purposes. This paper aims to compare the spatial and temporal distributions of archaeological evidence in central Moldavia. Applying integrated approaches through GIS analysis, it explores the natural, economic and social phenomena involved in territorial trajectories during the Later Pre- history (6000–3500 BC). In the chronological framework of the Star≠evo-Cris, Linear Pottery, Precucuteni and Cucuteni cultures, different types of spatial analysis are computed in order to underline territorial control and supply strategies in an area well known for its density of its fortified settlements, extremely rich s...
Quina utilitat van tenir els múltiples útils lítics apareguts a la Vall Salina de Cardona? Com es... more Quina utilitat van tenir els múltiples útils lítics apareguts a la Vall Salina de Cardona? Com es van fer servir? Sobre quina matèria primera es van elaborar? D'on procedien? Aquestes i moltes més preguntes han estat plantejades des de fa anys sobre la gran quantitat de peces aparegudes al Salí de Cardona, entre els afloraments de sal gemma de la Serra de la Sal i de Sant Onofre. El primer a formular i intentar donar resposta a les qüestions anteriors va ser l'enginyer Agustín Marín (Marín, 1933). Posteriorment un altre enginyer, López de Azcona, va publicar un article on va abordar més profundament el tema tot incidint sobre la matèria primera i la seva proce-dència (López de Azcona, 1933, p. 64). Tots dos enginyers van afirmar que l'ex-plotació de sal de Cardona té el seu origen al neolític. Les seves deduccions es basaven tant en la tipologia del material que van anar recollint in situ, com pel que els mostraven els agricultors de la vall. Aprofundint en el tema, Marí...
Depuis huit millénaires au moins, les sociétés agricoles ont considéré le sel comme une source de... more Depuis huit millénaires au moins, les sociétés agricoles ont considéré le sel comme une source de vie et de richesse dont l'origine s'inscrivait dans les mythes. Les approches croisées des ethnologues, des archéologues, des historiens et des environnementalistes permettent aujourd'hui de renouveler profondément nos connaissances sur l'exploitation généralisée de l'eau de mer, des sources salées, des terres salées et du sel gemme. Ainsi, d'extraordinaires techniques ont été mises en oeuvre, tandis que les logiques sociales plaçaient le sel au centre des systèmes de croyance, un peu partout dans le monde. Les vingt-quatre contributions regroupées dans cet ouvrage ont été présentées en octobre 2006 lors d'un colloque international du bicentenaire de la mort de Claude Nicolas Ledoux, l'architecte génial de la Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans. Rompant avec les limites entre disciplines scientifiques et les cloisonnements géographiques, les auteurs propose...
The Intangible Elements of Culture in Ethnoarchaeological Research, 2016
This paper examines the importance of the oldest chronological layer of the intangible heritage c... more This paper examines the importance of the oldest chronological layer of the intangible heritage concerning the exploitation of salt springs, which is fortuitously still recoverable in Romania at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This layer, which comprises the first half of the twentieth century, has been investigated systematically through ethnological inquiries only since 2007, as part of two projects on the ethnoarchaeology of salt. Solely on the basis of this old layer, it was possible to study the complex relationships established between the salt springs and the various types of settlements supplied with natural brine, with ignigenous salt or even with naturally recrystallized salt. Additionally, the paper uses those elements of the intangible heritage that highlight the economic and symbolic dimensions that complete the purely archaeological approaches of the issue of salt springs.
The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Neo-Eneolit... more The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Neo-Eneolithic settlement pattern and salt exploitation in Romanian Moldavia" (Brigand and Weller, 2018) [1]. Kernel density estimation (KDE) is used in order to move beyond the discrete distribution of sites and to enable us to work on a continuous surface that reflects the intensity of the occupation in the space. Maps of density per period - Neolithic I (Cris), Neolithic II (LBK), Eneolithic I (Precucuteni), Eneolithic II (Cucuteni A), Eneolithic III-IV (Cucuteni A-B and B) - are used to create maps of density difference (Figs. 1-4) in order to analyse the dynamic (either non-existent, negative or positive) between two chronological sequences.
