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International audience; Understanding the contribution of fish to the human dietis an important debate in past population studies as it implies specific organization (e.g. adapted techniques, gender-based activities?) and relationship with the local or sublocal environments (e.g. mobility, seasonal-based exploitation). In the Paris Basin, the role of fish has been discussed mainly from rare but obviousarchaeologicalremains such as fish bones or hooks. Previous isotopic data from Neolithic human bone bulk collagen highlighted the potential of freshwater resources in protein diet but were not able to quantify it or even confirm its role. In this study we conducted, for the first time on early farmers from France,compound specific isotope analysis on bone collagen amino acids (CSIA-AA). Results indicate a particularly high trophic level of some humans with protein intake mainly based on terrestrial animal resources (domestic cattle and pig), while others rather havea plant-based diet. Freshwater resources appeared to be not significant and several possible food combinations are discussed. Pig particularly appears more herbivorous than previously assumed and has possibly consumed manured cereals from human food waste.

L’exploration des structures de parenté dans les sociétés du passé a été au centre des études en archéologie et en anthropologie. Cependant, la reconstruction des liens de parenté biologique en contextes archéologiques a rarement été accessible. Avec le développement des méthodes d’analyses en ADN ancien, il est désormais possible d’obtenir des données génomiques pour de nombreux individus d’un même groupe, même dans le cas d’une faible conservation de l’ADN. Nous présentons ici de nouvelles ...

Highlights•49 low coverage genomes from 27 sites from France, dated to ≈1200–80 years cal BCE•No major migration or population turnover between Bronze and Iron Age in France•A gradual North/South genetic structuration of IA populations•Evidence of individual mobility between regions and neighboring countriesSummaryThe Iron Age period occupies an important place in French history because the Gauls are regularly presented as the direct ancestors of the extant French population. We documented here the genomic diversity of Iron Age communities originating from six French regions. The 49 acquired genomes permitted us to highlight an absence of discontinuity between Bronze Age and Iron Age groups in France, lending support to a cultural transition linked to progressive local economic changes rather than to a massive influx of allochthone groups. Genomic analyses revealed strong genetic homogeneity among the regional groups associated with distinct archaeological cultures. This genomic homogenization appears to be linked to individuals’ mobility between regions and gene flow with neighbouring groups from England and Spain. Thus, the results globally support a common genomic legacy for the Iron Age population of modern-day France that could be linked to recurrent gene flow between culturally differentiated communities.

Previous studies have identified differences based on sex in adult diet and age-based changes in the funerary treatment of children in the Neolithic of northern France. This preliminary study investigates sex-based differences and age-related changes in diet and mobility in childhood in comparison to adulthood. Nineteen individuals from the Neolithic Yonne valley (Paris Basin) were analyzed for δ13C and δ15N in dentine of the second permanent molar (M2) and 15 also for δ34S. Analyses were performed on different tooth parts depending on the individuals and targeted different age groups: bulk coronal (ca. 2.5–8.5 years; n = 16 adults) and root dentine (ca. 8.5–12 years; n = 1 juvenile) and dentine microsections of the entire tooth (6 age groups between 2.5 and 16 years old; n = 2 adults). Higher δ15N values in dentine than in adult bone reflect children’s dietary specificity, possibly due to their nutritional needs during growth. There is no mean isotopic difference in coronal dentine between males and females under 9 years old. Dietary sex-based division occurs later. Two isotopic shifts are observed on the incremental profiles, indicative of social transitions, possibly sex-related, around 8–9 and 14 years old. The variability of δ34S values highlights different mobility patterns between the sexes and argues for patrilocality. These results echo previous studies and offer a promising perspective which must be investigated further on a larger sample size.

