In France, collective burial sites of the Late Neolithic period (3600-2100 BC) include a variety ... more In France, collective burial sites of the Late Neolithic period (3600-2100 BC) include a variety of structures ranging from simple pits and natural caves to hypogea and megalithic structures. The management of these graves raises questions about their representativeness and about burial practices involving non-adult individuals. This study of funerary selection based on age-at-death compares the results obtained for different sites and offers several potential interpretations concerning the integration of immature individuals in these collective tombs based on their age. The study highlights a particular selection observed in various funerary structures and a chronological difference between northern and southern France. These first results lead to a discussion of distinct cultural choices among different geographical areas.
Social anthropology and ethnographic studies have described kinship systems and networks of conta... more Social anthropology and ethnographic studies have described kinship systems and networks of contact and exchange in extant populations1–4. However, for prehistoric societies, these systems can be studied only indirectly from biological and cultural remains. Stable isotope data, sex and age at death can provide insights into the demographic structure of a burial community and identify local versus non-local childhood signatures, archaeogenetic data can reconstruct the biological relationships between individuals, which enables the reconstruction of pedigrees, and combined evidence informs on kinship practices and residence patterns in prehistoric societies. Here we report ancient DNA, strontium isotope and contextual data from more than 100 individuals from the site Gurgy ‘les Noisats’ (France), dated to the western European Neolithic around 4850–4500 bc. We find that this burial community was genetically connected by two main pedigrees, spanning seven generations, that were patriloc...
La sépulture mégalithique de Gabiane 6 a fait l'objet d'une fouille par Maurice L... more La sépulture mégalithique de Gabiane 6 a fait l'objet d'une fouille par Maurice Laforgue en 1984. Les vestiges humains mis au jour sont restés inédits depuis leur découverte. Une étude biologique, principalement concentrée sur les dents, a été entreprise sur la collection conservée à la Cité de la Préhistoire (Orgnac l'Aven) afin de déterminer le nombre minimum d'individus (NMI), l'état sanitaire et le recrutement de la population inhumée. Mots-clefs Mégalithisme, étude biologique, recrutement, usure dentaire, activité paramasticatrice.
Since 2012, a research program on the study of collective burial sites dating from the end of the... more Since 2012, a research program on the study of collective burial sites dating from the end of the Neolithic period to the beginning of the Bronze Age in eastern Languedoc and the south of the Cévennes has been undertaken. Each study followed the same analysis protocol, both biologically (age at death, sex, health status) and archaeoanthropological (recruitment, reconstruction of the funerary system), as well the processing of the bodies and the overall organization of the deposits. We do not observe any significant differences between the two regions of interest, apart from a systematic funerary selection excluding the youngest individuals from the collective burial sites in eastern Languedoc, the south of the Cévennes being more diverse about the funerary selection. The only significant element is the presence of markers of para-masticatory activity on the teeth of a limited number of individuals buried in the dolmens of the south of the Cévennes. This result suggests a practice of...
In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identifi... more In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identified. In the Early Neolithic, burials were simple and gathered in small groups, following by monumentalisation and collectivisation during the Middle Neolithic, before becoming exclusive at the end of the Neolithic. The aim of this research is to focus on infants within these various contexts in terms of funerary practices, age distribution and the location of the burials (either next to domestic structures or in strictly funerary contexts), and to discuss their social status within the society as evidenced through the collected data. The study is based on 237 sites in France and combines biological and archaeological data. The results indicate that infant burials were afforded specific locations and various funerary treatments are also identified on a larger scale. These differences seem to reflect a specific social consideration of infants.
In France, collective burial sites of the Late Neolithic period (3600-2100 BC) include a variety ... more In France, collective burial sites of the Late Neolithic period (3600-2100 BC) include a variety of structures ranging from simple pits and natural caves to hypogea and megalithic structures. The management of these graves raises questions about their representativeness and about burial practices involving non-adult individuals. This study of funerary selection based on age-at-death compares the results obtained for different sites and offers several potential interpretations concerning the integration of immature individuals in these collective tombs based on their age. The study highlights a particular selection observed in various funerary structures and a chronological difference between northern and southern France. These first results lead to a discussion of distinct cultural choices among different geographical areas.
