Robert Fellner

The  present  volume,  fourth  in  a  series  of  five  devoted  to  the
Merovingian  hamlet  of  Develier-Courtételle  (Canton  of  Jura,
Switzerland),  presents  environmental  information  obtained
through a series of specialised analyses of material found at this
archaeological site and in its surroundings. The results of these six
distinct approaches are integrated in a final synthesis.
A description of the natural environment of the site enriched with
information from historical sources opens the volume (chap. 1).
Situated within the Delémont basin in north-western Switzerland,
in the central part of the Jura mountain range, Develier-Courtételle
lies  on  a  flood  plain  at  an  altitude  of  450 m.  The  site  covers  a
surface of 3,5 ha and lies on the banks of the brook “La Pran”, in
a lateral valley filled with quaternary sediments dating from the
Würm glacial maximum to the Late Holocene. The sedimentary
approach which follows this introductory chapter is based on a
description of the stratigraphy (chap. 2). The site is divided into
eight different domains and composite stratigraphic cuts are used
to  explain  the  extension  of  the  different  layers.  The  sediments
are  characterised  using  Passega’s  method,  i.e.  the  construction
of  C/M  patterns  of  the  alluvial  deposits.  This  analysis  permits
us  to  propose  a  reconstruction  of  the  palaeogeography  of  the
site, including some observations on the nature of the soils. The
palaeo-hydrological  and  climatic  fluctuations  occurring  locally
between 500 and 800 AD are also described. Additional relevant
data  are  provided  by  an  “off-site”  sedimentological  analysis
undertaken at Delémont, La Communance (chap. 3). It provides
a palustrine sequence dating from the 6th to the 11th century and
documenting the evolution of the local hydrology.
The  three  following  chapters  present  the  archaeobotanical
approaches. The pollen analysis documents the changing landscape
around  the  site  and  the  use  of  the  land  by  the  Early  Medieval
population (chap. 4). The study of seeds and fruit reveals the large
spectrum of plant species that were cultivated during this period
(chap.  5).  The  vegetational  landscape  surrounding  the  site  and
the human impact on it can be reconstructed from the remains of
wild plants. A geobotanical approach is used to deduce the spatial
distribution of woodlands and fields around the site during the
7th century by looking at modern vegetation (chap. 6). The last
analysis presented in this volume is the study of the faunal remains
recovered in and around the settlement which reveal the dietary
choices made by the inhabitants (chap. 7). The varying frequency
and age at death of the different species of domesticates say much
about animal husbandry during the Merovingian period. The rare
remains of hunted wild animals were also identified.
The concluding synthesis is divided into three thematic sections
(chap. 8). The climatic context and the evolution of the landscape
during  the  Early  Medieval  period  are  the  subject  of  the  first
section.  A  short  summary  of  current  knowledge  introduces
the  chronological  reconstitution  of  events  deduced  from  the
preceding analyses. At Develier-Courtételle, hydrological activity
is quite sustained before 550. Forest cover is still relatively dense
and actually expanded during Late Antiquity. From 550 to 750,
the hydrological activity at the site becomes very intense, peaking
around 580 and 650. At La Communance, the hydrological balance
is at this time in surplus. From the beginning of this phase, forest
cover diminishes ; this clearance was caused by the intensification
of  agriculture  and  the  appearance  of  ironworking.  As  a  result,
erosion  cuts  ravines  into  the  slopes.  Several  factors  indicate  a
cool  and  possibly  wet  phase  affecting  the  whole  region  which
correlates well with data from other studies. The period between
700 and 830-890 appears to be a transition towards a somewhat
dryer climate, a decrease of hydrological activity persisting after
800  could  be  observed  on  the  site.  At  La  Communance,  the
hydrological balance becomes negative only after the middle or
towards the end of the 9th century. Forest cover does not vary to
any major extent. The climate continues to improve between 830-890 and 1000 : several swamps and marshes in the region appear
to have experienced a negative hydrological balance during this
time and superficial sediments undergo pedogenesis. The rupture
of the landscape equilibrium occurring during the later Middle
Ages  is  thought  to  be  due  to  the  increasing  impact  of  human
activity, in particular ironworking.
The second theme of the synthesis is the landscape surrounding
the settlement during the 7th century. A pictorial reconstruction
allows us to conclude that the divisions of the territory are largely
based  on  the  meanders  of  the  stream.  To  the  inhabitants,  the
advantages of being close to the water necessary for various craft
activities  clearly  outweighed  the  real  risks  posed  by  flooding.
The  marshy  surfaces  directly  abutting  on  the  settlement  were
good  pasture  but  not  useful  for  agriculture ;  the  fields  were
situated somewhat further away. The transition from cultivated
land  to  forest  occurred  gradually  and  gave  the  landscape  a
structured appearance. The forest, dominated by beech and pine,
is  transformed  by  the  selective  exploitation  of  plant  resources.
It too is used for pasture.
A  discussion  of  available  resources  and  land  use  closes  the
volume. The stream could not have been used for transporting
cargo. Used land surfaces included fields, pastures and grasslands.
Cereals and legumes were the primary crops, oily or fibrous plants
were of secondary importance and fruit and vegetables appear to
have formed only a relatively minor source of food. Supplying the
needs of the settlement seems to have been the principal goal of
these activities, a characteristic of subsistence agriculture. Textile
production  occurred  but  was  not  very  extensive.  The  forests
and hedges are a source of timber, but particularly of firewood.
