Le cimetière protohistorique d'Abbeville "La Sole de Baillon" (Somme) : présentation liminaire des fouilles récentes de l'autoroute A16 Nord

Abstract

ABSTRACT The recent excavations on the plateau of Saint-Riqier at Abbeville "La Sole de Bâillon", carried out as part of the archaeological campaign on the A16 North motorway, have resulted in the discovery of more than 80 cremation graves. A first survey of the archaeological material permits us to determine at least two major occupation phases for this cemetery, during La Tène C1 and La Tène C2/D1. The funerary practices revealed by this site have nothing special : they fit perfectly into ancient Belgium's cultural cast. However we must emphasize the great number graves found there, compared with ancient Belgium's other cemeteries excavated up to now, in which hardly more than a dozen cremation graves have been discovered. The "La Sole de Bâillon" cemetery therefore permits us to raise the issue of a new perception of territorial occupation in the 3rd and 2nd centuries B.C. and to question the pattern currently presented, which makes a close connection between small cemeteries of an aristocratic nature and small farm-type dwellings.