Social anthropology and ethnographic studies have described kinship systems and networks of conta... more Social anthropology and ethnographic studies have described kinship systems and networks of contact and exchange in extant populations1–4. However, for prehistoric societies, these systems can be studied only indirectly from biological and cultural remains. Stable isotope data, sex and age at death can provide insights into the demographic structure of a burial community and identify local versus non-local childhood signatures, archaeogenetic data can reconstruct the biological relationships between individuals, which enables the reconstruction of pedigrees, and combined evidence informs on kinship practices and residence patterns in prehistoric societies. Here we report ancient DNA, strontium isotope and contextual data from more than 100 individuals from the site Gurgy ‘les Noisats’ (France), dated to the western European Neolithic around 4850–4500 bc. We find that this burial community was genetically connected by two main pedigrees, spanning seven generations, that were patriloc...
La sépulture mégalithique de Gabiane 6 a fait l'objet d'une fouille par Maurice L... more La sépulture mégalithique de Gabiane 6 a fait l'objet d'une fouille par Maurice Laforgue en 1984. Les vestiges humains mis au jour sont restés inédits depuis leur découverte. Une étude biologique, principalement concentrée sur les dents, a été entreprise sur la collection conservée à la Cité de la Préhistoire (Orgnac l'Aven) afin de déterminer le nombre minimum d'individus (NMI), l'état sanitaire et le recrutement de la population inhumée. Mots-clefs Mégalithisme, étude biologique, recrutement, usure dentaire, activité paramasticatrice.
Since 2012, a research program on the study of collective burial sites dating from the end of the... more Since 2012, a research program on the study of collective burial sites dating from the end of the Neolithic period to the beginning of the Bronze Age in eastern Languedoc and the south of the Cévennes has been undertaken. Each study followed the same analysis protocol, both biologically (age at death, sex, health status) and archaeoanthropological (recruitment, reconstruction of the funerary system), as well the processing of the bodies and the overall organization of the deposits. We do not observe any significant differences between the two regions of interest, apart from a systematic funerary selection excluding the youngest individuals from the collective burial sites in eastern Languedoc, the south of the Cévennes being more diverse about the funerary selection. The only significant element is the presence of markers of para-masticatory activity on the teeth of a limited number of individuals buried in the dolmens of the south of the Cévennes. This result suggests a practice of...
In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identifi... more In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identified. In the Early Neolithic, burials were simple and gathered in small groups, following by monumentalisation and collectivisation during the Middle Neolithic, before becoming exclusive at the end of the Neolithic. The aim of this research is to focus on infants within these various contexts in terms of funerary practices, age distribution and the location of the burials (either next to domestic structures or in strictly funerary contexts), and to discuss their social status within the society as evidenced through the collected data. The study is based on 237 sites in France and combines biological and archaeological data. The results indicate that infant burials were afforded specific locations and various funerary treatments are also identified on a larger scale. These differences seem to reflect a specific social consideration of infants.
Children, Death and Burials assembles a panorama of studies with a focus on juvenile burials; the... more Children, Death and Burials assembles a panorama of studies with a focus on juvenile burials; the 16 papers have a wide geographic and temporal breadth and represent a range of methodological approaches. All have a similar objective in mind, however, namely to understand how children were treated in death by different cultures in the past; to gain insights concerning the roles of children of different ages in their respective societies and to find evidence of the nature of past adult–child relationships and interactions across the life course. The contextualisation and integration of the data collected, both in the field and in the laboratory, enables more nuanced understandings to be gained in relation to the experiences of the young in the past. A broad range of issues are addressed within the volume, including the inclusion/exclusion of children in particular burial environments and the impact of age in relation to the place of children in society. Child burials clearly embody identity and ‘the domestic child’, ‘the vulnerable child’, ‘the high status child’, ‘the cherished child’, ‘the potential child’, ‘the ritual child’ and the ‘political child’, and combinations thereof, are evident throughout the narratives. Investigation of the burial practices afforded to children is pivotal to enlightenment in relation to key facets of past life, including the emotional responses shown towards children during life and in death, as well as an understanding of their place within the social strata and ritual activities of their societies.