Un WAC plutot zen Aux dires des connaisseurs, c’etait le plus serein et pose des WAC, depourvu de... more Un WAC plutot zen Aux dires des connaisseurs, c’etait le plus serein et pose des WAC, depourvu de ces dechirements hysteriques et autres polemiques houleuses dont se nourrit d’ordinaire le petit monde de l’archeologie mondiale. Personne en tout cas n’en est venu aux mains lors de l’assemblee generale du congres, comme ce fut presque le cas au WAC de New Delhi en 1994, et les declarations debattues se sont averees bien plus consensuelles que prevu : protection des donnees personnelles en anthr...
is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneolithic (6000-3500 BCE) settlement dy... more is the focus of a study, initiated in 2005, on Neolithic-Eneolithic (6000-3500 BCE) settlement dynamics and salt exploitation. The underlying hypothesis is that exploitation of salt, along with that of copper and gold, contributed to the emergence of developed Eneolithic societies from the beginning of the 5th millennium BC. By approaching this process through its geographical dimension, from the beginning of the 6th millennium BC, one can measure the simultaneity of certain facts, be they social (the affirmation of elites), territorial (the appearance of controlling sites), or technical (first copper metallurgy, intensification of salt exploitation). The sub-Carpathian region of eastern Romania is particularly interesting, as the density of salt springs is much higher than elsewhere, salt exploitation dating to the Early Neolithic (Criș) and the region subsequently develops into an Eneolithic cultural centre (Precucuteni and Cucuteni) of unequalled wealth and importance. After a decade of research on the nature and use of the salt resources, together with the creation of an archaeological database covering the period from 6000 BCE to 3500 BCE, we can now undertake a preliminary assessment of the territorial strategies implemented by these societies in the eastern Carpathian region. Archaeological approaches are enhanced by use of powerful tools such as GIS and the application of spatial analysis methods thus enabling us to model settlement patterns and dynamics. Following on from these analyses, several results emerge. A coherent settlement model is observed for the Early Neolithic: the sites, which are often grouped together and currently inter-visible, are located in valley zones and on modest terraces close to minor water courses. With the appearance of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK) culture, this situation evolves: now much more dispersed, the settlements are established in more open landscape. In the first half of the 5th millennium, we witness a radical change in preferred topographical contexts: highand mid-altitude terraces are favoured, a trend which is reflected in the establishment of settlements on open promontories which provide particularly commanding views over the wider area. Following a marked diversification in the forms of land use in the second half of the 5th millennium, the beginning of the 4th millennium is characterised by a densification of population centres and a strengthening of territorial control. Analyses of the accessibility of salt springs allow these observations to be further developed. Firstly, we note a significant increase in sites located close to salt springs in the period spanning the second half of the 5th millennium and the first half of the 4th millennium. It is precisely during these two phases that the exploitation of salt appears to increase. Secondly, the numbers of important fortified sites and prestige goods (copper axes) occurring close to salt springs illustrates the polarising role of salt resources.
The salt spring exploitation fromHălăbutoaia- Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Ea... more The salt spring exploitation fromHălăbutoaia- Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000–3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved in several archaeological levels ofHălăbutoaiasite. The most identified morphotypes come from grass family. Analysis revealed an important representation of inflorescence bracts phytoliths (especially Elongate dendritic) showing the anthropogenic origin of the assemblages. Bilobateare also well represented. These forms attest the presence of wild panicoid grasses (e.g. wild millet) and/or cultivated millets in the area. In some very punctual assemblages, forms produced by dicots are well represented. Considering the low phytoliths production by dicots plants, it involves a special a...
