Avant-propos

Abstract

Located on the western periphery of Bandkeramik expansion and covering a large geographical area, the Paris basin is a particularly interesting region for examining the phenomena of colonisation and interaction involved in the neolithisation process. Recent years have seen the completion of a number of research projects and doctoral theses based on the analysis of finds from major excavations undertaken in the Aisne, Yonne and Marne valleys. Following this work, the broad aim of the Société préhistorique française meeting, Paris 2011, was to produce an overview of the chronology of the Bandkeramik in the Paris basin, mainly using the evidence from decorated pottery. A sound chronology is clearly essential for understanding the stages of expansion within the region, as well as relationships with neighbouring areas and the new evidence emerging for the circulation of raw materials, finished products and probably also people. Outstanding problems remain the dating of the earliest settlement of the Paris basin, the transition from late to final Bandkeramik, and regional factors involved in the transformation of the final Bandkeramik into the Blicquy/ Villeneuve-Saint-Germain culture. Lastly, a new chronological terminology is proposed (Seine basin middle, late, and final Bandkeramik), more in line with the subdivisions used in Alsace and Lorraine.