Papers by Putelat Olivier
Fouille en 2009 a l’occasion des recherches archeologiques qui ont precede la construction de la ... more Fouille en 2009 a l’occasion des recherches archeologiques qui ont precede la construction de la future LGV Est-europeenne, le site de Mittelhausen « Liesbuehl/Gimbretter Weg » a ete explore sur une superficie de 5000 m². Une aire d’ensilage du second Âge du Fer y a ete identifiee. Les structures excavees, principalement de type fosse-silo, ont livre un assemblage ceramique homogene et coherent qui montre que l’occupation appartient a La Tene A. Des objets et des dechets de productions lies a la confection de textile ainsi qu’a la metallurgie du fer et des alliages cuivreux sont bien attestes. Les etudes archeobotaniques ont permis la mise en evidence d’une mosaique de milieux exploites durablement. L’agriculture associee est diversifiee, dominee par la production d’orge et de legumineuses, et completee par la pratique de la cueillette de fruits et d’herbacees sauvages.
Ethnozootechnie, 2015
L'"archeologie de la Grande Guerre" concerne tout particulierement l'Alsace, ca... more L'"archeologie de la Grande Guerre" concerne tout particulierement l'Alsace, car la region fut traversee durnat ce conflit par la ligne de front. L'archeozoologie, avec ses problematiques specifiques, s'insere pleinement dans cette demarche. De ce fait nous presentons ici un travail de synthese, fonde sur l'etude des ossements animaux mis au jour recemment en Alsace lors de fouilles ou des vestiges dela Grande Guerre ont pu etre apprehendes: des squelettes animaux, livres par des cadavres non consommes, et des dechets osseux, qui resultent de la decoupe et de la consommation de diverses especes animales. Dans un deuxieme temps, les hypotheses tirees des donnees osteologiques sont mises en perspective avec diverses sources ayant trait a la Grande Guerre.
Implante sur une terrasse lœssique a une trentaine de kilometres au sud de Strasbourg, le site pr... more Implante sur une terrasse lœssique a une trentaine de kilometres au sud de Strasbourg, le site protohistorique d’Erstein « Grasweg-PAE » connait des installations humaines depuis la deuxieme moitie du IIIe millenaire jusqu’a la premiere moitie du IXe siecle av. J.-C. au cours de l’etape moyenne du Bronze final. L’occupation RSFO, qui fait l’objet du present article, se caracterise par la presence d’une dizaine de structures excavees associees a un puits monoxyle dont certains bois sont dates par dendrochronologie des annees 1026 et 1010 av. J.-C. En s’appuyant sur ces datations absolues, l’ensemble ceramique d’Erstein « Grasweg-PAE » vient completer les connaissances acquises recemment sur le Bronze final IIIa en Alsace. Outre la ceramique, les fosses d’habitat ont livre un mobilier diversifie (objets metalliques, perles en verre…) et un assemblage faunique original, dans lequel la faune chassee occupe une place particuliere.
Des fleuves et des hommes à l’époque mérovingienne, 2016
La fouille du site de Birgelsgaerten a été réalisée en 2008 sur la commune d’Ostheim (Haut-Rhin, ... more La fouille du site de Birgelsgaerten a été réalisée en 2008 sur la commune d’Ostheim (Haut-Rhin, France) par le Pôle d’Archéologie Interdépartemental Rhénan. Il a été découvert un établissement rural, situé en bordure d’une terrasse de loess et d’une zone alluviale parcourue par un paléochenal. Le premier Moyen Âge livre près de 2 500 ossements animaux, où prévalent les espèces domestiques. Cependant, dans la fosse 3070-3325 (fin viie -début viiie siècle), d’où proviennent près d’un millier d’ossements, les restes de gibier représentent 16 % des restes déterminés. On trouve là des espèces rarement déterminées en Gaule mérovingienne : le bison d’Europe (Bison bonasus), un bovinésauvage, et l’élan (Alces alces). La réunion, dans une même unité stratigraphique, de ces espèces associées à plusieurs cerfs différents (Cervus elaphus) et au sanglier (Sus scrofa), fait interpréter cette découverte exceptionnelle comme étant le témoin du passage en ce lieu d’une élite aristocratique.Die Ausgrabung des Standorts Birgelsgaerten in der Gemeinde Ostheim (F, Haut-Rhin) erfolgte im Jahr 2008 durch den Pôle d’Archéologie Interdépartemental Rhénan. Entdeckt wurde eine landwirtschaftliche Siedlung, die sich am Rand einer Lössterrasse und einer Aue mit einem fließenden Palaeochannel befindet. Die stratigraphischen Schichten, die dem frühen Mittelalter zugeordnet werden konnten, haben ungefähr 2500 Tierknochen geliefert, wobei Haustiere vorherrschen. Grube 3070-3325 (Ende 6. - frühes 8. Jahrhundert) hingegen lieferte fast 1000 Knochen, wobei die Überreste von Wild 16% aller identifizierten Tierreste darstellen und zu Tierarten gehören, die nur selten im merowingerzeitlichen Gallien vorkommen : Wisent (Bison Bonasus), ein wildes Rind, Elch (Alces alces). Die Tatsache, dass diese Wild-Überreste in derselben stratigraphischen Einheit vorkommen wie mehrere Hirsch- (Cervus Elaphus) und Wildschweinreste (Sus Scrofa) deuten wir als Zeugnis der vorübergehenden Anwesenheit einer aristokratischen Elite.The site of Birgelsgaerten in Ostheim (Haut-Rhin, France) was excavated in 2008 by the Pôle d’Archéologie Interdépartemental Rhénan. This rural settlement is located on the edge of a terrace of loess and an alluvial area crossed by a palaeochannel. Around 2500 animal bones were retrieved from the stratigraphie layers attributed to the Early Middle Ages, amongst which domestic species prevailed. However, in pit 3070-3325 (late 7th-early 8th centuries) almost 1000 bones were excavated, with the remains of game representing 16% of the bones identified. They are composed of species rarely encountered in Merovingian Gaul : European bison (Bison bonasus), one wild bovine, and moose (Alces alces). The association in a single stratigraphic unit of these rare species with several stags (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) is interpreted as the passage through this place of an aristocratic elite
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2017
Gallia Archeologie De La France Antique, 2012
La necropole de la Haie aux Angles a Mecleuves (Moselle) regroupe 90 structures funeraires dont 5... more La necropole de la Haie aux Angles a Mecleuves (Moselle) regroupe 90 structures funeraires dont 58 sepultures secondaires a cremation et l’inhumation d’un sujet decede en periode perinatale. Son installation en bordure de la voie antique reliant Argentorate (Strasbourg) a Divodurum (Metz), ainsi que la presence de bâtiments d’epoque romaine de l’autre cote de cette voie, permettent de l’inscrire dans un contexte rural local bien connu par ses etablissements (fermes, villae ), mais encore peu apprehende d’un point de vue funeraire. Son utilisation se situe entre la seconde moitie du I er s. apr. J.-C. et la fin du III e s. apr. J.-C. La premiere phase d’utilisation marque la fondation de cette necropole caracterisee par la presence d’une grande fosse a offrandes. Le phasage du site a egalement permis d’apprehender l’organisation de l’espace sepulcral et l’evolution des pratiques funeraires liees a la cremation, tant du point de vue du type de sepulture (notamment le type de contenant utilise) que du point de vue du mobilier ou encore des vestiges osseux eux-memes. Ce site apporte de nombreuses informations pouvant etre mises en perspective avec ce qui est atteste sur d’autres sites romains mediomatriques ou, plus largement, du nord-est de la Gaule, et permet d’apprehender certains rituels rarement observes en archeologie.
Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led to the extinct... more Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led to the extinction of much of Europe’s megafauna. Here we show that the emblematic European bison has experienced several waves of population expansion, contraction and extinction during the last 50,000 years in Europe, culminating in a major reduction of genetic diversity during the Holocene. Fifty-seven complete and partial ancient mitogenomes from throughout Europe, the Caucausus and Siberia reveal that three populations of wisent (Bison bonasus) and steppe bison (B. priscus) alternated in Western Europe correlating with climate-induced environmental changes. The Late Pleistocene European steppe bison originated from northern Eurasia whereas the modern wisent population emerged from a refuge in the southern Caucasus after the last glacial maximum. A population overlap in a transition period is reflected in ca. 36,000 year-old paintings in the French Chauvet cave. Bayesian analyses of these complete ...
Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, 2011
Die Forschungsgrabungen der letzten zehn Jahre auf dem Hexenberg haben reiche archaologische Befu... more Die Forschungsgrabungen der letzten zehn Jahre auf dem Hexenberg haben reiche archaologische Befunde und Funde erbracht, die monographisch aufgearbeitet werden. Zusatzlich zu den archaologischen Studien beschaftigt sich ein Forschungsschwerpunkt mit den Beziehungen zwischen dem Fundplatz selbst, der Aufschuttungsebene des Rieds (hier das sogenannte Ried nord) und dem ehemaligen Rheinverlauf (der Hexenberg liegt heute acht Kilometer vom kanalisierten Fluss entfernt). Dazu wurde ein Forschungsausschnitt zwischen Seltz und Drusenheim mittels LIDAR-Scan sowie mit Hilfe alter Landkarten, Luftbildaufnahmen und den Ergebnissen von zwei aktuellen Rettungsgrabungen ausgewertet. Ein machtiger Altarm von rund einhundert Metern Breite, seitlich begrenzt von einem kleinen Graben, dem Landallmendgraben, ist bis heute gut im Gelande zu erkennen und verlauft rund funfhundert Meter unterhalb der Anhohe des Hexenberges. Er scheint mit dem rheinischen Flusssystem verbunden zu sein und die aktuellen Forschungen lassen einen Zusammenhang zwischen seiner hydrologischen Aktivitat und der Besiedlung auf dem Hexenberg erkennen. Die Auswertung von Metallfunden aus den Rheinaltarmen der Umgebung bestatigen diese chronologischen Erkenntnisse. Der Verlauf des Flusses hat sich demnach von der Vorgeschichte bis heute von West nach Ost verlagert. Die bislang dazu vorliegenden Daten sind noch sehr schwach und bilden lediglich das erste Teilstuck einer umfangreicheren Studie zum Verstandnis und Datierung der zahlreichen Altarme des Rheins. Die mit einer Palisade umwehrte Anlage auf dem Hexenberg wurde nur wahrend einer relativ kurzen Zeitspanne am Ende der Bronzezeit genutzt und hatte nach bisherigem Forschungsstand keine Vorgangersiedlung. Nach ihrem Auflassen wurde die Siedlungsflache erst wieder in gallo-romischer Zeit kurzfristig als Nekropole genutzt. Im Hochmittelalter entstand auf dem Hugel ein Wohnturm. Auf der 4000 m2 grosen, ehemals bewaldeten Ausgrabungsflache fanden sich uber 197 Strukturen. Zu den Befunden gehoren rund zwanzig Silos und ebenso viele Doppelgruben, die moglicherweise mit handwerklichen Aktivitaten in Verbindung standen. Hausgrundrisse in Standerbauweise sind nicht nachgewiesen. Das Fundmaterial umfasst rund 900 kg Keramikscherben von mindestens 881 Gefasen, die eine hohe Typenvariabilitat besonders unter den offenen Breitformen aufweisen sowie eine Vielzahl verschiedener Eindruckverzierungen speziell auf den Hochformen. Keramik mit roter oder mehrfarbiger Bemalung ist ebenfalls im Fundensemble vertreten, allerdings stark fragmentiert. Weitere Tonobjekte neben der Keramik sind einige Fragmente von “ Mondidole”/ Feuerbock, zahlreiche Firstziegel sowie Spinnwirtel, Siebgefase und Webgewichte. Die Metallfunde entsprechen dem typischen Siedlungsinventar, abgesehen von zwei Werkzeugen, einem Hohlbeitel und einem Meisel. Die Auswertung der lithischen Funde und ihre petrografische Analyse belegen die Verwendung von zahlreichen importierten Steinsorten. Erstmals fur diese Periode nachgewiesen ist der Gebrauch von Brecciensandstein und Basalt. Im Faunenspektrum zeigen sich eine Vorliebe fur Rindfleisch und der Verzehr von Wildtieren, dessen Anteil hoher ist als derjenige vom Schwein. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungsergebnisse tragen wesentlich zum Verstandnis des spatbronzezeitlichen Fundplatzes und seiner unmittelbaren Beziehung zum Rheinverlauf bei.
PloS one, 2018
In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred... more In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred individuals, which have subsisted in remote valleys of the Vosges mountains, and to a lesser extent from individuals escaped from private enclosures; at present times, this species occupies large areas, mainly in the Vosges Mountains. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of red deer in the Vosges Mountains using ancient and contemporary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 140 samples (23 ancient + 117 modern) spanning the last 7'000 years. In addition, we reconstructed the feeding habits and the habitat of red deer since the beginning of agriculture applying isotopic analyses in order to establish a basis for current environmental management strategies. We show that past and present red deer in the Vosges Mountains belong to mtDNA haplogroup A, suggesting that they originated from the Iberian refugium after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Palaeogenetic analysis of ancient b...
Thèse soutenue pour obtenir le grade de Docteur en Archéologie de l’Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Jul 14, 2015
"Human-Animal Relations in the World of the Living and the Dead. An Archaeozoological Study of Ru... more "Human-Animal Relations in the World of the Living and the Dead. An Archaeozoological Study of Rural Settlements and Cemeteries in Jura and Alsace (France), from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages" (traduction T.P. Newfield).
Key words
Alces alces, Alsace, Amulets, Animal plagues, Astragalus, Bone skates, Butchery, Archaeozoology, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eggs, Epizootics, Equidae, early Middle Ages, Food, Food Offerings, Funeral, Germanic, Grave goods, Horse graves, Hunting, Jura, Late Antiquity, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merovingian, Middle Ages, Osteometry, Paleopathology, Talus.
Mots-clés
Alces alces, Alimentation, Alsace, Amulettes, Antiquité tardive, Archéozoologie, Astragale, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Chasse, Découpe, Dépôts alimentaires funéraires, Enzooties, Épizooties, Équidés, Funéraire, Germanique, Haut Moyen Âge, Jura, Limes, Lutra lutra, Mérovingien, Moyen Âge, Œuf, Offrandes alimentaires, Ostéométrie, Paléopathologie, Patins en os, Talus, Tombes de chevaux.
Schlüsselwörter
Alces alces, Amulette, Archäozoologie, Astragalus, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eiern, Elsass, Equidae, Germanisch, Hochmittelalter, Jagd, Jura, Lebensmittel, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merowinger, Metzgerei, Mittelalter, Osteometrie, Paläopathologie, Pferdegräber, Rinderpest, Schlittknochen, Spätantike, Speisebeigaben, Talus, Tierseuche, Trauerfeier.
Ключевые слова
Амулеты, Археозоология, Астрагал, Германский, Забой скота, Костяные коньки, Лошадиные могилы, Меровинги, Могильные вещи, Мор животных (Моровые язвы). Остеометрия, Охота, Палеопатология, Пища, Пограничный Римский вал, Подношение пищи покойникам, Поздняя античность, Похороны, Раннее средневековье, Средние века, Таранная кость, Эльзас, Энзоотии, Эпизоотии, Юра, Яйца Alces alces, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Equidae, Lutra lutra.
This archaeozoological study focuses on human-animal relations, from late antiquity (mid 3rd c.), until the end of the early Middle Ages (11th c.).
It concentrates on the Jura Mountains and the plain of Alsace. These two neighboring geographic regions were communication corridors and riverine zones (Doubs, Saône, Rhône, Rhine), which belonged to different kingdoms and were inhabited by culturally distinct populations.
Three inputs are used to analyze the osteological data: rural domestic contexts, rural funerary contexts, and mortality of cattle.
- The first chapter presents the issue at hand, the physical, chronological and methodological data of the interregional research program (eastern France, western Switzerland, southern Germany).
- Chapter 2 considers 64 settlement sites and distinguishes them geographically, environmentally and socially. Approximately 146,000 identified bone remains for 87 taxa are assessed. Elements of synthesis are presented, regarding in particular evidence for food, livestock and hunting.
- Chapter 3 considers 30 cemeteries containing animal bones. Symbolic objects, animal skeletons and grave goods are discussed and the findings are compared with other known sites within Gaul and the Germanic sphere.
- Chapter 4 is based on the study of cattle skeletons discovered at three different but closely situated sites. Whether these bovine graves evidence infectious disease mortality events is discussed. These burials are compared with similar cases from early medieval France and also discussed in relation to the written evidence for animal mortality events in the Middle Ages.
- Chapter 5 presents a general synthesis of the results of the thesis, in regards to contexts and animal categories.
- Appendices and lists of additional data follow.
Chapter 2, an archaeozoological study of animal bones from domestic waste deposits, presents a range of new data and assesses, in particular, multiple environmental, geographical and cultural aspects. The material studied illuminates different feeding practices (subsistence strategies) between the Rhine plain "Alaman-Frank" area (sometimes hydromorphic) and the semi-mountain Jura "Roman-Burgundian" area. Within the Jura area itself multiple strategies were employed and it is necessary to distinguish between North Jura "Rhenish" and Jura "Saône-Rhône." The consumption of caprids (mainly sheep) was significantly higher in the early Middle Ages in most of the Jura area than in the Alsace Plain. Beef was more common, however, in Alsace Plain as well as in the North of the study area. Multiple factors account for this: southern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Jura area and northern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Rhine plain. The study confirmed the important place that pork had in the diet of elite populations. Poultry also played a significant role in the diet of elites, though to a lesser extent. In the southernmost part of the study area, the same can be said for caprids. Identifying the slaughter age of domestic animals provided a means for establishing consumption patterns of young animals (which give higher quality meats) as well as the economic value of animals and the choice to kill and consume unfit, possibly sick, individuals. Finally, sediment sieving allowed us to characterise the place held by eggs and fish in the human diet. We report here wild species (archaeozoologically determined) in the Upper Rhine and the Jura areas. The species hunted most commonly were hare, deer and wild boar. Venison represented a small portion of the meat consumed. The proportion of bones belonging to wild species, like evidence identifying the variety of species hunted, provides good information for establishing social setting.
The example of Ostheim "Birgelsgaerten" (F, Bas-Rhin) is particularly revealing. The discovery there of several deer, elk, bison, auroch and wild boar bones allowed us to assign these remains to aristocratic hunting, a practice documented in early medieval written sources. For this period in France and in Switzerland, these finds are unprecedented in the field of archaeozoology. Genetic analyses were employed to formally identify the Ostheim bison. Genetic tests, however, did not agree with our morphological determination of the auroch bones. Isotopic analyses allowed for the definition of the diet of wild bovines and large deer in the research area.
Chapter 3 assesses funerary sites and using archaeological data discusses, in particular, the custom of burying pets. Our results show how complex the issue is of domesticated carnivore deposits. We also present here the only known double equine grave in French and Swiss territory (the necropolis of Odratzheim, Bas-Rhin). This finding is considered alongside other double-horse graves of Germanic origin discovered north of the Rhine and the Danube. Animal bone objects (antlers artifacts) were found often in tombs. Some of them have been summarised here. The geographical origin of a beaver astragalus (ankle bone) worn as a pendant was determined allogeneically. There is evidence that this practice originated in Finnish-Baltic or Finnish-Ugric regions. The presence of numerous food offerings is a common feature of Alsatian Merovingian cemeteries. Species most commonly offered were chicken (often with eggs) and pig. It was valuable to compare these food offerings with the nutrition of the living population for whom chickens and pigs were synonymous with quality food. Venison food offerings were exceedingly rare. In the early Middle Ages, the custom of food offerings is a feature of Germanic influence. Food offerings are much more numerous to the north of the Rhine and Danube, and in the "Alaman-Frank" population from the Rhine area than in "Roman-Burgundian" population of the Jura area. Moreover, it is suggested here that these offerings were more common in populations not or only partly Christianised.
Research on (non Funeral) deposits of cattle carcasses and animal mortality (Chapter 4) has provided much information. It was possible to distinguish morphological characteristics of regional early medieval cattle and, above all, to demonstrate the health and economic consequences of serious disease episodes. We have argued that some cattle deposits (9th-12th c.) are probably related to enzootic or epizootic events. It is clear that bovine mortality increased significantly in our part of Europe from the Carolingian period. However Alsace seems less affected by these diseases than the region of the "Porte de Bourgogne". It is emphasised that systematic archaeozoological analysis of animal skeletons, greater use of radiocarbon dating (to be situate remains in their proper European context) and palaeogenetic tests are needed to improve paleopathological research.
Absolute ages of animals (cattle, caprids, pigs) have been estimated in accordance with teeth wear. Correspondence tables between relative ages and absolute ages are proposed in the methodology section (Chapter 1). The assessment of the double equine tomb at Odratzheim allowed for a summary of the morphology of Merovingian horses in the research area. These horses also provided osteometrical data (Chapter 5). The determination of ‘hybrid equines’ (mules) was attempted by morphological criteria, but also by multivariate analysis. Hundreds of different horses are taken into account. The mule is shown to have been common in the early medieval Jura area.
In conclusion, this archaeozoological study provides diverse reflections about human-animal relationships between the Rhine and the ‘Saône-Rhône’ areas, between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. It lays the foundation for new regional perspectives and facilitates the interdisciplinary use of archaeozoological data.
Le peuplement de l’Arc jurassien de la Préhistoire au Moyen Âge. Actes des deuxièmes journées archéologiques frontalières de l’Arc jurassien, Delle (F) – Boncourt (CH), 16-18 novembre 2007, 2013
Ancient DNA by Putelat Olivier
Background:
Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led t... more Background:
Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led to the extinction of much of Europe’s megafauna. The European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus), one of the last wild European large mammals, narrowly escaped extinction at the onset of the 20th century owing to hunting and habitat fragmentation. Little is known, however, about its origin, evolutionary history and population dynamics
during the Pleistocene.
Results:
Through ancient DNA analysis we show that the emblematic European bison has experienced several
waves of population expansion, contraction, and extinction during the last 50,000 years in Europe, culminating in a major reduction of genetic diversity during the Holocene. Fifty-seven complete and partial ancient mitogenomes from throughout Europe, the Caucasus, and Siberia reveal that three populations of wisent (Bison bonasus) and steppe bison (B. priscus) alternately occupied Western Europe, correlating with climate-induced environmental changes. The Late Pleistocene European steppe bison originated from northern Eurasia, whereas the modern wisent population emerged from a refuge in the southern Caucasus after the last glacial maximum. A population overlap during a transition period is reflected in ca. 36,000-year-old paintings in the French Chauvet cave. Bayesian analyses of these complete ancient mitogenomes yielded new dates of the various branching events during the evolution of Bison and its radiation with Bos, which lead us to propose that the genetic affiliation between the wisent and cattle mitogenomes result from incomplete lineage sorting rather than post-speciation gene flow.
Conclusion:
The paleogenetic analysis of bison remains from the last 50,000 years reveals the influence of
climate changes on the dynamics of the various bison populations in Europe, only one of which survived into the Holocene, where it experienced severe reductions in its genetic diversity. The time depth and geographical scope of this study enables us to propose temperate Western Europe as a suitable biotope for the wisent compatible with its reintroduction.
Keywords:
Ancient DNA, Bison, Population dynamics, Evolution, Climate, Paleoenvironment, Next generation
sequencing, Sequence capture
In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred... more In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred individuals, which have subsisted in remote valleys of the Vosges mountains, and to a lesser extent from individuals escaped from private enclosures; at present times, this species occupies large areas, mainly in the Vosges Mountains. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of red deer in the Vosges Mountains using ancient and contemporary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 140 samples (23 ancient + 117 modern) spanning the last 7'000 years. In addition, we reconstructed the feeding habits and the habitat of red deer since the beginning of agriculture applying isotopic analyses in order to establish a basis for current environmental management strategies. We show that past and present red deer in the Vosges Mountains belong to mtDNA haplogroup A, suggesting that they originated from the Iberian refugium after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Palaeogenetic analysis
of ancient bone material revealed the presence of two distinct haplotypes with different temporal distributions. Individuals belonging to the two haplotype groups apparently occupied two different habitats over at least 7'000 years. AM6 correlates with an ecological type that feeds in densely forested mountain landscapes, while AM235 correlates with feeding in lowland landscapes, composed of a mixture of meadows and riverine, herb-rich woodlands. Our results suggest that red deer of north-eastern France was able to adapt, over the long term, to these different habitat types, possibly due to efficient ethological barriers. Modern haplotype patterns support the historical record that red deer has been exposed to strong anthropogenic influences as a major game species.
Nature ecology & evolution, 2017
The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic va... more The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis
of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat’s worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along
human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.
The domestic cat is present on all continents except Antarctica, and in the most remote regions of the world, and its evolutionary success is unquestioned. While it is nowadays one of the most cherished companion animals in the Western world, for
ancient societies barn cats, village cats and ships’ cats provided critical protection against vermin, especially rodent pests responsible for economic loss and disease1. Owing to a paucity of cat remains in the archaeological record, current hypotheses about early cat domestication rely on only a few zooarchaeological case studies.
