Freshwater archaeology
Lakes, marshes, rivers and remains of which the broad chronology, from prehistory to modern times, shows the permanence of human activities in relation to freshwater. They provide exceptional documentation by allowing the conservation of perishable materials, usually disappeared from strictly terrestrial sites.
Palafittes, various boats, water points... a wide variety of sites
Palafittic stations are a truly iconic illustration and target of the archaeology of inland waters. Located at a shallow depth, they were identified in the middle of the 19th century and were harvested by dredging, as fruitful as they were without any concern for the analysis of their stratigraphic context. After pioneering work and extensive first excavations, such as in Lake Paladru, the CNRAS and then the Drassm carried out a systematic work of inventory, dating and assessment of alpine lakeshores. The excellent state of conservation of several Neolithic and Bronze Age sites has led to their inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current work is producing original results on the organization of the habitat and on the human-environment relations. Conducted in close collaboration with palaeoenvironmentalists, they allow to replace these habitats in their climate framework.
Several operations were also devoted to wrecks, transport barges and large Lake Geneva boat. The inventory is still modest due to difficulties in conducting prospections in deep areas. However, this situation could evolve with the implementation of electronic detection means such as sonars.
The importance of Alpine lacustrine deposits must not make us forget the other bodies of water for which important prospecting work remains to be done. This is the case of the Landes ponds, real natural dam lakes having gradually ennobled human occupations, and that of small lakes, such as those of the Massif central, for which cult functions are envisaged.
Complex and changing in both space and time, the river environment cannot be understood by underwater archaeology alone. This is only one of the means of approach. It can only be conceived within a framework of broad understanding that is part of the hydrosystem, as defined by geographers. The great number of human activities in connection with the rivers is illustrated by the diversity of the remains both in the minor bed, where they can only be temporarily submerged, and in the major bed:
> navigation: boats (pirogue, monoxyl assembled, barge, ferry…) and facilities (docks, holds, ramps, locks, towpath…);
> exploitation in the broad sense: fishing, extraction of materials, mills, gear making, etc.
> flow control: dikes, canals, etc.
> crossing: from simple ford to bridge of wood and/or stone.
As in the lakes, the approach to the river domain follows the «terrestrial» problem. It also implies synergy with teams specialized in ancient environments.
In view of the importance of the rivers and the metropolitan territory, the state of knowledge is still partial despite the involvement of many teams. Overseas it is very limited while the potential of Guyana is demonstrated by chance discoveries and some pioneering work.
At the intersection of diving and caving, karst cavities and springs are concerned with the archaeology of fresh waters. The types of sites and the taphonomic conditions are varied: simple siphon blocking access to an ornate cave, recovery of a deposit by underground flows, water extraction, place of worship… The discoveries show that the cult jets in the water points are part of the long time: objects during the Protohistory, ancient coins, pins in modern times (in connection with a fertility rite).
Protection, conservation, valorization
The diversity, quality and interest of the remains delivered by the internal waters are coupled with great fragility. Perishable materials require special support both for their removal and for their preventive conservation. Conditioning and storage in cold storage must be planned before any operation if the risk of irremediable losses is not to be incurred.
Although considered to be a major archaeological heritage, inland water sites are subject to an increasing number of destruction risks: tiding of water bodies, shoreline development, creation of ports, recalibration of waterways, restoration of ecological continuity, capture… This list is far from exhaustive. The ability to anticipate these attacks and respond to them requires, among other things, the establishment of a well-informed archaeological map and the training of a new generation of researchers. These are the challenges that must be faced first and foremost..
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