L’habitat et la nécropole de King’s Road, Guernesey, et l’Âge du fer dans les îles anglo-normandes

Cet article est consacré aux fouilles récentes de King’s Road à Guernesey, un important site funéraire et d’habitat de l’Âge du fer. Dans les années 1980, quatre inhumations y furent découvertes, dont une tombe de guerrier, ainsi qu’un habitat – que l’on pense être associé à la nécropole – de La Tène finale. Les travaux récents ont révélé une autre aire d’occupation, datant vraisemblablement de La Tène ancienne ou moyenne, et dix-huit nouvelles inhumations, dont deux tombes de guerriers et une tombe féminine particulièrement riche. L’étude initiale du matériel provenant des inhumations découvertes dernièrement suggère une datation des IVe et IIIe siècles av. J.-C., autrement dit beaucoup plus ancienne que la datation précédemment avancée pour la nécropole. Cela a des implications importantes sur notre interprétation de l’Âge du fer à Guernesey et dans le reste des îles anglo-normandes, qui seront discutées ici.This paper focuses on recent excavations at King’s Road, Guernsey, the site of an important Iron Age settlement and cemetery. In the early 1980s four graves were discovered here, including a warrior burial, along with occupation – believed to be associated with the cemetery – of the late La Tène period. The most recent work has revealed another area of occupation, perhaps of the early or middle Iron Age, and a further eighteen burials, including another two warrior burials and a particularly rich female grave. The initial study of the objects from the newly-discovered graves suggests that they are fourth or third century BC in date, or in other words considerably earlier than the date previously suggested for the cemetery. This has important implications for our interpretation of the Iron Age in Guernsey and the other Channel Islands, which are briefly discussed here

L’habitat et la nécropole de King’s Road, Guernesey, et l’Âge du fer dans les îles anglo-normandes

International audienceThis paper focuses on recent excavations at King’s Road, Guernsey, the site of an important Iron Age settlement and cemetery. In the early 1980s four graves were discovered here, including a warrior burial, along with occupation – believed to be associated with the cemetery – of the late La Tène period. The most recent work has revealed another area of occupation, perhaps of the early or middle Iron Age, and a further eighteen burials, including another two warrior burials and a particularly rich female grave. The initial study of the objects from the newly-discovered graves suggests that they are fourth or third century BC in date, or in other words considerably earlier than the date previously suggested for the cemetery. This has important implications for our interpretation of the Iron Age in Guernsey and the other Channel Islands, which are briefly discussed here.Cet article est consacré aux fouilles récentes de King’s Road à Guernesey, un important site funéraire et d’habitat de l’âge du Fer. Dans les années 1980, quatre inhumations y furent découvertes, dont une tombe de guerrier, ainsi qu’un habitat – que l’on pense être associé à la nécropole – de La Tène finale. Les travaux récents ont révélé une autre aire d’occupation, datant vraisemblablement de La Tène ancienne ou moyenne, et dix-huit nouvelles inhumations, dont deux tombes de guerriers et une tombe féminine particulièrement riche. L’étude initiale du matériel provenant des inhumations découvertes dernièrement suggère une datation des IVe et IIIe siècles av. J.-C., autrement dit beaucoup plus ancienne que la datation précédemment avancée pour la nécropole. Cela a des implications importantes sur notre interprétation de l’âge du Fer à Guernesey et dans le reste des îles anglo-normandes, qui seront discutées ici

La Tène and early Gallo-Roman north-west France

The basis of this research is the compilation of a gazetteer of sites and finds of the La Tène and early Gallo-Roman periods (c. 475 BC - c. 31 BC) in north-west France. Two aspects of the evidence thus collected are examined in detail: settlement and coinage. For the early La Tène period, burial evidence provides the only significant source of information, and at present it is not of sufficient quality or quantity to do more than shed light on a few specific aspects of regional development. Similarly, the settlement evidence from the later periods is also relatively scarce. However the introduction of coinage in the middle La Tène, probably via mercenaries returning from service in the Greek world, provides a much more substantial body of information on developments between the third and first centuries BC. Following a consideration of the theoretical aspects of coin use and function, all the major types of coinage in north-west France are examined in detail, and a number of problems of attribution and interpretation are discussed. It is apparent from the study of settlement and coinage that several traditional interpretations of aspects of the La Tène and early Gallo-Roman periods in north-west France need to be reassessed, in particular questions concerning the development of oppida, and the function of coinage. In the concluding chapter a model of the development of coinage in the region is suggested, illuminated where possible by the application of settlement evidence. The result demonstrates clearly the extraordinarily cohesive nature of this area, which has been termed "greater Armorica", throughout the later Iron Age and into the Gallo-Roman era.</p

