Identification and characterisation of Late Neolithic (3600–2150 Cal. BC) living floors in a temperate environment: Case studies from the southern Paris Basin

Abstract

Late Neolithic living floors in the southern Paris Basin are still not completely understood. In settlement contexts, the architecture and the organisation of activity areas are quite difficult to characterize and reconstruct. Only a few house plans are known. However, many thinly stratified sites with artefact spreads could represent preserved living floors. The aim of this paper is to investigate the formation processes of this type of site through geoarchaeological study (soil micromorphology) of three sites (Gas, Sours and Pussigny), located in different geographic contexts. In particular, discussion centres on whether these are disturbed layers or well or partially preserved living floors. Using micromorphological analysis we were able to identify several constructed micro-facies (invert, backfill and screed) and functional micro-facies (trampled occupation surfaces inside or outside buildings). The microstratigraphic organisation of pedo-sedimentary sequences could be representative of different types of living floor: constructed floors inside cob buildings, living floors just outside buildings and yard floors. The results of this research confirm that the artefact spreads are the visible aspect of living floors. While for a long time the preservation of living floors was not considered because the conditions were regarded as unfavourable, this study actually demonstrates their possible preservation in different geomorphological and pedological contexts, as well as their informative potential. Moreover, the study shows that the artefact spreads reflect different spaces, depending on environmental conditions and human activities. In a context where data on Late Neolithic architecture in the south-western part of the Paris Basin is limited, these results confirm the presence of built structures on these sites and provide insights into the raw materials used for the construction of houses. Ultimately, the results contribute new knowledge and broaden the fields of research in geoarchaeology and the palaeo-ethnology of living floors.