Uniparentally-inherited markers on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the non-recombining regions of the Y chromosome (NRY), have been used for the past 30 years to investigate the history of humans from a maternal and paternal perspective. Researchers have preferred mtDNA due to its abundance in the cells, and comparatively high substitution rate. Conversely, the NRY is less susceptible to back mutations and saturation, and is potentially more informative than mtDNA owing to its longer sequence length. However, due to comparatively poor NRY coverage via shotgun sequencing, and the relatively low and biased representation of Y-chromosome variants on capture assays such as the 1240 k, ancient DNA studies often fail to utilize the unique perspective that the NRY can yield. Here we introduce a new DNA enrichment assay, coined YMCA (Y-mappable capture assay), that targets the "mappable" regions of the NRY. We show that compared to low-coverage shotgun sequencing and 1240 k capture, YMCA significantly improves the mean coverage and number of sites covered on the NRY, increasing the number of Y-haplogroup informative SNPs, and allowing for the identification of previously undiscovered variants. To illustrate the power of YMCA, we show that the analysis of ancient Y-chromosome lineages can help to resolve Y-chromosomal haplogroups. As a case study, we focus on H2, a haplogroup associated with a critical event in European human history: the Neolithic transition. By disentangling the evolutionary history of this haplogroup, we further elucidate the two separate paths by which early farmers expanded from Anatolia and the Near East to western Europe., Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This study was funded by the Max Planck Society, the French (ANR) and German (DFG) Research Foundations under the INTERACT project (ANR-17-FRAL-0010, DFG-HA-5407/4-1, 2018-2021) to M.R. and W.H., the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant agreement no. 771234-PALEoRIDER to W.H., the award Praemium Academiae of the Czech Academy of Sciences to M.E. and the project RVO 67985912 of the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague to M.S.

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.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia and remains a global health problem, but its past diversity and dispersal routes are largely unknown. We generated HBV genomic data from 137 Eurasians and Native Americans dated between ~10,500 and ~400 years ago. We date the most recent common ancestor of all HBV lineages to between ~20,000 and 12,000 years ago, with the virus present in European and South American hunter-gatherers during the early Holocene. After the European Neolithic transition, Mesolithic HBV strains were replaced by a lineage likely disseminated by early farmers that prevailed throughout western Eurasia for ~4000 years, declining around the end of the 2nd millennium BCE. The only remnant of this prehistoric HBV diversity is the rare genotype G, which appears to have reemerged during the HIV pandemic., The research was funded by the Max Planck Society, the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (771234–PALEoRIDER, to W.H.; 805268–CoDisEASe to K. Bos; 834616–ARCHCAUCASUS to S.H.), the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme and Marie Curie Actions under the Programme SASPRO (1340/03/03 to P.C.R.), the ERA.NET RUS Plus–S&T programm of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (277–BIOARCCAUCASUS to S.Re. and S.H.), the Werner Siemens Stiftung (“Paleobiochemistry”, to CW), the Award Praemium Academiae of the Czech Academy of Sciences (to M.E.), the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO 67985912, to M.Dobe.), the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (19-09-00354a, to M.K.K. and V.V.K.; 19-78-10053 to SSh), the German Research Foundation (DFG-HA-5407/4-1–INTERACT to W.H. and RE2688/2 to S.Re.), the French National Research Agency (ANR-17-FRAL-0010–INTERACT, to M.F.D., M.Ri., S.Ro., S.Sai., D.Bi., and P.Le.), the Wenner-Gren Dissertation Fieldwork Grant (9558 to S.Sab.), and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (AP08856654 to L.B.D., L.M., and E.Kh. and AP08857177 to A.Z.B.).

