Land snail shells are usually avoided for radiocarbon dating, due to the possible presence of dead carbon, although measurements on certain small species can be reliable. However, terrestrial gastropods, which are often abundant and well preserved in favorable sedimentary contexts, may represent an important source of material for precise dating. In this study, the shell selection method and radiocarbon results are presented, based on about twenty dates, from well-known and reliable archaeological contexts mostly from the Languedoc (southern France) and covering different cultural periods of the Holocene. Chronological controls are provided by dates based on plant remains, archaeological artifacts and stratigraphy, as well as geomorphological and environmental interpretations. The results obtained based on gastropod shells show a good agreement with the expected dates. In some examples, the target period is quite large, making it difficult to determine the degree of accuracy. However, other tests give perfectly synchronous dates between botanical or archaeological material and mollusks. Species selection takes into account that terrestrial gastropods living in the midst of vegetation are less likely to ingest fossil carbon and are therefore better suited for dating, especially wetland species, Succinella oblonga and Vertigo pygmaea. These promising results show the potential of terrestrial shells for dating archaeological sequences when prevailing biological material such as charcoal is lacking or is unreliable.

On a slope formed by colluvium deposits and next to the small coastal stream of Athiaki, Klimonas provides important palaeoenvironmental and palaeotopographic information. The geomorphological study was conducted on two scales: the left slope on which the site was settled and the Athiaki Valley itself. This part of the valley comprises three 25 m high alluvial terraces accumulated before and during the Neolithic occupation of Klimonas. Radiocarbon dating of the paleosoils from the two main sections under study revealed that sediments accumulated between the Last Glacial Maximum and the beginning of the Holocene; some are actually contemporary with the occupation of Klimonas. Alluvial deposits and paleosoils reflect many periods of fluvial activity or stable flow. Athiaki also recorded several significant environmental events, such as Heinrich 2, Bølling-Allerød and the 6.2 yrs BC cooling events. During the occupation of the site, environmental conditions were humid and the river flow was regular. The floodplain was larger and situated c. 20 m higher than today. Studying the colluvial deposits and paleosoils of terraces on which the Klimonas village itself was settled, allowed us to reconstruct the local topography during the PPNA occupation. It appears that the three terraces were already in existence at that time and were even more contrasted than today.

A geochemical study was carried out at the metallurgical site of Le Planet (Fayet, Aveyron), situated in the south of France. The site dates from the 3rd millennium BC, and is one the oldest copper smelting metallurgical sites known in France. The site reveals numerous phases of occupation, all dated from the Late Neolithic. The geochemical study of the site aimed at identifying the signature of the metallurgical activities in the archaeological soils and their spatial distribution. The analyses were carried out by X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF). Two main sampling methods were used. The first, grid-based method, allowed the sampling of the totality of the archaeological excavation surface. The second sampling method aimed to study the vertical distribution of the trace elements in the stratigraphic sequence. Four vertical profiles, positioned throughout the site, allowed a high-resolution sampling of the totality of the stratigraphy, which permitted to identify the stratigraphic distribution of polluted archaeological horizons. The geochemical analyses reveal the importance of the pollution due to the prehistoric metallurgical activities, mainly of lead, copper and arsenic. For instance, the measured values of lead vary between 26 and 9831 ppm. These values for copper are between 53 and 1154 ppm, whereas for arsenic they vary between 35 and 258 ppm. The metallurgical furnaces seem to constitute the main hotspots for the spatial distribution of the pollution. The geochemical study of the profiles identifies two main polluted archaeological horizons, and thus allows having a better understanding of the stratigraphic extension of horizons containing geochemical traces of metallurgical activities.

The interdisciplinary approach and analytical tools applied in the last 30 years in the Amathous region (Cyprus), especially at the sites of Shillourokambos and Klimonas, generated a huge quantity of archaeological, geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological data. They significantly contributed to document the interactions between the early Neolithic human societies and the environment and natural resources of an isolated island, during this pivotal period when both the climate and the human subsistence strategies went through radical changes. This paper briefly reviews these changes through several insights: hydrological changes and their impact on the establishment and preservation of Neolithic sites; plant and vertebrate faunal evolution, especially as a consequence of the introduction of new wild and domestic species in the island; birth and evolution of the commensal fauna (e.g. mice, cats); local domestication of wild boar and goats; adaptation and intensification of cultivation and breeding to the local environments. Altogether, these insights can provide a heuristic model at a regional scale to further understand the incipient human niche construction of the Eastern Mediterranean area.