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2013
Salz ist heutzutage ein gemeines Gut, eine fast unerschöpfliche Substanz, sowohl auf Ernährungs-a... more Salz ist heutzutage ein gemeines Gut, eine fast unerschöpfliche Substanz, sowohl auf Ernährungs-als auch auf Industrieebene. Das war aber nicht immer so, vor allem nicht in vielen vorindustriellen Gesellschaften. Zumindest jedoch seit den Anfängen des 6. Jahrtausends vor unserer Zeitrechnung (Weller / Dumitroaia 2005) haben die agropastoralen Gesellschaften Europas versucht, Salz aus verschiedenen natürlichen Vorkommen zu gewinnen (Wasser, Gesteine, Erde, Pflanzen). Lange Zeit war es aber tatsächlich so, dass das Fehlen von Salz in archäologischen Fundstellen zu der Vermutung führte, die prähistorische Salzgewinnung könne nur eine reine Hypothese bleiben. Daher wurde diese Frage auch letztendlich kaum bearbeitet und diskutiert. Dies hat sich erst in den letzten Jahren geändert, als es verschiedene Entdeckungen, Reinterpretationen und Synthesen zu dieser Fragestellung erlaubt haben, diese Thematik in Europa neu aufzugreifen (Saile 2000; Weller 2002a; Fíguls / Weller 2007; Weller / Dufraisse / Pétrequin 2008; Alexianu / Wel ler / Cur ca 2011). Dabei stützt man sich auf die neuerliche Überlegung, dass-auch wenn das Endprodukt Salz komplett aus den Fundorten verschwunden ist-es die direkten Zeugnisse für einen Abbau (Werkzeuge, Kohleanhäufung, Ablagerungen und Stollen) oder aber die indirekten Beweise der Salzgewinnung (Umwelt bedingungen, Auswirkungen der Schürfeingriffe auf die Umgebung, Bevölkerungsdynamik, Organisation des Territoriums, Güteraustausch) ermöglichen, diesen Aspekt neu zu untersuchen. Der Abbau von Halit bzw. Steinsalz ist besonders gut in Österreich dokumentiert, im Umfeld der bekannten Salzstollen von Hallstatt (Bz. Gmunden) und vom Dürrnberg (Bz. Hallein). Aber zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt existiert an keiner der beiden Fundstellen ein wissenschaftlich haltbarer Beweis dafür, dass dort bereits in der Jungsteinzeit Salz gewonnen wurde. Die Anfänge des Minenabbaus von Hallstatt führen vielmehr bis an das Ende der mittleren Bronzezeit (Stadler 1999; Rom u. a. 1999). Dennoch ist der Minenabbau anderer Gesteine wie z. B. von Silex, Variszit oder gewisser alpiner Gesteine bereits im Neolithikum ausgesprochen gut dokumentiert. Unsere Feldarbeit beruhte in der ersten Phase auf der Bestandsaufnahme und der genauen Erforschung von Bodenschätzen, in diesem Fall der europäischen Steinsalzaufschlüsse. Es galt, im günstigsten Fall Abbaubeweise zu untersuchen. Der Ausgangspunkt unserer Arbeit war nicht der archäologische Gegenstand, sondern zunächst einmal der Bodenschatz an sich. In einer zweiten Phase standen dann die direkten Nachweise der Gewinnung im Mittelpunkt unserer Studie. Weiter wurde versucht, die Bedeutung und die sozioökonomische Rolle des Salzes in der Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft der Epoche zu charakterisieren. In unseren Untersuchungen über Katalonien wurde die Beobachtung gemacht, dass während der mittleren Jungsteinzeit (4200-3500 BC, Sepulcros de Fosa-Kultur) ein wirtschaftliches System vorherrschte, das auf Tauschhandel und einem gewissen Grad an regionaler Spezialisierung bestimmter Produktionsprozesse basierte, ohne jedoch den fundamentalen Stellenwert der Subsistenzwirtschaft der Gemeinschaftswesen zu unterschätzen. Der Tauschhandel war Grundlage einer funktionierenden Ökonomie, die Bedürfnisse ab-159
Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analys... more Exploiting a database developed during a previous research project, this study uses factor analyses, GIS techniques and basic geostatistics to evaluate in detail the agro-ecological determinants of the first Neolithic diffusion in continental temperate Europe (the Linearbandkeramik or LBK), as well as its underlying settlement dynamics around half a millennium (5550-4925 BCE). More than 6600 LBK site locations, spread from Moldavia to Normandy, are initially assessed for their informative coherence and ability to offer a unified perspective on the evidence established at more local and regional levels. Most of these data can be used to define the broad geo-pedological options involved in the location of sites across Europe; loess substrate was far from being an exclusive settlement choice and a variety of soils, typically of medium moisture, were exploited. LBK farmers thus had a great capacity to adapt to the different geographical contexts they encountered. With regard to settlement dynamics in Central and Western Europe, the data reveal a systemic interplay between creation, stability and abandonment of sites, supporting the diffusion of the LBK subsistence system. The progressive decline in the number of new sites was compensated by an increase in their stability until the last stage of the expansion process. At this point, abandonments became widespread without significant renewal, except in the westernmost regions. The easternmost parts of Europe could not be integrated in the large-scale temporal modelling, since the chronological data available in the database are insufficiently precise. Shedding new light on the systemic variability of the geo-environmental options followed by these early farmers and highlighting some modalities and spatial-temporal limits of the resilience of their agro-sylvo-pastoral system, our overall analysis confirms and somewhat clarifies current interpretations of the LBK phenomenon.
A rare type of pottery, found in four single graves under earthen mounds in the Carnac region of ... more A rare type of pottery, found in four single graves under earthen mounds in the Carnac region of Brittany, consists of a circular, flat-based vessel with a near-vertical wall. On the basis of the equipment known from elsewhere in the world, it is possible that the morphology of these dishes is related to processes involved in the production of salt. To help us in exploring their function, we chose to compare these vessels with another enigmatic class of pottery from the Cyclades – the socalled ‘frying pans’ – which seems to have functioned in a similar way, as an object-sign, and has been found in a maritime milieu and in high-status contexts.
Résumé/Abstract À travers trois exemples actuels d'organisation de la production de sel dans... more Résumé/Abstract À travers trois exemples actuels d'organisation de la production de sel dans les Hautes Terres de Nouvelle-Guinée (Indonésie et Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée), nous montrons comment ces groupes culturels régis par un même grand type d’organisation sociopolitique (sociétés dites égalitaires à Leaders ou Grands Hommes) organisent l’exploitation du sel de façon radicalement différente suivant les cas. Selon le groupe, elle est assurée soit par la famille, soit seulement par les hommes, soit par un véritable spécialiste.Onchercheraàcomprendre lesraisonsd’unetellevariabilitéde l’organisation du travail à travers les modes de circulation, les fonctions socio-économiques du sel et plus largement, les organisations sociales de ces sociétés égalitaires.
A travers trois exemples actuels d'organisation de la production de sel dans les Hautes Terre... more A travers trois exemples actuels d'organisation de la production de sel dans les Hautes Terres de Nouvelle-Guinee (Indonesie et Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinee), nous montrons comment ces groupes culturels regis par un meme grand type d'organisation sociopolitique (societes dites egalitaires a Leaders ou Grands Hommes) organisent l'exploitation du sel de facon radicalement differente suivant les cas. Selon le groupe, elle est assuree soit par la famille, soit seulement par les hommes, soit par un veritable specialiste. On cherchera a comprendre les raisons d'une telle variabilite de l'organisation du travail a travers les modes de circulation, les fonctions socio-economiques du sel et plus largement, les organisations sociales de ces societes egalitaires.