These studies suggest that ancient societies in both the Near East and Egypt could have played key roles in cat domestication2,3. Wildcats (Felis silvestris) are distributed all over the Old World. Current taxonomy distinguishes five wild, geographically partitioned subspecies: Felis silvestris silvestris, Felis silvestris lybica, Felis
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Papers by Putelat Olivier
Key words
Alces alces, Alsace, Amulets, Animal plagues, Astragalus, Bone skates, Butchery, Archaeozoology, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eggs, Epizootics, Equidae, early Middle Ages, Food, Food Offerings, Funeral, Germanic, Grave goods, Horse graves, Hunting, Jura, Late Antiquity, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merovingian, Middle Ages, Osteometry, Paleopathology, Talus.
Mots-clés
Alces alces, Alimentation, Alsace, Amulettes, Antiquité tardive, Archéozoologie, Astragale, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Chasse, Découpe, Dépôts alimentaires funéraires, Enzooties, Épizooties, Équidés, Funéraire, Germanique, Haut Moyen Âge, Jura, Limes, Lutra lutra, Mérovingien, Moyen Âge, Œuf, Offrandes alimentaires, Ostéométrie, Paléopathologie, Patins en os, Talus, Tombes de chevaux.
Schlüsselwörter
Alces alces, Amulette, Archäozoologie, Astragalus, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eiern, Elsass, Equidae, Germanisch, Hochmittelalter, Jagd, Jura, Lebensmittel, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merowinger, Metzgerei, Mittelalter, Osteometrie, Paläopathologie, Pferdegräber, Rinderpest, Schlittknochen, Spätantike, Speisebeigaben, Talus, Tierseuche, Trauerfeier.
Ключевые слова
Амулеты, Археозоология, Астрагал, Германский, Забой скота, Костяные коньки, Лошадиные могилы, Меровинги, Могильные вещи, Мор животных (Моровые язвы). Остеометрия, Охота, Палеопатология, Пища, Пограничный Римский вал, Подношение пищи покойникам, Поздняя античность, Похороны, Раннее средневековье, Средние века, Таранная кость, Эльзас, Энзоотии, Эпизоотии, Юра, Яйца Alces alces, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Equidae, Lutra lutra.
This archaeozoological study focuses on human-animal relations, from late antiquity (mid 3rd c.), until the end of the early Middle Ages (11th c.).
It concentrates on the Jura Mountains and the plain of Alsace. These two neighboring geographic regions were communication corridors and riverine zones (Doubs, Saône, Rhône, Rhine), which belonged to different kingdoms and were inhabited by culturally distinct populations.
Three inputs are used to analyze the osteological data: rural domestic contexts, rural funerary contexts, and mortality of cattle.
- The first chapter presents the issue at hand, the physical, chronological and methodological data of the interregional research program (eastern France, western Switzerland, southern Germany).
- Chapter 2 considers 64 settlement sites and distinguishes them geographically, environmentally and socially. Approximately 146,000 identified bone remains for 87 taxa are assessed. Elements of synthesis are presented, regarding in particular evidence for food, livestock and hunting.
- Chapter 3 considers 30 cemeteries containing animal bones. Symbolic objects, animal skeletons and grave goods are discussed and the findings are compared with other known sites within Gaul and the Germanic sphere.
- Chapter 4 is based on the study of cattle skeletons discovered at three different but closely situated sites. Whether these bovine graves evidence infectious disease mortality events is discussed. These burials are compared with similar cases from early medieval France and also discussed in relation to the written evidence for animal mortality events in the Middle Ages.
- Chapter 5 presents a general synthesis of the results of the thesis, in regards to contexts and animal categories.
- Appendices and lists of additional data follow.
Chapter 2, an archaeozoological study of animal bones from domestic waste deposits, presents a range of new data and assesses, in particular, multiple environmental, geographical and cultural aspects. The material studied illuminates different feeding practices (subsistence strategies) between the Rhine plain "Alaman-Frank" area (sometimes hydromorphic) and the semi-mountain Jura "Roman-Burgundian" area. Within the Jura area itself multiple strategies were employed and it is necessary to distinguish between North Jura "Rhenish" and Jura "Saône-Rhône." The consumption of caprids (mainly sheep) was significantly higher in the early Middle Ages in most of the Jura area than in the Alsace Plain. Beef was more common, however, in Alsace Plain as well as in the North of the study area. Multiple factors account for this: southern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Jura area and northern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Rhine plain. The study confirmed the important place that pork had in the diet of elite populations. Poultry also played a significant role in the diet of elites, though to a lesser extent. In the southernmost part of the study area, the same can be said for caprids. Identifying the slaughter age of domestic animals provided a means for establishing consumption patterns of young animals (which give higher quality meats) as well as the economic value of animals and the choice to kill and consume unfit, possibly sick, individuals. Finally, sediment sieving allowed us to characterise the place held by eggs and fish in the human diet. We report here wild species (archaeozoologically determined) in the Upper Rhine and the Jura areas. The species hunted most commonly were hare, deer and wild boar. Venison represented a small portion of the meat consumed. The proportion of bones belonging to wild species, like evidence identifying the variety of species hunted, provides good information for establishing social setting.
The example of Ostheim "Birgelsgaerten" (F, Bas-Rhin) is particularly revealing. The discovery there of several deer, elk, bison, auroch and wild boar bones allowed us to assign these remains to aristocratic hunting, a practice documented in early medieval written sources. For this period in France and in Switzerland, these finds are unprecedented in the field of archaeozoology. Genetic analyses were employed to formally identify the Ostheim bison. Genetic tests, however, did not agree with our morphological determination of the auroch bones. Isotopic analyses allowed for the definition of the diet of wild bovines and large deer in the research area.
Chapter 3 assesses funerary sites and using archaeological data discusses, in particular, the custom of burying pets. Our results show how complex the issue is of domesticated carnivore deposits. We also present here the only known double equine grave in French and Swiss territory (the necropolis of Odratzheim, Bas-Rhin). This finding is considered alongside other double-horse graves of Germanic origin discovered north of the Rhine and the Danube. Animal bone objects (antlers artifacts) were found often in tombs. Some of them have been summarised here. The geographical origin of a beaver astragalus (ankle bone) worn as a pendant was determined allogeneically. There is evidence that this practice originated in Finnish-Baltic or Finnish-Ugric regions. The presence of numerous food offerings is a common feature of Alsatian Merovingian cemeteries. Species most commonly offered were chicken (often with eggs) and pig. It was valuable to compare these food offerings with the nutrition of the living population for whom chickens and pigs were synonymous with quality food. Venison food offerings were exceedingly rare. In the early Middle Ages, the custom of food offerings is a feature of Germanic influence. Food offerings are much more numerous to the north of the Rhine and Danube, and in the "Alaman-Frank" population from the Rhine area than in "Roman-Burgundian" population of the Jura area. Moreover, it is suggested here that these offerings were more common in populations not or only partly Christianised.
Research on (non Funeral) deposits of cattle carcasses and animal mortality (Chapter 4) has provided much information. It was possible to distinguish morphological characteristics of regional early medieval cattle and, above all, to demonstrate the health and economic consequences of serious disease episodes. We have argued that some cattle deposits (9th-12th c.) are probably related to enzootic or epizootic events. It is clear that bovine mortality increased significantly in our part of Europe from the Carolingian period. However Alsace seems less affected by these diseases than the region of the "Porte de Bourgogne". It is emphasised that systematic archaeozoological analysis of animal skeletons, greater use of radiocarbon dating (to be situate remains in their proper European context) and palaeogenetic tests are needed to improve paleopathological research.
Absolute ages of animals (cattle, caprids, pigs) have been estimated in accordance with teeth wear. Correspondence tables between relative ages and absolute ages are proposed in the methodology section (Chapter 1). The assessment of the double equine tomb at Odratzheim allowed for a summary of the morphology of Merovingian horses in the research area. These horses also provided osteometrical data (Chapter 5). The determination of ‘hybrid equines’ (mules) was attempted by morphological criteria, but also by multivariate analysis. Hundreds of different horses are taken into account. The mule is shown to have been common in the early medieval Jura area.
In conclusion, this archaeozoological study provides diverse reflections about human-animal relationships between the Rhine and the ‘Saône-Rhône’ areas, between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. It lays the foundation for new regional perspectives and facilitates the interdisciplinary use of archaeozoological data.
Ancient DNA by Putelat Olivier
Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led to the extinction of much of Europe’s megafauna. The European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus), one of the last wild European large mammals, narrowly escaped extinction at the onset of the 20th century owing to hunting and habitat fragmentation. Little is known, however, about its origin, evolutionary history and population dynamics
during the Pleistocene.