Shipwrecks are complex risks with multiple repercussions. This article proposes to understand this risk through a study of shipwrecks that occurred in the Gulf of Lion between 1700 and 1920. Spanning more than two centuries, the chronological scale allows for an approach that considers the multiscale dimension of this risk. Three scales of observation are therefore articulated around the object of study. The first scale will be that of shipwreck as an event, with the accident experienced by the crew of the Saint-Michel on 15 January 1787 near Canet-en-Roussillon. The next step will be the stormy event that affected the western part of the Gulf of Lion for several days in January 1787. Then, through a third change of spatial and chronological scale, we will look at climatic variations and their possible influence on navigation in the Gulf in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Mediterranean is facing numerous socio-environmental challenges linked to global change, frequently compounded by rapid population growth. Within this framework, regional-scale Holocene temperature reconstructions are key to placing industrial-era warming into the perspective of natural climatic variability. Here, we present a new Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperature (SST) stack based on 54 records for the last 11,750 years, to evaluate millennial-to-centennial-scale climate variability and to contextualize present and future changes. The Holocene thermal maximum is reconstructed 9400-3000 years ago and is estimated to have been an average of 0.47 +/- 0.2 degrees C warmer than the mean for 1900-1960, followed by the onset of long-term cooling beginning around 3000 years BP. The coolest temperatures during the last ten millennia are recorded during the Little Ice Age. We find that Mediterranean Sea temperatures have risen from near the coldest to warmest levels of the Holocene within the past century, with decadal warming rates that are ~16 times greater than the closest interglacial analogue. The basin's SSTs have consistently exceeded the full distribution of Holocene warmth since 2011.

River flooding triggered by extreme rainfall events is a major natural hazard that frequently causes fatalities and damages in southeastern France. A 2000-year record of flooding from the He ' rault River basin was reconstructed using magnetic susceptibility data from lagoon deposits, supported by documentary databases of floods in coastal river basins from Languedoc over the last centuries. Flooding was particularly important between 800 and 1350 cal CE, i.e. during the warm climatic conditions of the Medieval Climate Anomaly. Moreover, several periods of increased flooding occurred in the 2nd, 6th-7th, 16th, 18th and 20th centuries. Increased flooding was significantly correlated with higher air temperature in the northwestern Mediterranean and with higher sea surface temperature in the Gulf of Lions. The analysis of relationships between river flooding and atmospheric conditions shows that autumn flood events in Languedoc were generally more frequent during the positive phase of the East Atlantic pattern, which is associated with southerly to southeasterly winds in the Gulf of Lions. Besides, increased flooding could also have been controlled by forest decline and human activities after 500 cal CE. Between 1400 and 1800 cal CE, palaeobotanical data show an intensification of land use characterized by an expansion of grasslands and cultivated areas in the coastal lowlands east of the He ' rault River. Forest clearings and the development of agriculture seem to have led to a relative increase in river flooding, especially in the late Middle Ages and early modern period.

While the concept of the Anthropocene is still debated, it seems crucial to deepen our knowledge of the interactions taking place between human societies and their environment. Occupied for at least the Bronze Age, the middle Herault valley offers a territory suitable for the analysis of these interactions thanks to the wealth of archaeological data uncovered and their proximity to river activity. In order to do this, we determined the nature of the hydromorphological evolution of the Herault River and their impact on the fluvial landscape, through a comparative analysis of the cartographic data, making it possible to identify the morphogenic capacities of the river. By crossing the results of geomorphological, hydromorphometric, palaeogeographic and archaeological analysis, we were able to define three sections in the floodplain, each characterised by its own dynamics. The first section is distinguished by the flow of the river in a deep channel and the poor development of the Holocene terrace. The palaeogeographic analysis revealed a relative conservation of the fluvial hydrography. Consequently, on this section, the hydrological functioning of the river has little impact on the evolution of the alluvial landscape. The second section particularly stood out from the rest of the valley following the analysis of the hydromorphometric data. The frequency and amplitude of the meanders on this section is 3.7 times greater than the average observed over the entire middle valley. Consequently, the fluvial landscape of this section is characterized by a greater instability. Finally, the third section was characterised by the narrowing of the channel, a decrease in its depth and a vast expansion of the Holocene terrace, reflecting a strong dynamic of alluviation.