La Tène and early Gallo-Roman north-west France

The basis of this research is the compilation of a gazetteer of sites and finds of the La Tène and early Gallo-Roman periods (c. 475 BC - c. 31 BC) in north-west France. Two aspects of the evidence thus collected are examined in detail: settlement and coinage. For the early La Tène period, burial evidence provides the only significant source of information, and at present it is not of sufficient quality or quantity to do more than shed light on a few specific aspects of regional development. Similarly, the settlement evidence from the later periods is also relatively scarce. However the introduction of coinage in the middle La Tène, probably via mercenaries returning from service in the Greek world, provides a much more substantial body of information on developments between the third and first centuries BC. Following a consideration of the theoretical aspects of coin use and function, all the major types of coinage in north-west France are examined in detail, and a number of problems of attribution and interpretation are discussed. It is apparent from the study of settlement and coinage that several traditional interpretations of aspects of the La Tène and early Gallo-Roman periods in north-west France need to be reassessed, in particular questions concerning the development of oppida, and the function of coinage. In the concluding chapter a model of the development of coinage in the region is suggested, illuminated where possible by the application of settlement evidence. The result demonstrates clearly the extraordinarily cohesive nature of this area, which has been termed "greater Armorica", throughout the later Iron Age and into the Gallo-Roman era.</p

Review of World of Money CD-ROM for PC/Mac [CD-ROM]

Following on from the impressive development of the new HSBC Money Gallery in 1997, the British Museum has launched into the world of electronic publishing with the World of Money, an "interactive exploration of money worldwide from ancient times to the present day". Intended for ages ten to adult, the CD promises "a mine of information about the use, form, history and importance of money around the globe", and "fun and information for all the family". Reviewing in a Mac-unfriendly environment, I have been able to run the CD only on a PC. On a 166Mhz MMX with 32Mb RAM and a 12x CD it runs impressively quickly, with no more than two or three seconds of the "loading new page" display when switching between different parts of the program. Minimum requirements are listed as a 486 with 8Mb RAM, 40Mb free hard disk space, Windows 3.11 or Windows 95, 4x CD drive, 1Mb 256 colours graphics card, 16-bit Sound Blaster compatible sound card, and a VGA monitor. Minimum requirements for the Mac are listed as System 7, 603e processor, 16Mb RAM, 40MB free hard disk space, 6x CD drive, 1Mb video card and Apple monitor or Multisync with adaptor. The CD opens with an image of the British Museum portico, through which we are taken into the foyer, complete with the sound effects of massed ranks of tourists. We have four options available on a lectern, or by turning left, right or going upstairs: History of Money, Information Centre, Activities, and Options. Clicking on a large question mark brings up the Help screens (Figure 1)

The Recording and Representation of Neolithic Engravings in the Déhus Passage Grave (Vale, Guernsey)

International audienceIn the course of making a digital record of a bow engraved on the lower face of a capstone in the Déhus passage grave, on Guernsey, several new motifs were observed, necessitating a reinterpretation of the composition as a whole.While the presence of a bow and two arrows is confirmed by photogrammetry and images obtained under directional lighting, the anthropomorphic figure can now be better defined, and compared to figures recently recognised in the Paris Basin. The presence of ‘hands’, however, cannot be confirmed, and these engravings may instead represent two horned animals in contact with two further motifs, one of which is certainly a throwing stick.Dans le cadre d’un enregistrement numérique portant sur la représentation d’un arc gravé sous une dalle de couverture de la tombe à couloir (passage grave) du Déhus à Guernsey, plusieurs signes nouveaux sont apparus, entrainant une réinterprétation de l’ensemble de la composition. Si un arc et deux flèches sont confirmés par ces acquisitions par photogrammétrie et images compilées sous éclairages tournants, la figure anthropomorphe est mieux définie et se compare à des représentations récemment découvertes en Bassin parisien. Les mains du personnage ne peuvent cependant pas être confirmées et témoignent plutôt de l’inscription de deux animaux cornus au contact de deux signes, dont un est certainement une crosse de jet

Sites de passage (3). La représentation de l'arc au cours du Ve millénaire d'après les stèles de Bretagne, des îles Anglo-Normandes et de l'Alentejo

