On sort la tête de l’amas ? Étude architecturale et géoarchéologique d’une structure circulaire en périphérie de l’amas coquillier de Beg-er-Vil (Quiberon, Morbihan)
Résumé
The identification of settlement areas and their associated structures on early Holocene archaeological sites
has long been an important topic in the study of the last groups of hunter-gatherers. In western France, shell middens constitute
a very particular type of sites, which bear witness to very different domestic activities and are often interpreted as
habitation sites. However, the residential structures at these sites are rare and never well known. The surroundings of these
shell layers had never been excavated with modern protocols in Brittany until the field campaigns at the Beg-er-Vil site
in Quiberon. The Quiberon Peninsula is located on the Atlantic coast, west of the Gulf of Morbihan, and extends 11 kilometres
to the south. It lies in front of several islands: Téviec, Houat, Hoedic and Belle-Île-en-Mer. The Mesolithic site is
located on the Beg-er-Vil promontory, which closes off a south-facing bay to the east, where the harbour of Port-Maria
is located. It lies at the bottom of a small bay on the western flank of this rocky headland, which is only 5 metres above
sea level. The Mesolithic settlement can be recognized on the beach promenade by a distinct layer of black earth laden
with seashells, bone remains, ethics, and charcoal. It is located above a fossilised beach from the Eemian, about 3 metres
above the highest sea level, and is covered by aeolian sands. The site was discovered in 1970 by G. Bernier and excavated
over an area of 20 m² by O. Kayser between 1985 and 1988. Given the site's great scientific potential for understanding
prehistoric societies on the French Atlantic coast, and due to the fact that it is directly threatened by storms and marine
erosion, a new excavation program was launched between 2012 and 2018, managed by G. Marchand and C. Dupont.
The calibration of the twenty selected dates (on short-lived samples) with Oxcal V. 4.3 suggests an occupation spanning
between 6400 and 5927 cal. BC. The central sandy area of the site revealed a considerable number of structures in the
form of hearths, pits, and vertical alignments of stones, interpreted as dwellings (or post-holes?). Due to the unique
conservation of these type of archaeological discoveries in the region, the detailed study of these structures and the
central area of the site is a crucial research topic for the study of the last hunter-gatherers’ populations in the region.
The objectives of this paper are to present the archaeological data resulting from the excavation work in the sandy area
of the Beg-er-Vil site, the detailed technological data supporting an interpretation of the original morphology of these
structures, and the analysis of the micromorphological studies hinting at the formation of living floors. The results of the
study show how the postholes, their organization, and their construction techniques, represent the last inorganic remains
of a horizontal architecture, drawing an oval shape. These postholes are identified by empty spaces defined by a series
of stones, mainly granite or quartz pebbles, placed on a vertical plan. In many cases, these were previously used as stone
hearths. In the middle of this space lies a significant hearth structure, fitted with large granite stones, which according to
C14 data was built at the beginning of the occupation phase. The series of vertical stones share some specific technological
attributes, such as orientation, depth of implantation in the soil, and shape, that are significant to partially reconstruct
this architecture even if many other elements are not (yet) known. With a width of 3.48 metres (east-west) and a length
of 3.69 metres (north-south), this subcircular room covers an area of 10.08 m² in total. The 23 stone settings interpreted
as stake wedges indicate that this structure was erected vertically by a scaffolding, probably made of plant material and
consisting of parts with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm. To the north and south of the circular space, the absence of surviving
stake wedges suggests at least three possible interpretations: that they were altered/destroyed by taphonomic processes
(unlikely given the overall preservation of the site); that the poles of the armature at this level were set directly into the
sediment, without stone wedges; or that they are in fact openings in the architecture. Given the conditions under which
the site was buried, it is likely that these interruptions are genuine openings in the architecture.
The geoarchaeological investigation of three soil-sedimentary sequences located within, near, and far from the building
shows the spatial and temporal disparity of the archaeological stratigraphy. Micromorphological analysis confirms the
presence of occupied Mesolithic soils associated with the formation of the shell layer. Several types of activity were
detected in these soils. There are discharge-type inputs associated either with combustion activities (heated stone) or
with the construction of structures (stake wedges, slab hearths) requiring burial of the underlying layer (rolled gravel
beds). Relatively intense trampling can be observed in the upper part of the soil. Micro-remains are rare and consist
mainly of micro-charcoals and food remains. Like the soils outside the structure, the soils inside do not appear to have
undergone any special preparation; their formation seems to be exclusively due to natural processes. There are also no
signs of matting, neither with plant nor with animal material. The soils show variations in wetting and drying, as do the
soils outside the structures. The micromorphological investigation also provides clues for the temporal classification of
this colonization. In the three sequences analysed, there was a decrease in the anthropogenic processes involved in the
dynamics of the formation of the soil-sediment sequence, which could be explained by a period in which the area was
not occupied by Mesolithic human groups.The function and uses of this structure cannot yet be deduced with absolute certainty. It might have been used for typical
domestic activities on a daily basis, or for other types of activities related to food processing or crafting activities.
The formation of anthropised soils suggests several occupation episodes related to the use of the structure. This study
improves our understanding of the characterization of the archaeological remains of human groups on the coast, and
of their ways of living.