Results:
Through ancient DNA analysis we show that the emblematic European bison has experienced several
waves of population expansion, contraction, and extinction during the last 50,000 years in Europe, culminating in a major reduction of genetic diversity during the Holocene. Fifty-seven complete and partial ancient mitogenomes from throughout Europe, the Caucasus, and Siberia reveal that three populations of wisent (Bison bonasus) and steppe bison (B. priscus) alternately occupied Western Europe, correlating with climate-induced environmental changes. The Late Pleistocene European steppe bison originated from northern Eurasia, whereas the modern wisent population emerged from a refuge in the southern Caucasus after the last glacial maximum. A population overlap during a transition period is reflected in ca. 36,000-year-old paintings in the French Chauvet cave. Bayesian analyses of these complete ancient mitogenomes yielded new dates of the various branching events during the evolution of Bison and its radiation with Bos, which lead us to propose that the genetic affiliation between the wisent and cattle mitogenomes result from incomplete lineage sorting rather than post-speciation gene flow.
Conclusion:
The paleogenetic analysis of bison remains from the last 50,000 years reveals the influence of
climate changes on the dynamics of the various bison populations in Europe, only one of which survived into the Holocene, where it experienced severe reductions in its genetic diversity. The time depth and geographical scope of this study enables us to propose temperate Western Europe as a suitable biotope for the wisent compatible with its reintroduction.
Keywords:
Ancient DNA, Bison, Population dynamics, Evolution, Climate, Paleoenvironment, Next generation
sequencing, Sequence capture
of ancient bone material revealed the presence of two distinct haplotypes with different temporal distributions. Individuals belonging to the two haplotype groups apparently occupied two different habitats over at least 7'000 years. AM6 correlates with an ecological type that feeds in densely forested mountain landscapes, while AM235 correlates with feeding in lowland landscapes, composed of a mixture of meadows and riverine, herb-rich woodlands. Our results suggest that red deer of north-eastern France was able to adapt, over the long term, to these different habitat types, possibly due to efficient ethological barriers. Modern haplotype patterns support the historical record that red deer has been exposed to strong anthropogenic influences as a major game species.
of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat’s worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along
human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.
The domestic cat is present on all continents except Antarctica, and in the most remote regions of the world, and its evolutionary success is unquestioned. While it is nowadays one of the most cherished companion animals in the Western world, for
ancient societies barn cats, village cats and ships’ cats provided critical protection against vermin, especially rodent pests responsible for economic loss and disease1. Owing to a paucity of cat remains in the archaeological record, current hypotheses about early cat domestication rely on only a few zooarchaeological case studies.
These studies suggest that ancient societies in both the Near East and Egypt could have played key roles in cat domestication2,3. Wildcats (Felis silvestris) are distributed all over the Old World. Current taxonomy distinguishes five wild, geographically partitioned subspecies: Felis silvestris silvestris, Felis silvestris lybica, Felis
Key words
Alces alces, Alsace, Amulets, Animal plagues, Astragalus, Bone skates, Butchery, Archaeozoology, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eggs, Epizootics, Equidae, early Middle Ages, Food, Food Offerings, Funeral, Germanic, Grave goods, Horse graves, Hunting, Jura, Late Antiquity, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merovingian, Middle Ages, Osteometry, Paleopathology, Talus.
Mots-clés
Alces alces, Alimentation, Alsace, Amulettes, Antiquité tardive, Archéozoologie, Astragale, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Chasse, Découpe, Dépôts alimentaires funéraires, Enzooties, Épizooties, Équidés, Funéraire, Germanique, Haut Moyen Âge, Jura, Limes, Lutra lutra, Mérovingien, Moyen Âge, Œuf, Offrandes alimentaires, Ostéométrie, Paléopathologie, Patins en os, Talus, Tombes de chevaux.
Schlüsselwörter
Alces alces, Amulette, Archäozoologie, Astragalus, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eiern, Elsass, Equidae, Germanisch, Hochmittelalter, Jagd, Jura, Lebensmittel, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merowinger, Metzgerei, Mittelalter, Osteometrie, Paläopathologie, Pferdegräber, Rinderpest, Schlittknochen, Spätantike, Speisebeigaben, Talus, Tierseuche, Trauerfeier.
Ключевые слова
Амулеты, Археозоология, Астрагал, Германский, Забой скота, Костяные коньки, Лошадиные могилы, Меровинги, Могильные вещи, Мор животных (Моровые язвы). Остеометрия, Охота, Палеопатология, Пища, Пограничный Римский вал, Подношение пищи покойникам, Поздняя античность, Похороны, Раннее средневековье, Средние века, Таранная кость, Эльзас, Энзоотии, Эпизоотии, Юра, Яйца Alces alces, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Equidae, Lutra lutra.
This archaeozoological study focuses on human-animal relations, from late antiquity (mid 3rd c.), until the end of the early Middle Ages (11th c.).
It concentrates on the Jura Mountains and the plain of Alsace. These two neighboring geographic regions were communication corridors and riverine zones (Doubs, Saône, Rhône, Rhine), which belonged to different kingdoms and were inhabited by culturally distinct populations.
Three inputs are used to analyze the osteological data: rural domestic contexts, rural funerary contexts, and mortality of cattle.
- The first chapter presents the issue at hand, the physical, chronological and methodological data of the interregional research program (eastern France, western Switzerland, southern Germany).
- Chapter 2 considers 64 settlement sites and distinguishes them geographically, environmentally and socially. Approximately 146,000 identified bone remains for 87 taxa are assessed. Elements of synthesis are presented, regarding in particular evidence for food, livestock and hunting.
- Chapter 3 considers 30 cemeteries containing animal bones. Symbolic objects, animal skeletons and grave goods are discussed and the findings are compared with other known sites within Gaul and the Germanic sphere.
- Chapter 4 is based on the study of cattle skeletons discovered at three different but closely situated sites. Whether these bovine graves evidence infectious disease mortality events is discussed. These burials are compared with similar cases from early medieval France and also discussed in relation to the written evidence for animal mortality events in the Middle Ages.
- Chapter 5 presents a general synthesis of the results of the thesis, in regards to contexts and animal categories.
- Appendices and lists of additional data follow.
Chapter 2, an archaeozoological study of animal bones from domestic waste deposits, presents a range of new data and assesses, in particular, multiple environmental, geographical and cultural aspects. The material studied illuminates different feeding practices (subsistence strategies) between the Rhine plain "Alaman-Frank" area (sometimes hydromorphic) and the semi-mountain Jura "Roman-Burgundian" area. Within the Jura area itself multiple strategies were employed and it is necessary to distinguish between North Jura "Rhenish" and Jura "Saône-Rhône." The consumption of caprids (mainly sheep) was significantly higher in the early Middle Ages in most of the Jura area than in the Alsace Plain. Beef was more common, however, in Alsace Plain as well as in the North of the study area. Multiple factors account for this: southern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Jura area and northern socio-economic and cultural factors influenced the Rhine plain. The study confirmed the important place that pork had in the diet of elite populations. Poultry also played a significant role in the diet of elites, though to a lesser extent. In the southernmost part of the study area, the same can be said for caprids. Identifying the slaughter age of domestic animals provided a means for establishing consumption patterns of young animals (which give higher quality meats) as well as the economic value of animals and the choice to kill and consume unfit, possibly sick, individuals. Finally, sediment sieving allowed us to characterise the place held by eggs and fish in the human diet. We report here wild species (archaeozoologically determined) in the Upper Rhine and the Jura areas. The species hunted most commonly were hare, deer and wild boar. Venison represented a small portion of the meat consumed. The proportion of bones belonging to wild species, like evidence identifying the variety of species hunted, provides good information for establishing social setting.
The example of Ostheim "Birgelsgaerten" (F, Bas-Rhin) is particularly revealing. The discovery there of several deer, elk, bison, auroch and wild boar bones allowed us to assign these remains to aristocratic hunting, a practice documented in early medieval written sources. For this period in France and in Switzerland, these finds are unprecedented in the field of archaeozoology. Genetic analyses were employed to formally identify the Ostheim bison. Genetic tests, however, did not agree with our morphological determination of the auroch bones. Isotopic analyses allowed for the definition of the diet of wild bovines and large deer in the research area.