Shedding light on first encounters between late hunter-gatherers and early farmers in western Europe., Starting from 12,000 years ago in the Middle East, the Neolithic lifestyle spread across Europe via separate continental and Mediterranean routes. Genomes from early European farmers have shown a clear Near Eastern/Anatolian genetic affinity with limited contribution from hunter-gatherers. However, no genomic data are available from modern-day France, where both routes converged, as evidenced by a mosaic cultural pattern. Here, we present genome-wide data from 101 individuals from 12 sites covering today’s France and Germany from the Mesolithic (N = 3) to the Neolithic (N = 98) (7000–3000 BCE). Using the genetic substructure observed in European hunter-gatherers, we characterize diverse patterns of admixture in different regions, consistent with both routes of expansion. Early western European farmers show a higher proportion of distinctly western hunter-gatherer ancestry compared to central/southeastern farmers. Our data highlight the complexity of the biological interactions during the Neolithic expansion by revealing major regional variations.

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. This was follo...

Recent ancient DNA studies on European Neolithic human populations have provided persuasive evidence of a major migration of farmers originating from the Aegean, accompanied by sporadic hunter-gatherer admixture into early Neolithic populations, but increasing toward the Late Neolithic. In this context, ancient mitochondrial DNA data collected from the Neolithic necropolis of Gurgy (Paris Basin, France), the largest mitochondrial DNA sample obtained from a single archeological site for the Early/Middle Neolithic period, indicate little differentiation from farmers associated to both the Danubian and Mediterranean Neolithic migration routes, as well as from Western European hunter-gatherers. To test whether this pattern of differentiation could arise in a single unstructured population by genetic drift alone, we used serial coalescent simulations. We explore female effective population size parameter combinations at the time of the colonization of Europe 45000 years ago and the most recent of the Neolithic samples analyzed in this study 5900 years ago, and identify conditions under which population panmixia between hunter-gatherers/Early-Middle Neolithic farmers and Gurgy cannot be rejected. In relation to other studies on the current debate of the origins of Europeans, these results suggest increasing hunter-gatherer admixture into farmers' group migrating farther west in Europe.

In the early Late Bronze Age of the Seine-Yonne and Seine-Aube confluences in northern France, novel funerary practices include the repeated use of a seated position (i.e. with the vertebral column in a vertical position) of the deceased within a container, most often a rigid one, placed in a pit whose diameter rarely exceeds 1 m. The use of these graves does not appear to be limited solely to the deposition of the deceased, as re-opening and post-inhumation activities have also been identified. Many of these graves contain animal bones, sometimes in large quantities, above or next to the human remains. Furthermore, anthropogenic interventions, including bone removal during or after decomposition of the corpse, can be demonstrated. These practices are particularly well illustrated among the 136 buried individuals in the “Frecul” necropolis in the Barbuise and La Saulsotte areas (Aube). Thirty-six individual graves were also re-used for successive inhumations at Barbey “Les Cent Arpents” (Seine-et-Marne). We propose hypotheses about the way these funerary structures were used, following a sort of bone-collecting process, and reflect upon the funerary programme of which they were a part.

With the arrival of the Neolithic to Europe, new ways of life and new subsistence strategies emerged. In the Paris Basin (northern France), the appearance of some monumental funerary structures during the Middle Neolithic highlights in particular the increasing complexity of the social organisation. At the same time, several sites, such as open-air cemeteries, do not display any evidence of such arrangement. In the southeast of this area, the two primary routes of neolithisation meet. Several funerary parameters attest to the diverse influence received from other surrounding cultures. In order to assess potential differences in diet, and therefore on purported social distinctions at the inter- and intra-site level, stable isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) were performed on bone collagen of humans (n = 177) and non-human animals (n = 62) from seven archaeological sites located in the same area (

