by Guillermo Carvajal January 14, 2025
General view of the excavations of the Neolithic settlement of the first farmers in France. Credit: Sylvain Barbier / INRAP
Described as a rare find by the regional archaeology department, one of the oldest Neolithic settlements in France, attributed to the Early Cardial period, is currently being excavated by archaeologists from Inrap in Cavalaire-sur-Mer. It is the second known site of this period in France. Commissioned by the State as part of the city center rehabilitation project, the excavation, which covers an area of 4,200 m², is set to conclude by the end of January.
The Neolithic period along the Mediterranean coasts marks a crucial milestone in human history, representing the transition to an agro-pastoral and sedentary way of life. This cultural shift is identified in the archaeological record as the Cardial period, characterized by its rapid spread from east to west. Originating in Greece, this cultural wave reached southern Italy, including regions such as Sicily, Apulia, and Calabria, around 6000 BCE, and later expanded to the Gulf of Genoa and southern France (the French Riviera and Languedoc) around 5800 BCE.
The term Cardial relates to a specific style of ceramics decorated with patterns created using shells of the genus Cardium, which have serrated edges. This artistic style is a hallmark of the first wave of the Neolithic in Europe, originating in Anatolia and spreading through areas such as Thessaly, Macedonia, the island of Corfu, Greece, and Slovenia. The communities involved in this expansion practiced an economy based on agriculture and animal husbandry, constructing dwellings whose remnants, though scarce due to the use of perishable materials, provide valuable insights into their way of life.
Detail of the excavations. Credit: Sylvain Barbier / INRAP
In France, early Neolithic archaeological remains are mainly found in caves and rock shelters. Open-air settlements are less common and often poorly documented. In the country’s south, some sites have provided house plans thanks to well-preserved remains such as pits and postholes. A notable example is Peiro Signado, excavated about 20 years ago in Languedoc and dated to around 5800 BCE.
This site, like the Cavalaire site now being excavated, is associated with the early Neolithic. Excavations at Peiro Signado revealed the remains of an oval structure, while at Courthézon in Vaucluse, plans of oval huts dating to the later Cardial period (between 5380 and 5080 BCE) were identified.
At Cavalaire, beneath a 4-meter layer of alluvial deposits in a small coastal valley, a structure attributed to the Early Cardial period was uncovered. Its stratigraphic position, 1.30 meters below the occupation levels of the Middle Neolithic (dated to around 4800 BCE), and the decorated pottery fragments recovered confirm its antiquity.
Ceramic fragment with decorative motifs from the ancient cardial period. Credit: X. Chadefaux / INRAP
The structure includes two parallel stone walls and a small apse, damaged by geological processes and later modifications. Its approximate dimensions are 7 x 5 meters, with walls reinforced using a mixture of raw earth and gravel, a technique that creates a more compact and distinctive sediment.
The house’s design finds parallels in central Italy, reinforcing the hypothesis of an eastern origin for this cultural expansion. Additionally, the site revealed several isolated hearths and a concentration of fire-related structures within an area of 4 m², possibly surrounded by postholes, suggesting diverse and well-organized functional uses.
Despite progress, knowledge about Cardial constructions in France remains limited, particularly regarding open-air settlements. The scarcity of well-preserved remains hampers a comprehensive understanding of construction techniques and architectural designs. Nevertheless, discoveries like that of Cavalaire significantly enrich the archaeological landscape, suggesting that beneath layers of sediments in rivers and Mediterranean coasts lie more testimonies of the region’s first farmers.
SOURCE
https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/01/the-neolithic-settlement-of-frances-first-farmers-discovered-on-the-french-riviera/
Described as a rare find by the regional archaeology department, one of the oldest Neolithic settlements in France, attributed to the Early Cardial period, is currently being excavated by archaeologists from Inrap in Cavalaire-sur-Mer. It is the second known site of this period in France. Commissioned by the State as part of the city center rehabilitation project, the excavation, which covers an area of 4,200 m², is set to conclude by the end of January.
The Neolithic period along the Mediterranean coasts marks a crucial milestone in human history, representing the transition to an agro-pastoral and sedentary way of life. This cultural shift is identified in the archaeological record as the Cardial period, characterized by its rapid spread from east to west. Originating in Greece, this cultural wave reached southern Italy, including regions such as Sicily, Apulia, and Calabria, around 6000 BCE, and later expanded to the Gulf of Genoa and southern France (the French Riviera and Languedoc) around 5800 BCE.
The term Cardial relates to a specific style of ceramics decorated with patterns created using shells of the genus Cardium, which have serrated edges. This artistic style is a hallmark of the first wave of the Neolithic in Europe, originating in Anatolia and spreading through areas such as Thessaly, Macedonia, the island of Corfu, Greece, and Slovenia. The communities involved in this expansion practiced an economy based on agriculture and animal husbandry, constructing dwellings whose remnants, though scarce due to the use of perishable materials, provide valuable insights into their way of life.
In France, early Neolithic archaeological remains are mainly found in caves and rock shelters. Open-air settlements are less common and often poorly documented. In the country’s south, some sites have provided house plans thanks to well-preserved remains such as pits and postholes. A notable example is Peiro Signado, excavated about 20 years ago in Languedoc and dated to around 5800 BCE.
This site, like the Cavalaire site now being excavated, is associated with the early Neolithic. Excavations at Peiro Signado revealed the remains of an oval structure, while at Courthézon in Vaucluse, plans of oval huts dating to the later Cardial period (between 5380 and 5080 BCE) were identified.
At Cavalaire, beneath a 4-meter layer of alluvial deposits in a small coastal valley, a structure attributed to the Early Cardial period was uncovered. Its stratigraphic position, 1.30 meters below the occupation levels of the Middle Neolithic (dated to around 4800 BCE), and the decorated pottery fragments recovered confirm its antiquity.
The structure includes two parallel stone walls and a small apse, damaged by geological processes and later modifications. Its approximate dimensions are 7 x 5 meters, with walls reinforced using a mixture of raw earth and gravel, a technique that creates a more compact and distinctive sediment.
The house’s design finds parallels in central Italy, reinforcing the hypothesis of an eastern origin for this cultural expansion. Additionally, the site revealed several isolated hearths and a concentration of fire-related structures within an area of 4 m², possibly surrounded by postholes, suggesting diverse and well-organized functional uses.
Despite progress, knowledge about Cardial constructions in France remains limited, particularly regarding open-air settlements. The scarcity of well-preserved remains hampers a comprehensive understanding of construction techniques and architectural designs. Nevertheless, discoveries like that of Cavalaire significantly enrich the archaeological landscape, suggesting that beneath layers of sediments in rivers and Mediterranean coasts lie more testimonies of the region’s first farmers.
SOURCE
https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/01/the-neolithic-settlement-of-frances-first-farmers-discovered-on-the-french-riviera/
