L’enceinte à fossé interrompu chasséenne D’esnon La Ratoire

Abstract

A 10-km radius around the Yonne-Armançon-Serein double confluence area contains some thirty or more Neolithic enclosures, mainly documented by aerial photography. Esnon, which includes a palisade and a ditch composed of a string of interrupted pits, is one of these enclosures. The artifacts, together with absolute dating, allow the site to be attributed to the Chassaean period in the second half of the 5th millennium. Among the artifacts is an exceptional burnt worked bone with square perforations, the function of which has yet to be established. In the inner area, the floor plan of an Auneau-type circular building was uncovered. Its association with the enclosure, although highly probable, is not clearly established, as hints of the Cerny are perceptible. As circular Neolithic architecture is still rare and often unpublished, this article is an opportunity to take stock of what we know about this type of building in the Yonne basin, both in terms of settlement and burial