Chapter 3 assesses funerary sites and using archaeological data discusses, in particular, the custom of burying pets. Our results show how complex the issue is of domesticated carnivore deposits. We also present here the only known double equine grave in French and Swiss territory (the necropolis of Odratzheim, Bas-Rhin). This finding is considered alongside other double-horse graves of Germanic origin discovered north of the Rhine and the Danube. Animal bone objects (antlers artifacts) were found often in tombs. Some of them have been summarised here. The geographical origin of a beaver astragalus (ankle bone) worn as a pendant was determined allogeneically. There is evidence that this practice originated in Finnish-Baltic or Finnish-Ugric regions. The presence of numerous food offerings is a common feature of Alsatian Merovingian cemeteries. Species most commonly offered were chicken (often with eggs) and pig. It was valuable to compare these food offerings with the nutrition of the living population for whom chickens and pigs were synonymous with quality food. Venison food offerings were exceedingly rare. In the early Middle Ages, the custom of food offerings is a feature of Germanic influence. Food offerings are much more numerous to the north of the Rhine and Danube, and in the "Alaman-Frank" population from the Rhine area than in "Roman-Burgundian" population of the Jura area. Moreover, it is suggested here that these offerings were more common in populations not or only partly Christianised.
Research on (non Funeral) deposits of cattle carcasses and animal mortality (Chapter 4) has provided much information. It was possible to distinguish morphological characteristics of regional early medieval cattle and, above all, to demonstrate the health and economic consequences of serious disease episodes. We have argued that some cattle deposits (9th-12th c.) are probably related to enzootic or epizootic events. It is clear that bovine mortality increased significantly in our part of Europe from the Carolingian period. However Alsace seems less affected by these diseases than the region of the "Porte de Bourgogne". It is emphasised that systematic archaeozoological analysis of animal skeletons, greater use of radiocarbon dating (to be situate remains in their proper European context) and palaeogenetic tests are needed to improve paleopathological research.
Absolute ages of animals (cattle, caprids, pigs) have been estimated in accordance with teeth wear. Correspondence tables between relative ages and absolute ages are proposed in the methodology section (Chapter 1). The assessment of the double equine tomb at Odratzheim allowed for a summary of the morphology of Merovingian horses in the research area. These horses also provided osteometrical data (Chapter 5). The determination of ‘hybrid equines’ (mules) was attempted by morphological criteria, but also by multivariate analysis. Hundreds of different horses are taken into account. The mule is shown to have been common in the early medieval Jura area.
In conclusion, this archaeozoological study provides diverse reflections about human-animal relationships between the Rhine and the ‘Saône-Rhône’ areas, between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. It lays the foundation for new regional perspectives and facilitates the interdisciplinary use of archaeozoological data.
Climatic and environmental fluctuations as well as anthropogenic pressure have led to the extinction of much of Europe’s megafauna. The European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus), one of the last wild European large mammals, narrowly escaped extinction at the onset of the 20th century owing to hunting and habitat fragmentation. Little is known, however, about its origin, evolutionary history and population dynamics
during the Pleistocene.
Results:
Through ancient DNA analysis we show that the emblematic European bison has experienced several
waves of population expansion, contraction, and extinction during the last 50,000 years in Europe, culminating in a major reduction of genetic diversity during the Holocene. Fifty-seven complete and partial ancient mitogenomes from throughout Europe, the Caucasus, and Siberia reveal that three populations of wisent (Bison bonasus) and steppe bison (B. priscus) alternately occupied Western Europe, correlating with climate-induced environmental changes. The Late Pleistocene European steppe bison originated from northern Eurasia, whereas the modern wisent population emerged from a refuge in the southern Caucasus after the last glacial maximum. A population overlap during a transition period is reflected in ca. 36,000-year-old paintings in the French Chauvet cave. Bayesian analyses of these complete ancient mitogenomes yielded new dates of the various branching events during the evolution of Bison and its radiation with Bos, which lead us to propose that the genetic affiliation between the wisent and cattle mitogenomes result from incomplete lineage sorting rather than post-speciation gene flow.
Conclusion:
The paleogenetic analysis of bison remains from the last 50,000 years reveals the influence of
climate changes on the dynamics of the various bison populations in Europe, only one of which survived into the Holocene, where it experienced severe reductions in its genetic diversity. The time depth and geographical scope of this study enables us to propose temperate Western Europe as a suitable biotope for the wisent compatible with its reintroduction.
Keywords:
Ancient DNA, Bison, Population dynamics, Evolution, Climate, Paleoenvironment, Next generation
sequencing, Sequence capture
of ancient bone material revealed the presence of two distinct haplotypes with different temporal distributions. Individuals belonging to the two haplotype groups apparently occupied two different habitats over at least 7'000 years. AM6 correlates with an ecological type that feeds in densely forested mountain landscapes, while AM235 correlates with feeding in lowland landscapes, composed of a mixture of meadows and riverine, herb-rich woodlands. Our results suggest that red deer of north-eastern France was able to adapt, over the long term, to these different habitat types, possibly due to efficient ethological barriers. Modern haplotype patterns support the historical record that red deer has been exposed to strong anthropogenic influences as a major game species.
of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat’s worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along
human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.
The domestic cat is present on all continents except Antarctica, and in the most remote regions of the world, and its evolutionary success is unquestioned. While it is nowadays one of the most cherished companion animals in the Western world, for
ancient societies barn cats, village cats and ships’ cats provided critical protection against vermin, especially rodent pests responsible for economic loss and disease1. Owing to a paucity of cat remains in the archaeological record, current hypotheses about early cat domestication rely on only a few zooarchaeological case studies.
These studies suggest that ancient societies in both the Near East and Egypt could have played key roles in cat domestication2,3. Wildcats (Felis silvestris) are distributed all over the Old World. Current taxonomy distinguishes five wild, geographically partitioned subspecies: Felis silvestris silvestris, Felis silvestris lybica, Felis
d’une vaste nécropole du haut Moyen Âge. Les 145 sépultures identifiées (pour
seulement 118 fouillées) se répartissent sur l’ensemble des 5000 m² concernés
par l’opération, de manière plus ou moins dense selon les secteurs, mais aucune
limite n’a pu être clairement définie. L’échantillon d’étude reste cependant
significatif, puisqu’il compte à ce jour parmi les plus élevés de Basse Alsace.
Une conservation remarquable des éléments organiques ainsi que des
profondeurs d’enfouissement importantes ont permis de déceler ici des éléments
d’architecture funéraire encore peu observés pour la période. Les chambres
funéraires habituellement présentes sur les nécropoles du haut Moyen Âge
sont bien ici représentées et constituent plus de la moitié des inhumations. Au
type bien connu de chambre de type « Morken » s’ajoute notamment un type
inédit : il s’agit de chambres étroites mais de forme très allongée, fermées
par un couvercle reposant sur des banquettes taillées dans le substrat. Des
sépultures en coffrage lithique ont également été découvertes. Une douzaine
de ces sépultures étaient entourées d’un cercle funéraire, témoignant sans
doute de la présence de tumulus.
Si les indices chronologiques n’ont pas montré de schéma de développement
spatial particulier, ce sont d’autres données qui ont révélé une gestion spécifique
de l’espace funéraire : répartition par type de sépulture, espace dédié aux
sujets immatures, pôles familiaux… Les réseaux d’apparentement s’avèrent
plus complexes que les seuls liens de parenté, mais ils échappent en grande
partie aux observations de l’archéologie.
L’étude anthropologique des individus inhumés reflète les caractéristiques d’une
population naturelle de type société pré-jennérienne. Le bilan paléopathologique
montre quant à lui un environnement globalement défavorable et un accès aux
soins visiblement difficile, voire inexistant. Les pathologies dégénératives et
les marqueurs osseux d’activités sont fréquents, témoignant d’une sollicitation
physique importante chez toutes les classes d’âge des adultes. La différence de
localisation de ces lésions en fonction du sexe laisse entrevoir une répartition
des tâches différenciée pour les hommes et les femmes.
Des lésions liées à une tréponématose ont été identifiés pour trois individus.
Ce diagnostic, qui demande encore à être confirmé, pourrait représenter une
avancée majeure en paléopathologie, prouvant ainsi que la maladie était déjà
présente en Europe avant le 15e siècle.
donné lieu, de mai à juillet 2010, à une opération de fouille préventive au lieudit
« Am Wasserturm ». La commune se situe dans la plaine du Rhin, à quelques
kilomètres seulement du fleuve. Localisé à l’entrée sud du village, le terrain soumis
à la fouille correspond à deux zones : au nord, quelques fosses de l’âge du Bronze,
un ensemble funéraire du haut Moyen Âge et un méandre du Rhin ; au sud, un
habitat rural du haut Moyen Âge.
Au nord, sur la terrasse alluviale, une occupation sporadique datée de l’âge du Bronze
a été mise en évidence. Le faible nombre de structures suggère une implantation
légère, peut-être de type agro-pastoral saisonnier.
