Laboratory Excavation of a Neolithic Grave from Avignon-La Balance-Ilot P (France): Burial Practices and Garment Reconstruction

ABSTRACT

The grave of La Balance-Ilot P, in Avignon, southern France, is an individual and isolated burial, attributed in the 1970′s to the Mesolithic or the Early Neolithic. The grave, partially unearthed, was exhibited and stored at the Calvet Museum until its rediscovery and laboratory excavation in 2009. We used 3D laser recording and field anthropological methods, followed by a multidisciplinary approach. The deceased, an adult male, was buried in primary deposition without any architectural features preserved. For the first time in the Mediterranean early Neolithic, this study led to the identification of a garment adorned with sophisticated embroidery using 158 red-colored Columbella rustica shells and 16 red deer canines. Calibrated AMS dates allow us to reliably place it in the early 5th millennium b.c. reinforcing evidence for long distance intercultural relationships in Europe during the Neolithic.

KEYWORDS:

• Archaeothanatology
• ornaments
• northwestern Mediterranean
• 3D laser recording

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried within the ANAMUSCAR-3D project, directed by D. Binder, with the support of the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the CNRS, the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, the Conseil Général des Alpes-Maritimes, Ville de Nice (Comité Doyen Jean-Lépine), and Ville de Fréjus. ABIP excavations were conducted thanks to the permission of the Calvet Museum (Avignon) and of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (SRA-PACA) and with the technical support of the Marseilles Archaeological Service. A very special thanks goes to S. Boyer, J. Krzepkowska, S. André, S. Tzortzis, and J. Courtin for their support during the laboratory excavation. The cost of AMS dates was supported by the CEPAM Research Unit. Isotopic analyses were carried out in the ADES Research Unit (Marseilles) with the support of E. Herrscher. Unang analyses were performed in 2005 at the Department of Human Evolution of the Max Planck Institute (Leipzig) under the supervision of J.-J. Hublin and M. Richards.

A. Zemour led the excavation with the collaboration of F. Le Mené and I. Sénépart. K. Y. Cotto defined the 3D recording strategy. S. Sorin did the 3D data gathering and reconstructions. A. Zemour designed the study and performed the anthropological and taphonomic analyses. G. Goude performed the isotopic analysis. L. Buchet did the paleopathological diagnosis. Palynological tests were made by Bui-Thi Maï (CNRS-CEPAM). S. Bonnardin and L. Gourichon analyzed the ornaments. D. Binder, S. Bonnardin, and A. Zemour wrote the chrono-cultural synthesis. Analysis of the coloring matter was conducted by A.-M. D’Ovidio, J.-V. Pradeau, and P. Bromblet. We thank F. Valentin (CNRS-ArScAn) for her constructive comments on this paper. All the coauthors read and accepted the submitted version of this article.

Notes on contributors

Aurélie Zemour (Ph.D. 2013, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and Roma-La Sapienza) is a research associate at the CNRS-ArScAn in France. She is an archaeothanatologist, specializing in the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic in the Northwestern Mediterranean. E-mail: [email protected]

Didier Binder (Ph.D. 1983, University of Paris 10) is a research director at the CNRS-CEPAM in France. His research focuses on the Neolithization of the Mediterranean region with references to cultural and technological studies. E-mail: [email protected]

Sandrine Bonnardin (Ph.D. 2004, University of Paris 1) is a senior lecturer at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France. Her research interests include body ornaments of the early and middle Neolithic from Europe, cultural interactions, and technological and functional analysis of body ornaments. E-mail: [email protected]

Anne-Marie D’Ovidio is a curatorial assistant at Atelier du Patrimoine de la Ville de Marseille in France. She is an archaeologist, specializing in pigments and painted plasters. E-mail: [email protected]

Gwenaëlle Goude (Ph.D. 2007, University of Bordeaux 1 and Leipzig) is a researcher at CNRS-LAMPEA in France. She is a physical anthropologist, specializing in prehistoric human palaeodiet and stable isotope analyses. E-mail: [email protected]

Lionel Gourichon (Ph.D. 2004, University Lumière-Lyon2) is a researcher at CNRS-CEPAM in France. His research interests include origins of animal domestication and the evolution of husbandry practices in the Near East and the Mediterranean and methodological improvements in zooarchaeology. E-mail: [email protected]

Jean-Victor Pradeau (Ph.D. 2015, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis) is a research associate at CNRS-CEPAM in France. His work focuses on prehistoric techno-economic and symbol systems, through coloring material acquisition, processing and utilization. E-mail: [email protected]

Sabine Sorin-Mazouni is an assistant engineer at CNRS-CEPAM in France. She is an archaeologist, specializing in lasergrammetry, photogrammetry, and 3D reconstruction. E-mail: [email protected]

Philippe Bromblet (Ph.D. 1989, University of Paris 7) has been a research engineer in applied geology of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication since 1992, and a conservation scientist in CICRP (Interdisciplinary center for conservation and restoration of cultural heritage) in Marseilles. His research interests include composition/provenance, studies of degradation processes, and conservation methodologies of mineral materials (stone, mortar and pigment). E-mail: [email protected]

Luc Buchet (Ph.D. 1977, University of Caen) is a research engineer at the CNRS-CEPAM in France. He is a physical anthropologist, specializing in paleopathology, paleodemography, and settlement history in western and eastern Europe. E-mail: [email protected]

Kelig-Yann Cotto is an archaeologist and heritage curator in France. His research interests include lasergrammetry and photogrammetry. E-mail: [email protected]

Ingrid Sénépart (Ph.D. 1992, University of Paris 10) is an archaeologist, curatorial assistant, and research associate at the CNRS-CEPAM in France. Her research interests include the Neolithization of southern France and technological studies. E-mail: [email protected]