II. Les parures du Néolithique final à Chalain et Clairvaux

Abstract

Correlation between nine littoral dwelling sites of the lakes of Chalain and Clairvaux (Jura, France) has allowed to build an almost continuous chronology for the final Neolithic, covering the period from 3200 to 2600 BC. This sequence is checked through dendrochronology : it spans the succession of the Horgen, Clairvaux and Chalain cultures. For this sequence, the study of 484 objects of adornment out of wood, stone, bone, antler and shell was done, in connection with the ceramic evolution and the cultural stimuli formerly recognized. This exceptional series of well dated ornaments allows to show the coming of outside populations in the Combe d'Ain, and in particular small groups coming from the Horgen of Western Switzerland and from the Ferrières of Ardèche, echoing what had been already perceived in the ceramic styles. This series allows also to distinguish phases of stylistical regionalization, as in the case of local manufactures of ornaments, and the reinterpretation of the Ferrières symbols. Further evidences are attained : the evolution of the symbolic of ornaments closely follows rapid changes of the environmental context and of the economy. To an ancient phase (Horgen 3200 BC) where hunting, trophy quest and the use of only slightly modified animal ornaments were prevalent, succeeds a recent one (Clairvaux, 2800 BC) where beads and pendants, made out of stone, were privileged whereas deforested landscape and husbandry take on importance. This striking parallelism between the symbolic data and the environmental context could be explained by social determinisms of general value, those linked to variations in the density of the population and to the impact of man on the forest.