Cremains' alterations often restrict the analysis of osteoarchaeological assemblages, while it should rather inform our understanding of the taphonomic processes of the combustion as well as their implications in term of human behaviour. Although destructive forces of fire alter biological features of bones, it may also provide valuable information on the intensity of the fire, the original atmosphere of combustion and the pre-combustion state of bones. Through a significant review of published studies carried out on burned bones, the authors underlined several important biases that restrict the operability of cremains appearance (cremains colours, warping, cracks, fractures, fragmentation, toughness and resonance) as relevant markers of the original circumstances of combustion. To circumvent each of these biases, we advocate performing multifactorial and spatial analyses of heating signatures within burned bones assemblages. The proposed approach is tested here through an original case-study, the Neolithic collective grave from La Truie Pendue (France, IVth millennium B.C.), which yielded more than 60 individuals and offer the actual snapshot of an intense episode of fire. Results of statistic and spatial analyses shed lights on bone response when subjected to heat, cremains taphonomy and the history of the burial sequence. Cremains' distribution suggests that a highly intense combustion burned the upper part of the assemblage in oxygenated conditions. The fire was probably ignited above the burial sequence, while human remains were still accessible for the community and a few fresh corpses may have fed the fire. In contrast, a lower intensity of combustion and reducing conditions may be reconstructed in the deeper part of the burial, where the corpses were probably all already skeletonized. It points to the presence of two clearly distinct funerary layers within a burial sequence that was finally closed by an intense episode of fire. Opening prospects on the use of fire within Neolithic funerary rites, this study emphasizes the benefits of a careful examination of heating signatures. The applied methodology may have further applications in the physical anthropology (e.g. analysis of ancient cremations or forensic issues) and zooarchaeology (e.g. taphonomic analyses of burned bone assemblages).

Purpose Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a condition that can be inherited or acquired. It causes diffuse periosteal new bone formation on the long bones, with a predilection for the appendicular skeleton. When acquired, it is a nonspecific indicator of systemic disease that arises following a primary condition. This paper reviews the palaeopathological literature associated with this rare condition. It also describes the first possible case of co-morbidity associated with hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in an adult skeleton (cal. BC 170 – 1 cal. AD) from the mobile pastoralist Sarmatian culture of the Volga steppes of Russia. Methods Macroscopic and radiological examination provide differential diagnoses of the lesions, while clinical and bioarchaeological analyses offer insights into the possible experience of disease and social implications of care among the nomadic populations of Iron Age Russia. Results The analysis of Sk. 6524.102 displays lesions that may be due to both hypertrophic osteoarthropathy and osteomalacia. The man was physically impaired and his participation in physically challenging activities would have been limited. Conclusions The study stresses that co-morbidity is a key parameter when interpreting disease in past populations, particularly when the diagnosis involves hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Significance This is the first case of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy identified in Eurasian prehistoric populations. The research emphasises the significance of co-morbidity in the past. Limitations The diagnosis of co-morbid diseases in human remains is extremely complex and the conditions were identified as most probable by a process of elimination. Suggestions for further research Further studies should be dedicated to understanding co-morbidity in the past.

Scavenging is one of the main taphonomic changes that bone assemblages undergo. This paper presents specific taphonomic data on bone modification by canids from the French archaeological site of Duisans ‘La Seche-Epee,’ dating from the ‘La Tene A' period (500–400 BC). Anthropological description and analysis of two incomplete male skeletons found in a pit allows us to document the postmortem alteration of bodies by canid scavengers and poses several questions about the nature of the deposit. The morphology of these marks, which are sometimes similar to antemortem lesions, and the disarticulation and dispersal of anatomical parts are crucial elements that need to be accurately described and accounted for in archaeological or forensic contexts. The evidence of violent death and the secondary treatment of the cadavers can be interpreted as either an opportunistic votive burial, an actual sacrifice with a specific ritual pattern, or more traditionally, a deviant deposit in which the individuals were deprived of funerals and exposed to scavengers.