Dans le bassin nord-occidental de la Méditerranée, la fin du Néolithique est marquée par l'émerg... more Dans le bassin nord-occidental de la Méditerranée, la fin du Néolithique est marquée par l'émergence de nombreux groupes culturels et d'une multitude de faciès géographiques, caractérisés sur le plan funéraire, par la dimension collective de leurs sépultures. Ces dernières sont installées soit dans des milieux naturels (grottes, avens, abris) soit construites artificiellement (dolmens, hypogées, etc.). Dans les zones de forte densité de ces deux grands types de contextes (Grands Causses, Ardèche, Cévennes, etc.), l'environnement et le contexte géologique se prête à chacune de ces pratiques et ne sauraient constituer un facteur discriminant. Mais plusieurs questions se posent sur le plan anthropologique, socio-culturel et structurel. Ces deux expressions funéraires sont-elles le reflet d'une appartenance culturelle distincte ou celui d'un statut social différent au sein d'une même communauté ? Ce qui aux premiers abords ne semble pas transparaître dans le mobilier d'accompagnement, similaire dans les deux types de contextes. D'autre part, d'un point de vue anthropologique, les études témoignent d'une sélection funéraire spécifique, qui n'inclut pas nécessairement toute la population. On peut alors se demander quelles étaient les conditions d'accès à telle ou telle tombe. Par ailleurs, le recrutement funéraire est-il le même dans les grottes et dans les dolmens ? En résumé, peut-on identifier des pratiques funéraires similaires ou distinctes selon le territoire et selon la chronologie ? Les tombes mégalithiques sont des architectures monumentales qui ont nécessité un investissement collectif certain pour leur construction et leur fonctionnement. De même, les grottes exigent de lourds aménagements afin de faciliter leur accès, leur circulation interne et l'agencement de l'espace funéraire. Les utilisateurs des grottes sont-ils des constructeurs de mégalithes ? Et quels sont les indices archéologiques à notre disposition pour en discuter ? L'objectif de cette table ronde est donc de réunir archéologues, spécialistes de l'architecture mégalithique ou du milieu souterrain, anthropologues biologiques et spécialistes des mobiliers dans une démarche pluridisciplinaire pour discuter de cette variabilité funéraire. Les travaux existants abordent de manière exclusive l'un ou l'autre type de tombe et les tentatives de corrélation sont restées relativement rares étant donné le peu de données récentes et fiables pour ces deux types de contextes.
« GROTTES ET DOLMENS : RELATIONS ENTRE LES SÉPULTURES COLLECTIVES DE LA FIN DU NÉOLITHIQUE DANS L... more « GROTTES ET DOLMENS : RELATIONS ENTRE LES SÉPULTURES COLLECTIVES DE LA FIN DU NÉOLITHIQUE DANS LE SUD DE LA FRANCE »
Murphy and Le Roy Children, Death and Burial Archaeological Discourses, 2017
In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identifi... more In France, during the Neolithic period (5700–2100 BC), several cultural groups have been identified. In the Early Neolithic, burials were simple and gathered in small groups, following by monumentalisation and collectivisation during the Middle Neolithic, before becoming exclusive at the end of the Neolithic. The aim of this research is to focus on infants within these various contexts in terms of funerary practices, age distribution and the location of the burials (either next to domestic structures or in strictly funerary contexts), and to discuss their social status within the society as evidenced through the collected data. The study is based on 237 sites in France and combines biological and archaeological data. The results indicate that infant burials were afforded specific locations and various funerary treatments are also identified on a larger scale. These differences seem to reflect a specific social consideration of infants.
Starting around the fifth millennium BC, the Neolithic period is marked over time by the emergenc... more Starting around the fifth millennium BC, the Neolithic period is marked over time by the emergence of monumental funerary structures across Europe. These burials either take place in natural environments (caves, shelters, etc.) or are artificially constructed (dolmens, hypogea, etc.). The funerary practices in use are gradually evolving from single deposits to collective burial sites, the latter becomes the main practice at the end of the Neolithic. All these structures have in common a strong impact on the landscape, whether underground or aboveground.
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Papers by melie le roy
19 et 20 septembre 2019
MMSH Aix-en-Provence - FRANCE – Salle Duby