Among the domestic animals, cattle are dominant and seem to
have mostly been raised for meat, a part of which may have been
exported. Goats and especially sheep are the next most important
group according to the bone counts. The pigs are in third position
but were actually in second place in terms of meat production.
Fowl,  mostly  chicken,  were  principally  kept  for  the  eggs.  The
diverse wild fauna was nutritionally a very minor factor but is a
good indicator of the natural environment surrounding the site.
The presence of deer and bear speaks of nearby biotopes not yet
disturbed by human activity.

The present volume, last in a series of five devoted to the Merovingian hamlet of Develier-Courtételle (Canton Jura, Switzerland),
consists of three distinct parts. The spatial analysis of the site is
the subject of the first section. The second section contains a discussion of the historic and regional context of the site, as well as
an  account  of  its  organisation  and  evolution.  The  final  section
presents the roman remains discovered during the excavation.
Located within the Jura mountain range at an altitude of 450 m,
the site lies on the banks of the brook “La Pran”, in a lateral valley
of the Delémont basin. A campaign of archaeological test trenching, prompted by the construction of the A16 motorway, led to the
discovery of this rural settlement. Some 3,5 ha of its surface were
excavated between 1993 and 1997 by the Section d’archéologie et
paléontologie of the Office de la culture (chap. 1).
The first section of the volume, which presents the spatial analysis
of the artefact scatters, opens with a short introduction (chap. 2).
The following chapter discusses the theory and method of intrasite spatial analysis, complete with a review of its role in Swiss
archaeology during the past 25 years (chap. 3). The specific circumstances conditioning the spatial analysis of this particular site are the subject of the following chapter (chap. 4) : how did the chosen
excavation and analytical methods, the differential conservation
of sedimentary layers and objects influence the observed artefact
scatters ? A detailed examination of the distribution of tile and
baked daub fragments (chap. 5) and of faunal remains (chap. 6)
precedes a short review of the spatial analyses of other artefact
classes,  published  in  previous  volumes  of  the  series  (chap.  7).
The  next  chapter  contains  a  synthesis  of  the  spatial  analysis  of
all  artefact  categories,  presented  separately  for  each  farmstead
and activity area (chap. 8). The last chapter of this first section
of  the  volume  discusses  the  contribution  of  spatial  analysis  to
the reconstruction of the organisation and evolution of the site.
Patterning resulting from the erstwhile presence of walls and enclosures reveals the existence of otherwise undocumented structures.  The  horizontal  distribution  of  dated  artefacts  completes
our knowledge of the chronological relationships between different buildings, activity areas and farmsteads. The detailed analysis
of artefact scatters also highlights differences in discard behaviour
between the various parts of the settlement (chap. 9).
The second section of the volume opens with a review of the general historical context of the site and an analysis of the political
situation in the Jura region during early medieval times (chap. 10).
Sources describing local events are treated with particular attention. An overview of the regional archaeological record places the
establishment  of  the  hamlet  within  a  larger  settlement  pattern
(chap. 11). The site was inhabited well before the foundation of
the monastery of Moutier-Grandval. Its occupation coincides with
a phase of demographic growth documented over much of the Jura
mountain range. The following general synthesis (chap. 12) draws
on  the  results  of  a  large  spectrum  of  analyses  of  features,  finds
and ecofacts. A concise description of the main characteristics of
each farmstead and activity area forms the foundation for a panoramic representation of the evolution of the settlement, beginning
with the founding of the three oldest farmsteads during the last
decades of the 6th century. The hamlet reaches its maximum size
before the middle of the 7th century. A major upheaval, dated to
the last quarter of the same century, leads to the desertion of the
eastern half of the settlement. The two western farmsteads, which
continue to function on their own for several decades, are in turn
abandoned around the middle of the 8th century (fig. 87).
Agriculture, animal husbandry and textile production are important  components  of  the  economy  throughout  site  occupation.
Ironworking is of central importance from the beginning of the
settlement. Raw iron, brought onto the site as bloom, was refined
and transformed into finished objects. This produced a considerable  surplus  of  metal  objects,  probably  for  export,  until  ironworking ceased during the period of upheaval marking the late
7th century. Different archaeometric analyses reveal the presence
of numerous imported objects and the existence of an extensive
exchange network. They shed light on the site’s place within the
local and regional economy. The chapter ends with a discussion
of the demography and social structure of the settlement, constrained  by  the  limits  of  the  archaeological  evidence.  The  next
chapter, last of those dealing with the Merovingian hamlet, examines its position within a larger regional framework (chap. 13).
The  foundation  of  the  site  occurs  against  the  backdrop  of  a
regional boom of iron smelting during the 6th century. The partial abandonment of the settlement, which coincides with the end
of ironworking, may have been caused by one of several documented  political  crises  of  the  late  7th  century.  Less  is  know  of
the context surrounding the end of the occupation of the western
farmsteads towards the middle of the 8th century.
The last section of the volume is concerned with the roman remains found during the excavation. The few and rather modest
features dating to this period include a complex of clay extraction
pits and a short road segment (chap. 14). The pottery, dating for
the most part from the 1st and 2nd centuries, consists mainly of
residual objects found in medieval contexts ; only a few sherds
were discovered within the roman features (chap. 15). This also
holds true for the small group of iron objects (chap. 16). Both
assemblages are described in detail. A short synthesis correlates
these different strands of evidence and presents a few conclusions
on the occupation of the site and its surrounding areas during
roman times (chap. 17).