Les comportements alimentaires de la population néolithique de Gurgy « Les Noisats » (Yonne, Vemillénaire av. J.-C.) sont étudiés à travers l'analyse des ratios isotopiques du collagène osseux de 40 sujets. Cette nécropole correspond à l'une des plus importantes du Néolithique français : elle compte 126 inhumations primaires sur une période d'occupation de près d'un millénaire. Au cœur d'une région située à l'intersection entre plusieurs cultures, la grande diversité des dispositifs funéraires et du mobilier atteste des multiples influences alentour. Les résultats isotopiques (δ13C et δ15N) des humains comparés à la faune régionale soulignent l'importance des protéines animales issues de l'élevage (viande ou produits laitiers) — voire de poissons d'eau douce — dans le régime alimentaire. La très faible variation des valeurs enregistrée au sein de la population montre une grande homogénéité, rarement mise en évidence pour cette période, indiquant la consommation de ressources similaires pour l'ensemble des individus étudiés. La comparaison de ces données avec les paramètres biologiques et funéraires dégage toutefois quelques tendances, notamment en fonction de l'âge et du sexe des défunts, ainsi que de la chronologie.

International audience; Diachronic changes of dietary human habits between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age are mainly identified through archaeological artefacts and archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach for palaeodietary studies and to identify the food changes between Neolithic and Bronze Age human groups in northern France. These changes are probably linked to the introduction of new crops, such as millet, and the use of stable isotope analysis on bones and teeth proves to be an effective method for assessing the role of this specific cereal in the diet and the economy. Stable isotope analyses were performed on bone and tooth collagen and apatite from eight humans and five domestic animals from a Late Bronze Age site (LBA; Barbuise; 15th–13th c. BC; Aube). The studied corpus is compared with isotopic data from human and animal bones from a nearby Neolithic site (Gurgy; 5th mill. BC; Yonne) and regional Neolithic to Iron sites located in northern France. Moreover, Barbuise data are supplemented by information from an important archaeobotanical study carried out on 21 LBA and Early Iron Age sites in the region. Neolithic and LBA human collagen isotopic ratios (δ13C, δ15N) differ statistically, as do those of some animals. Carbon isotopic ratios of human apatite corroborate collagen results indicating the consumption of 13C enriched food by LBA humans and animals compared to Neolithic samples. The high number of occurrences of plant remains in the Bronze Age settlements near the site points to the consumption of C4 plants, such as millet, and would account for these results.

Enamel thickness has been linked to functional aspects of masticatory biomechanics and has been demonstrated to be an evolutionary plastic trait, selectively responsive to dietary changes, wear and tooth fracture. European Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers mainly show a flat wear pattern, while oblique molar wear has been reported as characteristic of Neolithic agriculturalists. We investigate the relation- ships between enamel thickness distribution and molar wear pattern in two Neolithic and medieval populations. Under the assumption that dietary and/or non-dietary constraints result in directional selective pressure lead- ing to variations in enamel thickness, we test the hypothesis that these two populations will exhibit signif- icant differences in wear and enamel thickness patterns. Occlusal wear patterns were scored in upper permanent second molars (UM2) of 64 Neolithic and 311 medieval subadult and adult individuals. Enamel thickness was evaluated by microtomography in subsamples of 17 Neo- lithic and 25 medieval individuals. Eight variables describing enamel thickness were assessed. The results show that oblique molar wear is dominant in the Neo- lithic sample (87%), while oblique wear affects only a minority (42%) of the medieval sample. Moreover, in the Neolithic molars, where buccolingually directed oblique wear is dominant and greatest enamel lost occurs in the distolingual quadrant, thickest enamel is found where occlusal stresses are the most important—on the disto- lingual cusp. These results reveal a correlation between molar wear pattern and enamel thickness that has been associated to dietary changes. In particular, relatively thicker molar enamel may have evolved as a plastic response to resist wear. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:162