Información del artículo La minería de la sal durante el neolítico medio en el Vall Salina de Car... more Información del artículo La minería de la sal durante el neolítico medio en el Vall Salina de Cardona (Bages, Cataluña). Tecnología, producción, utillaje lítico y prácticas experimentales.
A raiz del estudio de las herramientas liticas pulidas documentadas en la Vall Salina de Cardona,... more A raiz del estudio de las herramientas liticas pulidas documentadas en la Vall Salina de Cardona, relacionadas con la mineria de la sal gema, se comprobo que estas estaban elaboradas en roca metapelitica. En toda la Depresion Central Catalana, no hay afloramientos de metapeliticas. Es en las cordilleras Prelitoral y Litoral situadas al noreste del delta del rio Llobregat donde son abundantes, destacando las areas de Collserola o en el Montseny. Este tipo de rocas tambien aparecen en el Pirineo axial, pero se descarta la posibilidad que fuesen los rios Cardener o Aigua d'Ora los principales portadores de materia prima por erosion de esos afloramientos situados al norte del area de estudio. Asi pues, por la composicion mineralogica, situamos la procedencia de este utillaje del area de Collserola. El trabajo que presentamos forma parte de un proyecto de investigacion arqueologica integral relacionado con la explotacion de la sal durante el Neolitico medio en Cataluna. Es una introd...
Situe a proximite immediate d’une source salee toujours utilisee, le site roumain de Poiana Slati... more Situe a proximite immediate d’une source salee toujours utilisee, le site roumain de Poiana Slatinei a Lunca (dep. Neamt) presente les plus anciens temoins de production de sel en Europe (6050-5500 B.C.). Il renferme plusieurs dizaines de structures de combustion qui forment un important amas stratifie de cendres, de charbons et de sols rubefies. En 2004, un vaste sondage a permis de realiser des releves stratigraphiques detailles des niveaux du Neolithique ancien ainsi que des prelevements de sols, de charbons et de cendres, destines a mieux caracteriser la production du sel, les techniques utilisees, les modes de gestion et les interactions avec le milieu naturel. Tandis que l’etude micromorphologique a permis de proposer quelques elements d’interpretation sur le fonctionnement des foyers et les modes d’exploitation du sel, l’analyse anthracologique a revele un haut degre d’alteration des fragments de charbons de bois, voire l’absence de structures ligneuses. Les auteurs proposent...
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Papers by Olivier Weller
types and nature of the salt resources (sea water, salt springs, soil or rock), the diversity of archaeological evidence of forms of salt working. We also scrutinize the types of production for these early forms of salt exploitation, with or without the use of crudely fired clay vessels (briquetage). Finally, we contextualise the socio-economic dimensions and highlight both the diversity of salt products and their characteristics, which go well beyond dietary roles.
remarkably well-preserved sites are characterised by stratified deposits several meters thick. Detailed stratigraphic descriptions were followed by optical microscopy analysis (soil micromorphology) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with geochemical analysis (EDS). The aim of these analyses was to identify specific sedimentary, petrographic and chemical characteristics that could be linked to salt working process. The results enable us to describe the main site formation process over time and to detect chemical components of edible salt (Na and Cl) in Early Neolithic ashes. These new data consolidate previous interpretations of the operating procedures implemented from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Two techniques appear to have been preferentially adopted: pouring natural brine onto combustion structures during the Early Neolithic and evaporation in specific ceramic containers from the Chalcolithic onwards.
