2005 : le dolmen de la Pierre Fritte in Yermenonville (Eure-et-Loir) |
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The
objectives defined for the first leg of the three-year programmed
excavation campaign (2005-2007) were, as specified, to finish
exploring the monument’s outlying sectors, to continue
excavating the ossuary trench, and to undertake the exploration
of the sizeable pit located less than 3 meters from the
Pierre Fritte dolmen.
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It is becoming increasingly obvious that this small megalithic
monument in the Beauce region has an unusual past that sets
it well apart from the Neolithic funerary rites and practices
with which we are familiar. |
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The ossuary
trench |
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there is every indication that the dolmen was not initially
destined for burial at all but that it did serve in an auxiliary
manner as the “container” for an ossuary-type
trench dating to the Upper Neolithic. |
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| Ossuary |
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Our analysis
is affording a clearer view. We believe that this megalith
was erected for the express purpose of containing the ossuary
trench. It was installed on a (possibly restructured) paved
area made up of small limestone blocks gathered from the immediate
vicinity (dating to the Middle Neolithic 2). |
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The ossuary is composed of several hundred bone fragments
in disconnection and shattered, with sizes never exceeding
20 cm in length. Also present are many small isolated bones
and teeth, which circumstance would tend to indicate that
the material was very painstakingly retrieved and transported.
Fourteen individuals have been identified: eight adults, five
juveniles, and one un- or new-born infant. They lie randomly,
and the many instances where pieces found in different spots
have been glued back together prove that this was a one-time
operation with no successive or additional deposits. |
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drill reconnaissance was conducted to determine the limits
of the sizeable pit that lies to the east of the monument.
It apparently extends eastwards at least 4 meters. |
Excavation
layout in 2005
(© Jean-Marc Mourain) |
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| We
have already designated colleagues to conduct post-excavation
analyses. Actually, all the concerned specialists took part
in last summer’s campaign. Their preliminary findings
are reproduced in appendixes to the report. Their names and
areas of specialisation are as follows: |
Aude
Civetta, for anthropological studies;
Dominique Jagu, for odontology;
Jéremy Chombart, for studies on fauna;
Jéremy Chombart, Frédéric Dupont, and
Antonin Tomasso for exploration work on the large pit;
Finally, Marie-Amélie Ribager and François Fouriaux
for installing GIS using commercial, user-friendly software.
A concrete example is reproduced, applied to the reassembling
of bones in the ossuary. |
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Summary
of the 2005 excavation report |
Text
: Dominique Jagu |
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