International audience; Ancient DNA (aDNA) research can address anthropological questions at both the broad continental scale to provide elements of discussion regarding ancient human population dynamics and the very small spatial scale to document population social functioning. In the present study, we propose an original approach combining local- and broad-scale issues, applied to two contemporaneous groups dated from the Late Iron Age period and originating from Northern France. Our analyses targeted uniparental markers (mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the Y chromosome) and permitted the characterization of 43 maternal and 17 paternal lineages for the Urville-Nacqueville necropolis (UN) as well as 27 maternal and 19 paternal lineages for the Gurgy ‘Les Noisats’ (GLN) tumulus. Data in hand provided a unique opportunity to document Gallic communities' genetic diversities and discuss their internal social dynamics as well as their genetic affinities with other ancient European groups. At the local scale, our study first highlighted patrilocal residence rules and patrilinearity for these Gallic groups, in concordance with textual sources and archaeological data. Second, the gene pool characterization indicated that the UN necropolis welcomed a more cosmopolitan community than did the GLN tumulus and that the funerary space organization in the UN was correlated to the genetic structuration of the community. These local scale characteristics were put into perspective for broad-scale discussions and highlighted different genetic affinities of the UN and GLN communities with ancient European groups. Both communities appeared inserted in distinct exchange networks that may have been responsible for the slight differentiation of their maternal gene pools. Finally, we demonstrated that the sub-groups encountered in the UN necropolis (maternally differentiated) presented very distinct genetic affinities with ancient or contemporaneous human groups from other Western European regions. Consequently, our study reinforces the idea that the identification of genetically differentiated groups within archaeological sites and discussion concerning their specific composition constitute a clear prerequisite before addressing broad-scale phylogeographical issues.

International audience; The use of collective graves is one of the main features of the western European Late Neolithic. A single gravesite received the successive deposition of dozens or sometimes hundreds of individuals. While cremations or even full-fired inhumation layers are often found within these funerary deposits, the actual role of fire is still poorly understood. Recently discovered within the important archaeological complex of Passy (Yonne, France), the burned collective grave of La Truie-Pendue provides an outstanding case study to examine the use of fire within Neolithic funerary rites. In this study, we develop a new contextual approach to bone alterations in order to reconstruct the original circumstances of combustion and to examine cultural motivations for the use of fire. Results of spatial statistical analyses indicate that the fire event was the first step of a procedure that sealed the grave, closed the access to the dead and signaled the end of the grave's history. Similar sealing procedures were usual elsewhere during the Late Neolithic. Finally, this study demonstrates the value of using GIS as a tool to optimize taphonomic analyses of widely fragmented and commingled skeletal assemblages.

Variations in the dental crown form are widely studied to interpret evolutionary changes in primates as well as to assess affinities among human archeological populations. Compared to external metrics of dental crown size and shape, variables including the internal structures such as enamel thickness, tissue proportions, and the three-dimensional shape of enamel-dentin junction (EDJ), have been described as powerful measurements to study taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships, dietary, and/or developmental patterns. In addition to providing good estimate of phenotypic distances within/across archeological samples, these internal tooth variables may help to understand phylogenetic, functional, and developmental underlying causes of variation. In this study, a high resolution microtomographic-based record of upper permanent second molars from 20 Neolithic individuals of the necropolis of Gurgy (France) was applied to evaluate the intrasite phenotypic variation in crown tissue proportions, thickness and distribution of enamel, and EDJ shape. The study aims to compare interindividual dental variations with burial practices and chronocultural parameters, and suggest underlying causes of these dental variations. From the non-invasive characterization of internal tooth structure, differences have been found between individuals buried in pits with alcove and those buried in pits with container and pits with wattling. Additionally, individuals from early and recent phases of the necropolis have been distinguished from those of the principal phase from their crown tissue proportions and EDJ shape. The results suggest that the internal tooth structure may be a reliable proxy to track groups sharing similar chronocultural and burial practices. In particular, from the EDJ shape analysis, individuals buried in an alcove shared a reduction of the distolingual dentin horn tip (corresponding to the hypocone). Environmental, developmental and/or functional underlying causes might be suggested for the origin of phenotypic differences shared by these individuals buried in alcoves.