Mots clés : archéologie contemporaine, cinéma, Jacques Demy, conte de fée, mémoire, inceste
types and nature of the salt resources (sea water, salt springs, soil or rock), the diversity of archaeological evidence of forms of salt working. We also scrutinize the types of production for these early forms of salt exploitation, with or without the use of crudely fired clay vessels (briquetage). Finally, we contextualise the socio-economic dimensions and highlight both the diversity of salt products and their characteristics, which go well beyond dietary roles.
remarkably well-preserved sites are characterised by stratified deposits several meters thick. Detailed stratigraphic descriptions were followed by optical microscopy analysis (soil micromorphology) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with geochemical analysis (EDS). The aim of these analyses was to identify specific sedimentary, petrographic and chemical characteristics that could be linked to salt working process. The results enable us to describe the main site formation process over time and to detect chemical components of edible salt (Na and Cl) in Early Neolithic ashes. These new data consolidate previous interpretations of the operating procedures implemented from the Early Neolithic to the Bronze Age. Two techniques appear to have been preferentially adopted: pouring natural brine onto combustion structures during the Early Neolithic and evaporation in specific ceramic containers from the Chalcolithic onwards.
Mots clés : archéologie contemporaine, cinéma, Jacques Demy, conte de fée, mémoire, inceste
an essential reference for humanity. Both an edible product and a crucial element for food preservation, it has been used
by the first human settlements as soon as food storage appeared (Neolithic).
As far as the history of food habits (both nutrition and preservation) is concerned, the identification and the use of
that resource certainly proves a revolution as meaningful as the domestication of plants and wild animals. On a global
scale, the development of new economic forms based on the management of food surplus went along an increased use of
saline resources through a specific technical knowledge, aimed at the extraction of salt from its natural supports.
Considering the variety of former practices observed until now, a pluralist approach based on human as well as environmental sciences is required. It allows a better knowledge of the historical interactions between our societies and this “white gold”, which are well-known from the Middle-Ages, but more hypothetical for earlier times.
This publication intends to present the most recent progresses in the field of salt archaeology in Europe and beyond; it also exposes various approaches allowing a thorough understanding of this complex and many-faceted subject. The complementary themes dealt with in this
book, the broad chronological and geographical focus, as well as the relevance of the results presented, make this contribution a key synthesis of the most recent research on this universal topic.
Une équipe d’archéologues fouillent là où Jacques Demy
a tourné plusieurs scènes de son film Peau d’Âne : la cabane
où Catherine Deneuve se réfugie, la clairière où Delphine Seyrig
la reçoit… Dès que l’on gratte le sol, perles, clous,
paillettes et autres fragments apparaissent.
En suivant ces fouilles, Peau d’Âme approche la magie du film
de Jacques Demy, le charme du texte de Charles Perrault,
la tradition orale des contes.
Qu’est-ce que cette histoire continue de fouiller en nous ?
WEB Série (16 épisodes) :
https://leblob.fr/series/journal-dun-archeologue-du-merveilleux<b>
Pourquoi un archéologue, spécialiste de l'histoire de l'exploitation du sel au Néolithique, a-t-il un jour décidé de mener une fouille scientifique sur les lieux du tournage d'un film ? Et pas n'importe quel film : Peau d'âne de Jacques Demy, tourné en 1969. Pas seulement parce qu'il est un amoureux du cinéma de Demy... Ce chantier de fouilles, aussi extravagant soit-il, est le point de départ d'une quête plus profonde
THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF SALT
12–15 September 2018, Salinas de Añana, Basque Country, Spain
vallesalado.com/congressalt
Dear colleagues,
We are glad to invite you the attend the “Third International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt”, organized between the 12th and 15th of September 2018, in Salinas de Añana, Basque Country, Spain — vallesalado.com/congressalt
Please print and share this call with anyone who might be interested in attending, and this includes not only anthropologists and archaeologists, but also historians, geographers, linguists, and specialists from any domain researching common salt.
You can find more information on the event on its dedicated webpage: vallesalado.com/congressalt [ENG] / vallesalado.com/congresosal [ESP]
The Scientific Committee
PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (graduated for less than 3 years) who would like to present a poster, need to fill in the enclosed form and send it before 15 January 2018 at the following address: mshe@mshe.univ-fcomte.fr.
Proposals will be studied by the scientific committee of the symposium.