L'étude des processus géomorphologiques impliqués dans l'évolution des paysages littoraux révèle un panel de causes en interaction. Aujourd'hui, une compréhension approximative des effets du changement climatique contribue à la méconnaissance du fonctionnement des milieux, susceptible d'entraîner une carence en matière de culture du risque.Il est primordial de faire comprendre à un large public d'usagers de l'espace littoral les processus naturels et sociétaux qui ont conduit à la création du littoral tel qu'il est observable aujourd'hui. Cette perspective historique révélée par la recherche en géoarchéologie présente l'évolution des pratiques du littoral comme productrice d'un patrimoine paysager, héritage d'un rapport d'usage à l'espace.L'interprétation de ces données scientifiques est mise à disposition du public au moyen de la définition de supports de médiation originaux. Le levier de l'éducation à l'environnement peut ainsi être associé à celui de l'appropriation identitaire et patrimoniale pour diffuser une perception affinée des phénomènes littoraux. Cette approche transversale et sensible de l'habiter menée conjointement par les équipes de recherche et les services de la collectivité, contribue à la mise en œuvre et à la diffusion de solutions d'aménagement durable du littoral.

A relative sea-level rise curve on the Gulf of Lions coast is proposed within the range 9500-6000 cal a BP, a period that is currently not well documented in the region. The selected palaeoenvironmental indicators come from the Narbonne area. The filled ria context favours early marine ingression into palaeo-talwegs during the Early Holocene, the concomitant development of peat marshes in the upstream alluvial plain, and a later transgression on the margins of the ria during the Mid-Holocene. The compilation of data from the Narbonne coast and those available in Gulf of Lions and Catalonia coasts suggests low or no local vertical mobility for the period under discussion.

Donnees scientifiques produites : Nouvelles donnees sur les debuts du Neolithique a ChypreAgios Tychonas - Klimonas: French Archaeological Mission par le Departement des Antiquites de ChypreMission archeologique francaise de Klimonas par l’Institut francaise de ChypreProgrammes « Ayios Tychonas – Klimonas, le plus ancien village chypriote » par l’AIBLBlog sur Klimonas Rappels des resultats anterieurs Le site de Klimonas, localise sur la commune d’Ayios Thychonas pres de Limassol, a ete decouv...

Donnees scientifiques produites : Nouvelles donnees sur les debuts du Neolithique a ChypreAgios Tychonas - Klimonas: French Archaeological Mission par le Departement des Antiquites de ChypreMission archeologique francaise de Klimonas par l’Institut francaise de ChypreProgrammes « Ayios Tychonas – Klimonas, le plus ancien village chypriote » par l’AIBLBlog sur Klimonas Rappels des resultats anterieurs Le site de Klimonas, localise sur la commune d’Ayios Thychonas pres de Limassol, a ete decouv...

Rapid environmental changes along the Mediterranean coasts influenced the sedimentary dynamics, shoreline position and human settlements in deltaic areas over the last millennia. An innovative and multiproxy approach using geostatistical modelling was developed to estimate geomorphic evolution and sediment fluxes in deltaic areas, while palaeoecological conditions and environmental changes were assessed from geochemistry and cluster analyses of molluscan fauna. This method was applied to the coastal plain of the Argens River in southern France. Depositional environments of prodelta, delta front, river channel, floodplain, marsh and abandoned channel were identified from the study of facies associations. The late Holocene sediment flux in the Argens River bayhead delta ranged from 15,800 +/- 2300 to 52,000 +/- 8500 m(3).yr(-1). The highest rate of sediment deposition between 2500 and 2000 cal yr BP was associated with increased river flooding in southeastern France. A general decrease in subaqueous sediment flux over the past 2500 years was primarily controlled by a decrease in accommodation space and delta slope. From 500 to 0 cal yr BP, a sharp increase in subaerial sediment flux probably due to hydroclimatic change was contemporaneous with a period of high flood frequency during the Little Ice Age. A southward shift of the North Atlantic westerlies combined with either a negative phase of the East Atlantic/West Russian pattern or a negative phase of the East Atlantic pattern coupled to a northward migration of the intertropical convergence zone could have led to increased fluvial activity in the lower Argens valley during the late Holocene.