The French Paris Basin is well known as a complex cultural area of the Early/Middle Neolithic, particularly with respect to funerary practices. Gurgy “Les Noisats”, which is an important necropolis in the southern Paris basin, is a burial site (N = 128) associated with the first Neolithic groups established in that area. The understanding of the necropolis composition and organization is complicated given the substantial homogeneity of the site's spatial organization in relation to a great diversity of characterized funerary traits. The unprecedented quantity of genetic (mitochondrial DNA), osteological (sex, age), and archaeological (funerary) data obtained for the Gurgy necropolis facilitates the search for potential correlations between cultural and biological (i.e. genetic and osteological) diversity at the site level. Despite the application of the powerful geographic information system, no correlation could be detected (i) between individual maternal lineages and specific bioarchaeological profiles (ii) or between maternal lineages and spatially identified bio-archaeological clusters. Therefore, analyses were performed to test for a correlation between the maternal ancestries of the individuals (i.e., hunter-gatherer/Central European farmer and Southern European farmer ancestries) and specific funerary traits. Again, the homogeneity of the funerary treatment of all of the individuals regardless of their potential maternal ancestries is striking. Taken together, our results regarding the way in which the Gurgy necropolis functioned provide strong evidence for the acculturation of all maternal ancestries groups, at least in terms of funerary practice. In addition, the demonstration of a recurrent association of adult men and immature individuals suggests a patrilocal system, which could be consistent with the detected acculturation of women who present a hunter-gatherer ancestry.

L’examen des restes immatures de la sepulture collective neolithique recent de « La Truie Pendue », situee a Passy dans le departement de l’Yonne, a permis de developper une methode de denombrement des sujets immatures adaptee a une sepulture collective comprenant de nombreux restes fragmentes. En plus d’une estimation du nombre minimum de sujets immatures, cette methode propose une repartition par classe d’âge de cette population immature. Les perspectives offertes pour apprehender la place des enfants dans les sepultures collectives neolithiques et dans ces societes se trouvent multipliees. Ainsi, les resultats obtenus pour « La Truie Pendue » ont permis de mettre en oeuvre une etude du recrutement qui semble indiquer que les sujets immatures ont eu acces a la sepulture dans des proportions compatibles avec un schema de mortalite « naturelle ».

Cette etude a pour but de tester et quantifier l’apport de la determination du sexe des individus sur le terrain, notamment en contexte preventif, au travers des diagnoses sexuelles metrique (DSP) et morphologique, et de la diagnose sexuelle secondaire (DSS), employee experimentalement avec les longueurs maximales des os longs mesurees in situ. Nous nous appuyons sur une serie de 103 squelettes, adultes et adolescents matures, issus du cimetiere medieval du « Chemin aux Errants », a Val-de-Reuil (Eure), fouille par l’Inrap en 2012. La comparaison systematique des donnees de terrain et de laboratoire permet de demontrer une excellente concordance entre celles-ci et de reveler une perte d’informations entre la fouille et le post-fouille. Nous montrons que l’acquisition des donnees de terrain in situ, peu chronophage, contribue a ameliorer la comprehension du site et pourrait etre systematisee en fonction du contexte et des problematiques d’intervention. La precision et la fiabilite des mesures ainsi prises permettent aussi de les considerer comme definitives, et ne pas avoir a les verifier a posteriori representerait un gain de temps certain. En revanche, l’utilisation de la methode morphologique visuelle sur le terrain peut entrainer des determinations erronees lorsque le principe de majorite n’est pas applique rigoureusement. Cela amene une reflexion sur le choix de la methode a employer in situ et sur l’adoption de strategies d’enregistrement des donnees adequates.