Un ancien méandre du Rhin a été étudié, sous l’aspect envrionnemental et
archéologique. Actif dès l’âge du Bronze, il connaît des fluctuations d’intensité
pendant toute la Protohistoire et semble disparaître au cours de l’Antiquité/haut
Moyen Âge. Les études paléoenvironnementales qui nt été réalisées ont permis de
reconsituer les relations homme-milieu au cours de ces périodes.
L’occupation la plus significative correspond au haut Moyen Âge. Un ensemble
funéraire composé de 39 inhumations est implanté au nord du paléochenal. Les
sépultures sont réparties de manière lâche sur une superficie d’environ 2350 m².
Le mobilier, assez riche, date les premières tombes du dernier tiers du 6e siècle.
Le groupe funéraire fonctionne ensuite sans hiatus apparent jusqu’à la deuxième
moitié du 10e siècle.
Au sud se développe un habitat, déjà connu par une fouille de sauvetage située à
environ 250 m au sud. Les limites nord et est ont été bien identifiées, mais il semble
se poursuivre plus à l’ouest. Il se compose de structures assez classiques pour ce
type d’occupation (bâtiments sur poteaux plantés, cabanes excavées, puits, fosses,
sépulture isolée), mais il offre l’avantage de livrer un matériel riche et abondant,
qui a permis de dater précisément l’occupation, y compris les bâtiments, dont la
date habituellement nous échappe. L’occupation s’étend de manière continue, du
début du 7e siècle jusqu’au milieu du 9e siècle. Les parcelles perdent ensuite leur
vocation domestique et sont probablement mises en culture. La découverte d’une
sépulture isolée dans un fossé montre que le site connaît encore des traces de
fréquentation jusqu’à la fin du 10e siècle.
Ce site offre, pour la première fois en Alsace, l’opportunité d’étudier un ensemble
funéraire du haut Moyen Âge et l’habitat qui lui est contemporain.
Les vestiges antiques correspondent à un établissement rural, composé de bâtiments de plain-pied et de structures à vocation sans doute artisanale (cabanes excavées, fours, foyers). Le site naturel offre un contexte favorable aux activités agropastorales, largement confirmées par les résultats de l’analyse carpologique et de l’analyse pollinique.
Après un hiatus apparent d’au moins un siècle, l’occupation reprend dans le deuxième tiers du 6e siècle. Les vestiges couvrent toute la superficie du site fouillé et s’étendent vraisemblablement au-delà. Les structures mises au jour correspondent à un habitat et sont classiques pour ce type de site (bâtiments de plain-pied, cabanes excavées, foyers, fosses). Les activités identifées sont là aussi essentiellement tournées vers l’agropastoral. La culture des céréales est confirmée par la présence de greniers et de silos pour le stockage des grains, ainsi que d’une cabane ou aire de travail destinée au séchage des céréales. L’élevage est confirmé par les restes fauniques. Le tissage a également été mis en évidence, sans doute à une échelle domestique. Enfin, une zone de forge a été mise au jour, prouvant le travail du métal sur le site.
Cette première opération archéologique menée sur le territoire de la commune a permis d’apporter de nouveaux éléments sur l’origine du village actuel, mais aussi de poursuivre les recherches portant sur l’occupation historique du Kochersberg, zone densément occupée au haut Moyen Âge. Elle a également permis d’enrichir les données disponibles concernant les établissements ruraux, qu’ils soient antiques ou alto-médiévaux.
Cherchez la (petite) bête :l’animal au haut Moyen Âge.
Les textes indiquent qu’une abbaye réservée aux femmes de la haute noblesse aurait été fondée par Richarde, femme de l’empereur Charles le Gros, en 879/880. Les vestiges mis au jour viennent confirmer les sources écrites et plaident en faveur d’une construction dès la fin du 9e s. L’occupation est alors caractérisée par l’existence d’une pièce, chauffée par un poêle à pots tronconiques situé dans l’angle de la pièce. A l’est, les terrains sont utilisés comme zone de rejets domestiques. Dès le 11e s., cette zone change de fonction et devient sans doute une zone d’appentis, avec le creusement d’un puits et d’une fosse qui a servi de dépotoir. Les quelques traces de poteaux signalent peut-être une couverture en bois. Cette première phase (phase A) a par ailleurs livré un corpus faunique extrêmement riche, qui témoigne de la qualité et de la diversité de l’alimentation, et donc du niveau social élevé des religieuses.
À partir de la deuxième moitié du 12e s. (phase B), un nouvel ensemble plus vaste est construit. Il comprend quatre pièces au moins, disposées autour d’un cloître. La pièce située à l’est est dotée d’une structure de cuisson maçonnée, qui indique sans doute sa fonction de cuisine. Dans une deuxième phase d’aménagement, les espaces sont subdivisés, notamment dans la pièce la plus vaste. Au sud, l’espace est toujours libre de construction. Une canalisation scellée dans le mur méridional et destinée à l’évacuation de l’eau est installée.
Les 16e et 17e s. (phase C) sont une période de grande prospérité pour l’abbaye, qui a pourtant laissé peu de vestiges archéologiques. Hormis quelques nouvelles subdivisions dans les pièces existantes, la disposition des bâtiments conventuels varie peu jusqu’au 18e s. Un sol et un seuil en mortier conservés indiquent l’emplacement de l’accès au cloître depuis la pièce principale. Un bâtiment excavé de grande dimension est construit dans l’angle sud-est de l’emprise à une date indéterminée. Il est isolé des bâtiments conventuels et a une orientation tout à fait différente. Il est abandonné dans le courant du 16e – début 17e s.
Les bâtiments conventuels sont démantelés dès le début du 18e s. (phase D) et le cloître n’existe plus. L’absence quasi-totale d’éléments architecturaux témoigne d’une récupération méthodique de tous les matériaux de construction. La découverte à proximité du cloître de quelques ossements humains suggère la présence de sépultures dans l’enceinte de l’abbaye, qui auraient été perturbées lors du démantèlement. La disparition des bâtiments conventuels coïncide ici avec les importants travaux de reconstruction de l’église, autour de l’année 1700. Au début du 18e s., l’abbaye en tant qu’institution persiste, mais la vie commune semble prendre d’autres formes et induit de nouveaux logements pour l’abbesse et les chanoinesses.
Au moment de la Révolution, l’abbaye est supprimée et ses biens sont confisqués. Les bâtiments conventuels construits au début du 18e s. sont revendus et l’enclos abbatial est transformé en jardins.
Putelat et al. 2015 : PUTELAT (O.), BOLLY (A.) et LANDOLT (M.). – Une vision archéozoologique des relations homme-animal sur le front alsacien de la Grande Guerre. In : BARATAY (E.) et VERRIER (E.) éd. - « Les animaux dans la Grande Guerre ». Journée d’étude de la Société d’Ethnozootechnie, de l’Association pour l'Étude de l'Histoire de l'Agriculture et de l’Académie d’Agriculture. Le 21 mai 2015. Toul, Société d’Ethnozootechnie, 2015, p. 49-63. (Ethnozootechnie n° spécial 98).
This archaeozoological study focuses on human-animal relations, from late antiquity (mid 3rd c.), until the end of the early Middle Ages (11th c.).
It concentrates on the Jura Mountains and the plain of Alsace. These two neighboring geographic regions were communication corridors and riverine zones (Doubs, Saône, Rhône, Rhine), which belonged to different kingdoms and were inhabited by culturally distinct populations.
Three inputs are used to analyze the osteological data: rural domestic contexts, rural funerary contexts, and mortality of cattle.
- The first chapter presents the issue at hand, the physical, chronological and methodological data of the interregional research program (eastern France, western Switzerland, southern Germany).
- Chapter 2 considers 64 settlement sites and distinguishes them geographically, environmentally and socially. Approximately 146.000 bone remains for 87 taxa are assessed. Elements of synthesis are presented, regarding in particular evidence for food, livestock and hunting.
- Chapter 3 considers 30 cemeteries containing animal bones. Symbolic objects, animal skeletons and grave goods are discussed and the findings are compared with other known sites within Gaul and the Germanic sphere.
- Chapter 4 is based on the study of cattle skeletons discovered at three different but closely situated sites. Whether these bovine graves evidence infectious disease mortality events is discussed. These burials are compared with similar cases from early medieval France and also discussed in relation to the written evidence for animal mortality events in the Middle Ages.
- Chapter 5 presents a general synthesis of the results of the thesis, in regards to contexts and animal categories.
- Appendices and lists of additional data follow.