We are glad to invite you the attend the “Second International Congress on the Anthropology of Salt”, organized between the 12th and 16th of October 2017 in Los Cabos, Mexico — http://saluniversalis.com
Themes — http://saluniversalis.com/themes
Presentations are invited on any of the following open themes: Salt and Gastronomy, Salt and Medicine, Shamanism, magic, esoterism and witchcraft, Art and salt, Tourism and salt, Religion Rituals and salt, Ecotourism and salt, Salt and science, Salt, astronomy and NASA, Economy and salt, History and salt, Prehistory and salt, Lexicon and vocabulary of salt, Toponymy, Literature and salt, Salt inheritance, Archaeology and salt, Salt, Art rock and petroglyphs, Sal and technology, Health and medicine, Salt and industry, Salt and ancient costumes, Salt and indigenous culture, Salt and university education, Salt palaeontology, Salt and artcraft, Salt and environment, Microbial carpets and salt, Salt and biology, Salt and geology, Salt, beauty, cosmetics and make up, Cinema, music and arts of salt, Photography and salt, Salt and tanning leather, The Encyclopedia of Salt, etc.
Key dates — http://saluniversalis.com/important-dates
– session/workshops proposals submission: 1 January–31 March 2017
– session/workshops proposals: notification of acceptance: 1–16 April 2017
– individual contribution: submission: 17 April–31 July 2017
– individual contribution: notification of acceptance: 1–10 July 2017
Please print and share this call with anyone who might be interested in attending, and this includes not only anthropologists and archaeologists, but also historians, geographers, linguists, etc. You can find more information on the event on its dedicated webpage: http://saluniversalis.com
The Organizing Committee
http://wac8.org/academic-program/accepted-sessions-2/ast05/#j
From the diatopic and diachronic perspective, common salt—with all its natural or artificial metamorphoses—has influenced humanity in the most diverse aspects. This is why, within a brief enumeration, the salt-related research themes are intriguingly various: explorations (hunting for salt), exploitation techniques, techniques to obtain different products, exploitation and use tools, transport and storage containers, human and animal feeding, conservation (meat, bacon, cheese, vegetables, green goods, fruits). The themes also include manufacture-related uses (including the construction of salt houses), mythology, religion, cult, rituals, beliefs, superstitions, mentalities, secret societies, magic, vows, curses, prohibitions, popular medicine, sexuality, economy, hide working, population, alchemical procedures, scientific and cultural representations, treatment of the deceased, barter, commerce, contraband, robbery.
On the other hand, the themes also include human and animal mobility, the attraction exerted on savage beasts, symbolic uses, folk literature (stories, tales, and proverbs) and cult literature, the control of salt resources, conflicts, strategic value, geographic perceptions, professions related to salt exploitation and uses, economic, legal and administrative regulations, vocabulary, toponymy, anthroponomy and the list can go on.
All these themes already constitute a study object for an impressive number of sciences, disciplines, or sub-disciplines, such as archaeology, heritage studies, history, ethnography, ethnoarchaeology, economic anthropology, food sciences, statistics, sociology, geology, mineralogy, geography, hydrology, botany, chemistry, medicine, pharmacology, ethology, theology, agronomy, symbology, linguistics, folklore studies, cultural studies, literary studies, hermeneutics, legal sciences, etc. Obviously, some themes must be approached only in an interdisciplinary vision.
der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität und des Römisch-
Germanischen Zentralmuseums (RGZM),
beide Mainz, sowie der hessischen Landesarchäologie
Grabungen zur Erforschung der Michelsberger
Kultur am Kapellenberg bei Hofheim am Taunus
(Main-Taunus-Kreis) unternommen. Diese fanden
im Zuge eines übergeordneten Langzeitprojektes
zu internen Dynamiken neolithischer Gesellschaften
am nördlichen Oberrhein und Mittelrhein statt.
Exposition réalisée en juin 2016 dans le Parc du château de Neuville (Gambais, 78) avec le soutien du Conseil Régional d'Ile-de-France