An intense debate concerning the nature and mode of Neolithic transition in Europe has long received much attention. Recent publications of paleogenetic analyses focusing on ancient European farmers from Central Europe or the Iberian Peninsula have greatly contributed to this debate, providing arguments in favor of major migrations accompanying European Neolithization and highlighting noticeable genetic differentiation between farmers associated with two archaeologically defined migration routes: the Danube valley and the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of the present study was to fill a gap with the first paleogenetic data of Neolithic settlers from a region (France) where the two great currents came into both direct and indirect contact with each other. To this end, we analyzed the Gurgy 'Les Noisats' group, an Early/Middle Neolithic necropolis in the southern part of the Paris Basin. Interestingly, the archaeological record from this region highlighted a clear cultural influence from the Danubian cultural sphere but also notes exchanges with the Mediterranean cultural area. To unravel the processes implied in these cultural exchanges, we analyzed 102 individuals and obtained the largest Neolithic mitochondrial gene pool so far (39 HVS-I mitochondrial sequences and haplogroups for 55 individuals) from a single archaeological site from the Early/Middle Neolithic period. Pairwise F ST values, haplogroup frequencies and shared informative haplotypes were calculated and compared with ancient and modern European and Near Eastern populations. These descriptive analyses provided patterns resulting from different evolutionary scenarios; however, the archaeological data available for the region suggest that the Gurgy group was formed through equivalent genetic contributions of farmer descendants from the Danubian and Mediterranean Neolithization waves. However, these results, that would constitute the most ancient genetic evidence of admixture between farmers from both Central and Mediterranean migration routes in the European Neolithization debate, are subject to confirmation through appropriate model-based approaches.

Rottier Stéphane, Mordant Claude, Chambon Philippe, Thevenet Corinne. Découverte de plus d'une centaine de sépultures du Néolithique moyen à Gurgy, les Noisats (Yonne). In: Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française, tome 102, n°3, 2005. pp. 641-645.

Enamel thickness has been linked to functional aspects of masticatory biomechanics and has been demonstrated to be an evolutionary plastic trait, selectively responsive to dietary changes, wear and tooth fracture. European Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers mainly show a flat wear pattern, while oblique molar wear has been reported as characteristic of Neolithic agriculturalists. We investigate the relationships between enamel thickness distribution and molar wear pattern in two Neolithic and medieval populations. Under the assumption that dietary and/or non-dietary constraints result in directional selective pressure leading to variations in enamel thickness, we test the hypothesis that these two populations will exhibit significant differences in wear and enamel thickness patterns. Occlusal wear patterns were scored in upper permanent second molars (UM2) of 64 Neolithic and 311 medieval subadult and adult individuals. Enamel thickness was evaluated by microtomography in subsamples of 17 Neolithic and 25 medieval individuals. Eight variables describing enamel thickness were assessed. The results show that oblique molar wear is dominant in the Neolithic sample (87%), while oblique wear affects only a minority (42%) of the medieval sample. Moreover, in the Neolithic molars, where buccolingually directed oblique wear is dominant and greatest enamel lost occurs in the distolingual quadrant, thickest enamel is found where occlusal stresses are the most important-on the distolingual cusp. These results reveal a correlation between molar wear pattern and enamel thickness that has been associated to dietary changes. In particular, relatively thicker molar enamel may have evolved as a plastic response to resist wear.

National audience

International audience; When confronted with buried cremated skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists are often limited in their analyses and interpretation by the lack of systematic training and approach to such deposits. This fact is even more salient when anthropologists are faced with burnt commingled remains. How to properly identify small fragments of charred bones, to recover and record them without losing context, and to accurately evaluate biological information are some of the questions addressed in this chapter? Moreover, information regarding the event that led to the burning of the corpses is often neglected in the field losing precious contextual information. To address these issues we will first present key features to identify small cremated fragments or cremains. We will then present methodological recording and excavating procedures to maximize contextual information. Finally, we will explore a GIS approach to analyze the spatial distribution of the cremated remains which will enable us to identify some of the fire’s characteristics such as its origin and spread patterns within the deposit.

International audience; Evolution, coexistence et confrontation de pratiques funéraires entre 4700 et 4000 av. J.-C. sur un microterritoire dans la vallée de l’Yonne

Actes du XXVIIe Congrès préhistorique de France (Bordeaux – Les Eyzies, 2010); à venir