François RENEL AN EXAMPLE OF THE HYDRAULIC POTENTIAL OF A SMALL VALLEY BEING PUT TO USE DURING THE MEDIEVAL AND MODERN PERIODS The "Zac Pépinière", Tigery (Essonne)

Abstract

Trial trenching on the ZAC Pepinière site at Tigery (Essonne) led to excavation, in 2004, of a water system belonging to the Saint-Jean en l’Isle commandery at Corbeil, located along the Hauldres brook on the edge of the Sénart forest. The system, comprising fountains, washing-places and mill-races, had been developed over a period of almost a thousand years.

The structures, dating from the medieval and modern periods, were established on the north-east facing slope of a hill in the direction of the brook. Excavation demonstrates that landscaping of the area was closely dependent upon water-management practices developed from the early medieval period. Analysis of the medieval water-system and archival material enable study of a small water-system within a valley over a period of at least a thousand years. The system corresponds, on a smaller scale, to those adopted by the great monastic houses. Apart from alterations to the washing-places during the 19th century, the system’s morphology barely changes until the present day.

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Isabelle ABADIE,  with the cooperation of  François GENTILI, Bruno BOULESTIN, Philippe CHARLIER and Jean-Hervé YVINEC EVIDENCE OF ANTHROPIC INTERVENTION ON HUMAN BONE REMAINS DEPOSITED IN AN EARLY MEDIEVAL STORAGE-PIT "La Confiserie" Site, Villiers-le-Bel (Val-d’Oise)

Abstract

Excavation in 2004 of an early medieval settlement at the "La Confiserie" site in Villiers-le-Bel (Val-d’Oise) provided evidence, within a storage pit, of human bone remains which had sustained anthropic intervention. The frontal-bone of the first individual showed evidence of cutting and fragments of partially-connected human bones discovered at the bottom of the pit also carried cut marks. The present article considers the questions raised by this particularly rare, or even novel, type of deposit. A brief presentation of the discovery context is followed by identification of the marks observed and suggested interpretations for the actions responsible. Lastly, the practices revealed are considered with their historical and ethnological context.

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Cyrille LE FORESTIER GALLO-ROMAN SHOES IN THE ÎLE-DE-FRANCE An Archaeo-anthropological Perspective

Abstract

Several funerary sites dating from the Roman period have recently brought to light burials that include shoes either placed next to the body or worn by the deceased, which help define further aspects of funerary clothing, the individuals and the method used to excavate and analyse these new discoveries. Different cases mainly from preventive excavations are presented here: Bonneuil-en-France, "RD84" (Val-d’Oise); Tremblay-en-France, "RD40"(Seine-Saint-Denis) and the evaluation carried out at Annet-sur-Marne, "Les Culées" (Seine-et-Marne). They are dated from the 2nd to the 5th century AD and are cemeteries of varying sizes.

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Jean-Claude LE BLAY OBSERVATIONS ON DAILY LIFE DURING THE 5th CENTURY IN THE CASTRUM AT MELUN (SEINE-ET-MARNE) The Evidence from Faunal Remains

Abstract

Several thousand animal bones were discovered in 5th century assemblages from the castrum of Melun (Seine-et-Marne). This food waste, mainly pork, shows meat cuts and a highly diverse diet including game, poultry and fish which suggest a similar high standard of living to that of the early Roman Empire. Some of the finds include evidence of the working of bone, antler and horn.

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