Alces alces, Alsace, Amulets, Animal plagues, Astragalus, Bone skates, Butchery, Archaeozoology, Bison bonasus, Bos primigenius, Castor fiber, Cervus elaphus, Eggs, Epizootics, Equidae, early Middle Ages, Food, Food Offerings, Funeral, Germanic, Grave goods, Horse graves, Hunting, Jura, Late Antiquity, Limes, Lutra lutra, Merovingian, Middle Ages, Osteometry, Paleopathology, Talus.
Abstract
"Human-Animal Relations in the World of the Living and the Dead. An Archaeozoological Study of Rural Settlements and Cemeteries in Jura and Alsace (France), from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages" (traduction T.P. Newfield).
This archaeozoological study focuses on human-animal relations, from late antiquity (mid 3rd c.), until the end of the early Middle Ages (11th c.).
It concentrates on the Jura Mountains and the plain of Alsace. These two neighboring geographic regions were communication corridors and riverine zones (Doubs, Saône, Rhône, Rhine), which belonged to different kingdoms and were inhabited by culturally distinct populations.
Three inputs are used to analyze the osteological data: rural domestic contexts, rural funerary contexts, and mortality of cattle.
- The first chapter presents the issue at hand, the physical, chronological and methodological data of the interregional research program (eastern France, western Switzerland, southern Germany).
- Chapter 2 considers 64 settlement sites and distinguishes them geographically, environmentally and socially. Approximately 146.000 bone remains for 87 taxa are assessed. Elements of synthesis are presented, regarding in particular evidence for food, livestock and hunting.
- Chapter 3 considers 30 cemeteries containing animal bones. Symbolic objects, animal skeletons and grave goods are discussed and the findings are compared with other known sites within Gaul and the Germanic sphere.
- Chapter 4 is based on the study of cattle skeletons discovered at three different but closely situated sites. Whether these bovine graves evidence infectious disease mortality events is discussed. These burials are compared with similar cases from early medieval France and also discussed in relation to the written evidence for animal mortality events in the Middle Ages.
- Chapter 5 presents a general synthesis of the results of the thesis, in regards to contexts and animal categories.
- Appendices and lists of additional data follow.
L’opération archéologique a ainsi permis de caractériser plusieurs phases d’occupation, qui s’étirent entre le 4e s. et le 21e s.
La mise en place du substrat géologique s’effectue en trois temps, entre la Protohistoire et le 13e s. (phase 0). Le site se trouvait possiblement en position de fond de chenal, étant soumis à des écoulements dynamiques d’eau. Après les 6e-5e s.av. J.-C., il a été progressivement comblé par des limons traduisant des inondations répétées (phase 0a). S’ensuit une stabilisation sans doute pluriséculaire de la zone, marquée par l’absence de crues et le développement d’un sol. Ce sol a été entaillé par le creusement d’un fossé, sans doute à vocation parcellaire, au
4e s. ap. J.-C. (phase 0b). Le comblement de ce dernier, riches en résidus scoriacés et en fragments de terre cuites, suggère une occupation de type habitat et/ou artisanat à proximité immédiate. Cette occupation antique à la périphérie septentrionale de la ville médiévale et moderne est inédite. Après le 4e s., les crues reprennent avec le dépôt de limons sableux (phase 0d).
Le mur d’enceinte de la ville de Mulhouse est érigé durant la première moitié du 13e s. (Phase 1). Il a englobé un espace qui semble avoir été à l’origine vide de toutes constructions. Quelques rares structures en creux, parmi lesquelles au moins une fosse de stockage, sont installées aux abords intérieurs de la muraille dans le courant des 13e-14e s. La rareté des vestiges n’exclut pas la possibilité que cet espace ait été dévolu à des activités agro-pastorales, voire artisanales dans un environnement proche, eu égard à la présence de déchets de production métallurgique dans le comblement d’une fosse. Le système défensif a été complété par la construction d’une fausse-braie revêtue en maçonnerie, sans doute à la fin du 14e s.
L’occupation du secteur se densifie légèrement entre la seconde moitié du 15e s. et la seconde moitié du 16e s. (phase 2a). Des maçonneries se recoupant et conservées de manière trop lacunaires pour permettre d’en proposer une identification, sont édifiées aux abords immédiats du mur d’enceinte. Outre quelques fosses et trous de poteaux, deux fossés sont creusés sur la parcelle dont l’un est prolongé par une canalisation creusée en sape à la base du mur d’enceinte (sans doute pour rejoindre le canal du Traenkbach au nord). Un foyer est contemporain de ces structures fossoyées. Un radier de fondation, se déployant parallèlement à l’actuelle rue des Franciscains, quelques mètres au nord de celle-ci, témoigne sans doute d’un bâtiment donnant sur la rue (zone 2). Ce dernier est détruit entre le 16e s. et la première moitié du 18e s. pour laisser placer à un nouveau bâtiment doté d’un sol dallé, et à l’ouest duquel a été construit à un petit four en briques circulaire (phase 2b).
Dans le courant du 18e s. (entre 1728 et 1765), un bâtiment de plan en équerre, avec une aile principale dont les étages avaient une vocation d’habitation et une aile secondaire à vocation économique, est édifié dans l’angle sud-est de la Cour de Lorraine. Cette aile secondaire (et le bâtiment en général) a soit été construite durant le 2e quart du 18e s. pour stocker les biens d’un négociant, soit durant le 3e quart du 18e s. pour accueillir une activité manufacturière d’impression sur étoffes (phase 3a). Avant 1797, un bâtiment annexe, à la fonction initiale indéterminée, complète le bâtiment en équerre. Le bâtiment annexe a subi au moins deux extensions consécutives entre 1797 et 1811 (phase 3b).
Vers 1820, est édifiée une filature, à savoir un bâtiment de plan rectangulaire allongé, avec sa salle des machines, comportant chaudière et machine à vapeur (phase 3c). La construction de ces bâtiments a nécessité l’arasement de la muraille médiévale qui fermait jusqu’alors la Cour de Lorraine au nord, ainsi que la destruction de la pièce la plus septentrionale des annexes. Le creusement d’un puits pour alimenter la chaudière et le remaniement des bâtiments annexes interviennent à la même période. Entre 1829 et 1842, les différents bâtiments « annexes » qui occupaient le milieu de la cour sont détruits (phase 3d).
La phase 4 s’étire entre le deuxième tiers du 19e s. et le début du 20e s. (1842 – 1939). La cour de Lorraine est divisée en deux entités séparées par un mur de clôture en 1842 : l’aile principale et la moitié sud de l’aile secondaire du bâtiment en équerre, avec la cour attenante, n’ont désormais plus qu’une fonction d’immeuble d’habitation (et ce jusqu’en 1876), tandis que la moitié nord de l’aile secondaire, la filature et les bâtiments associés sont toujours exploités par l’industrie textile. Un bâtiment rectangulaire est appuyé contre le mur de clôture, au nord, entre 1856 et 1859. Il accueillait peut-être les bureaux de l’usine. Le bâtiment de la filature subit un incendie en 1870, qui d’après les sources écrites l’a complètement ruiné. Cette catastrophe, dont aucune trace n’a été observée dans l’emprise fouillée, ne semble toutefois pas avoir marqué la fin de l’établissement textile de la Cour de Lorraine. Une nouvelle machine à vapeur et son axe de transmission du mouvement ont été mis en place pour actionner des machines situées dans la moitié nord de l’aile secondaire du bâtiment en équerre. L’activité textile ne cesse définitivement sur le site qu’en 1876, date à laquelle la ville de Mulhouse acquiert la Cour de Lorraine pour y établir une école. La destruction des bâtiments industriels, hormis l’aile principale et la moitié méridionale de l’aile secondaire du bâtiment en équerre, intervient entre 1870 et 1891. Un gymnase est construit dans la cour vers 1891, tandis que la charpente du bâtiment de plan en équerre fait l’objet d’une réfection complète.
Durant l’hiver 1939-1940, une tranchée de défense passive au tracé en zig-zag, coffrée en bois, est installée dans la cour de l’école pour offrir un abri aux écoliers en cas de bombardement (phase 5). À l’issue du conflit, peut-être déjà en 1945, les matériaux de construction de l’abri sont en grande partie récupérés et la tranchée est comblée, notamment par l’apport de rejets détritiques. Parmi ces derniers, deux plaques commémoratives en terre cuite avec le portrait d’un autonomiste alsacien, proche des nazis, renvoient aux années d’Occupation.
En 1981, un préau est édifié dans la cour de l’école, reliant le gymnase à l’aile nord-sud de l’école. Il est démonté en 2014-2015, peu de temps après la déconstruction du gymnase (opérée en 2012), préalablement aux travaux de construction d’une nouvelle salle de sport.