International audienceThe discovery of an engraved bow motif on a stele at Vale Maria do Meio (Portugal), similar to examples in western France, enables us to integrate the representation of this weapon into the iconography of the fifth millennium BC. The starting point for this comparative exercise is Brittany, where recent discoveries (Runesto) and unpublished sites (Mané Kerioned B) can be added to passage graves where the motif has been recognised for some time, such as Ile Longue, Gavrinis, and Barnenez H. An engraved capstone which is found in a funerary context at Le Déhus, in the Channel Islands, can be incorporated into the same Armorican tradition, while an example from the Paris Basin (Le Berceau) seems to belong to another geographic and cultural group. Following a summary of the technique of recording of recent discoveries (photogrammetry, lasergrammetry, digital photos with turning lights, digital enhancement of carvings), and a history of the west European corpus, this paper will compare the morphology of the motifs and their archaeological contexts; we will conclude with a consideration of the associations of the motifs and the general impact of their representation, through a discussion of these places of transition.A Vale Maria do Meio (Portugal), la mise en évidence d'un arc gravé similaire aux modèles de l'ouest de la France permet de situer cette arme de jet dans les programmes iconographiques du Ve millénaire. Nous prendrons la Bretagne comme point de départ de l'exercice comparatif, là, précisément, où des signes connus de longue date dans les tombes à couloir (Ile Longue, Gavrinis, Barnenez H) viennent enrichir des sites récemment révélés (Runesto) ou totalement inédits (Mané Kerioned B). Si une dalle inventoriée dans un contexte funéraire des îles anglo-normandes (Le Dehus) s'inscrit dans une même tradition armoricaine, un exemplaire du Bassin parisien (Le Berceau) renvoie à un autre ensemble géographique et culturel. Après un résumé du mode d'enregistrement des découvertes récentes, nous reviendrons tout d'abord sur l'historique du corpus ouest-européen ; nous nous attacherons ensuite à comparer les morphologies des signes et les contextes archéologiques ; nous pourrons alors conclure sur les associations de signes mises en évidence et sur la portée générale des représentations, tout en discutant les lieux de la transition

Sites de passage (3). La représentation de l'arc au cours du Ve millénaire d'après les stèles de Bretagne, des îles Anglo-Normandes et de l'Alentejo

International audienceThe discovery of an engraved bow motif on a stele at Vale Maria do Meio (Portugal), similar to examples in western France, enables us to integrate the representation of this weapon into the iconography of the fifth millennium BC. The starting point for this comparative exercise is Brittany, where recent discoveries (Runesto) and unpublished sites (Mané Kerioned B) can be added to passage graves where the motif has been recognised for some time, such as Ile Longue, Gavrinis, and Barnenez H. An engraved capstone which is found in a funerary context at Le Déhus, in the Channel Islands, can be incorporated into the same Armorican tradition, while an example from the Paris Basin (Le Berceau) seems to belong to another geographic and cultural group. Following a summary of the technique of recording of recent discoveries (photogrammetry, lasergrammetry, digital photos with turning lights, digital enhancement of carvings), and a history of the west European corpus, this paper will compare the morphology of the motifs and their archaeological contexts; we will conclude with a consideration of the associations of the motifs and the general impact of their representation, through a discussion of these places of transition.A Vale Maria do Meio (Portugal), la mise en évidence d'un arc gravé similaire aux modèles de l'ouest de la France permet de situer cette arme de jet dans les programmes iconographiques du Ve millénaire. Nous prendrons la Bretagne comme point de départ de l'exercice comparatif, là, précisément, où des signes connus de longue date dans les tombes à couloir (Ile Longue, Gavrinis, Barnenez H) viennent enrichir des sites récemment révélés (Runesto) ou totalement inédits (Mané Kerioned B). Si une dalle inventoriée dans un contexte funéraire des îles anglo-normandes (Le Dehus) s'inscrit dans une même tradition armoricaine, un exemplaire du Bassin parisien (Le Berceau) renvoie à un autre ensemble géographique et culturel. Après un résumé du mode d'enregistrement des découvertes récentes, nous reviendrons tout d'abord sur l'historique du corpus ouest-européen ; nous nous attacherons ensuite à comparer les morphologies des signes et les contextes archéologiques ; nous pourrons alors conclure sur les associations de signes mises en évidence et sur la portée générale des représentations, tout en discutant les lieux de la transition

Quelques résultats 2018 du PCR « Corpus des signes gravés néolithiques en Bretagne »

Communication à la Journée du "CReAAH", Archéologie, Archéosciences, Histoire, Rennes, 23 mars 201