Sea-level rise, human impacts and climate change have deeply affected coastal environments during the Holocene. These forcing factors are studied using the Lower Flerault valley, which constitutes a very representative Mediterranean case study because of (i) its very early, intense and continuous land use since Neolithic times, and (ii) its sensitivity to sea-level rise and Mediterranean climate changes over a relatively small watershed. 34 cores and 61 AMS radiocarbon dates, associated with biological and geochemical analyses, have allowed us to precisely reconstruct the Holocene evolution of the lower valley. Until 6500 cal yr BP, a wave-dominated morphology and retrogradational dynamics were reconstructed. During this phase, ephemeral channels and successive river mouths formed and were rapidly submerged by sea-level rise. The progradational phase began after 6500 cal yr BP, and the alluvial plain gradually built seawards with the formation of a beachridge system outside the valley. Growth of the fertile alluvial plain was coeval with the development of Neolithic agriculture. This alluvial progradation gradually filled the estuary with advances of the mouths, several shallow lagoons and sandbar. The high density of information collected allows us to recognize, for the first time, a pronounced fluvial-dominated deltaic morphology, especially 3000 years ago, during the Bronze Age. Lagoonal and coastal shores were continually inhabited. Human land use continually adapted to geomorphological and environmental changes. Around 300 years ago, the delta shifted to a wave-dominated system. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Le site de la Motte correspond a un habitat de la fin de l’âge du Bronze (IXe - debut du VIIIe s. av. n. e.) actuellement ennoye dans le lit mineur de l’Herault a Agde. Decouvert en 2002 a l’occasion de prospections fluviales il a fait l’objet d’une premiere fouille en 2004 ayant notamment mis au jour un depot de bronzes correspondant a une riche parure feminine. Depuis 2009, il fait l’attention de nouveaux travaux interdisciplinaires associant archeologie, ecologie et geomorphologie, ayant permis de mettre en evidence, sur plus de 500 m², un etablissement de l’âge du Bronze dont la superficie totale est estimee a pres d’un hectare. Ce dernier etait a l’origine installe en bordure d’une ancienne lagune aujourd’hui colmatee par la progradation du fleuve Herault. L’immersion du site a notamment permis la preservation de structures en bois correspondant a plus de quatre-cents pieux organises en deux files principales. Les sondages realises dans certains secteurs ont montre que ces pieux supportent des amenagements de clayonnages. Localises en marge de l’occupation protohistorique, en bordure de la lagune, ils servaient vraisemblablement a la protection des berges, a l’instar des fascines encore actuellement utilisees dans le cadre du genie vegetal. D’autres bois plantes de plus grand diametres, localises en retrait de ces amenagements, pourraient en revanche correspondre a des poteaux de soutient de bâtiments, dont les plans sont parfois difficiles a demeler du semi de pieux. L’etude xylologique des bois d’œuvre indique la presence d’essences variees, dominees par le chene caducifolie et l’orme. Leur analyse spatiale permet par ailleurs de delimiter des amenagements coherents faisant principalement appel a un type de bois. Couplee aux informations de datations et de synchronismes fournies par le radiocarbone et la dendrochronologie, elle autorise a suivre l’evolution structurelle du site. Ces donnees, confrontees aux analyses anthracologiques et geomorphologiques, permettent egalement de s’interroger sur la gestion des differents milieux forestiers potentiellement presents a proximite du site par ses occupants. Le bois d’œuvre semble ainsi provenir du site meme, temoignant d’une exploitation de futaies tres proches de la rive. Il a ete debite dans un bois encore vert et non ecorce, ce qui reflete un abattage rapide et une utilisation sans entreposage. En revanche, la recolte du bois de feu, qui balaye un large spectre d’essences et de milieux, permet de situer le site au sein d’un environnement forestier varie, refletant differents degres d’intensite et d’anciennete d’exploitation. La presence d’essences typiques de boisements ouverts de garrigue, mais aussi de haies, lisieres, de zones humides et de milieux forestiers fermes signent la presence d’un paysage renfermant un haut potentiel en ressources naturelles. Le bois constitue le materiau de construction privilegie par les populations de l’âge du Bronze du midi de la France. De par sa conservation exceptionnelle, le site de la Motte nous fournit de precieuses informations sur sa gestion et sa mise en œuvre, temoignant d’un savoir-faire aujourd’hui remis au gout du jour par le genie ecologique.

The variability of fluvial activity in the Northwestern Mediterranean coastal lowlands and its relationship with modes of climate change were analysed from the late 9th to the 18th centuries CE. Geochemical analyses were undertaken from a lagoonal sequence and surrounding sediments in order to track the fluvial inputs into the lagoon. An index based on the K/S and Rb/S ratios was used to evidence the main periods of fluvial activity. This index reveals that the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) was a drier period characterized by a lower fluvial activity, while the Little Ice Age (LIA) was a wetter period with an increase of the river dynamics. Three periods of higher than average fluvial activity were evidenced at the end of the first millennium CE (ca. 900–950calyrCE), in the first half of the second millennium CE (ca. 1150–1550calyrCE), and during the 1600s–1700s CE (ca. 1650–1800calyrCE). The comparison of these fluvial periods with other records of riverine or lacustrine floods in Spain, Italy, and South of France seems to indicate a general increase in fluvial and flood patterns in the Northwestern Mediterranean in response to the climate change from the MCA to the LIA, although some episodes of flooding are not found in all records. Besides, the phases of higher than average fluvial dynamics are in good agreement with the North Atlantic cold events evidenced from records of ice-rafted debris. The evolution of fluvial activity in the Northwestern Mediterranean coastlands during the last millennium could have been driven by atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns.