Les camps néolithiques des Matignons à Juillac-le-Coq (Charente)

A century of research on the Peu-Richardien

“…4) decorated pottery of earlier Peu-Richardien type came only from the two inner ditches; the outer ditch may be a later addition (Joussaume, 1981, 268 have been in use at the same time. Excavations at Les Matignons recovered pottery of the earlier 'Matignons' type from one, and of the later 'Moulin-de-Vent' type from the other (Burnez & Case, 1966). T h e evidence from within the defences of these sites is poor, since most are on chalk or limestone bedrock with thin soil cover, where repeated ploughing has removed all traces of any structures and has disturbed.…”

“…The 'pince de crabe' category is in fact the more numerous. T h e excavations at Les Matignons revealed ditches of considerable proportions, up to 4 m wide and z m deep, cut into the bedrock (Burnez & Case, 1966). At Champ Durand the inner ditch was 2.5 m deep and 5 m across at the mouth (Joussaume, 1980).…”

“…These sites also appear to have had a subsidiary function in respect of the disposal of the dead. Eschasseriaux at Peu-Richard and Deschamps at Mourez-de-Berneuil noted the presence of human skeletal material in the ditches, and several human bones, principally but not solely skull fragments, came from the outer and inner ditches of both enclosures at Les Matignons (Eschasseriaux, 1884; Burnez & Morel, 1965;Burnez & Case, 1966). The most impressive discoveries of this kind are, however, the five complete or nearly complete skeletons found in three different places in the ditches of Champ Durand (FIG.…”

“…Burnez carried out excavations, either alone or in collaboration with others, at several of these (Les Matignons: Burnez & Case 1966;Soubkrac: Burnez 1965;Le Brandard de Montagan: Guillien 1968, 316;Biard: results unpublished), and was able to show that all had had enclosing ditches or ramparts. The results of this work formed the basis of his important synthesis LR Niolithique et le Chalcolithique dans le CentreOuest de la France which was completed in 1962, but not published until 1976.…”

“…He attempted to explain the origin of the flamboyant pottery, the co-existence of the Saintonge and Moulin-de-Vent styles, and their close association with the fortified sites by means of an invasion hypothesis which will be discussed below. Another notable feature of Burnez's work on the fortified sites of the Cognaqais was his use of aerial photography to back up the results of fieldwalking and excavation (Burnez & Faqon, 1957;Burnez & Case, 1966).…”