Les paléoenvironnements du site préhistorique de Dikili Tash (Macédoine orientale, Grèce)

Abstract

Les recherches géomorphologiques et palynologiques menées autour du tell de Dikili Tash permettent de mieux comprendre les caractéristiques de la localisation de ce site préhistorique et de l'évolution des paléoenvironnements du Néolithique Récent à l'Âge du Bronze, périodes de son occupation. L'habitat est situé à la charnière entre le piémont des Monts de Lékani et de l'ancien marais de Philippes. À grande échelle, la situation géomorphologique apparaît complexe : une digitation de l'ancien marais et une petite dépression située au pied du tell ajoutent à la diversité des paysages et à la complexité de leur évolution. Les recherches palynologiques, malgré un contexte hydro-morphologique qui ne fut pas toujours favorable à la conservation des pollens, permettent de mieux saisir les rapports entre l'ouverture locale du couvert végétal et la relative stabilité de la végétation régionale.

The lowest levels at Dikili Tash, northern Greece: a missing link in the Early Neolithic of Europe

“…Ten cores established that the site's substratum, representing the flat distal part of a Pleistocene alluvial fan, was located at about 51.5-52.5m asl, i.e. approximately 17m below the present tell's summit (Lespez et al 2000). In the two main intra-site cores (Figure 1: 1993-A and1993-B), the majority of the anthropogenic deposits consisted of successive occupation layers, from which several samples were selected for AMS dating.…”

Neolithic Zoomorphic Vessels From Eastern Macedonia, Greece: Issues of Function*

“…Use for smoke and fragrance in storage places could be interpreted as ‘functional’ fumigation, while use, without excluding some functionality (see below), by the fireplace, the centre of life in a household, would be quite credible as a social, medicinal or symbolic activity. We do not have any evidence for the use of narcotic substances in our samples—which would bring us to Sherratt's argument (1991, 53) that burning was the original mode of narcotic use, possible narcotic substances used in prehistory including cannabis (hemp) and opium—but palynological analyses have shown the presence of Cannabis sativa in the area around the Dikili Tash tell, at least in the Bronze Age (Lespez et al . 2000, 413, 428, 433).…”

“…The area of Dikili Tash has been occupied since 8000 bp by a mixed oak forest that was not substantially modified before the end of the Early Bronze Age (Lespez et al . 2000, 428).…”

“…Given the distribution of Cedrus spp., its identification would point to a procurement from remote areas, possibly Lebanon, Anatolia or Cyprus (cf., Quezel 1998), probably during phase II of the occupation. It is worth noting, that Dikili Tash occupies a strategic geographical position at the narrow passage used by all known transport routes (before the drying of the Philippoi marsh in the beginning of the 20th century) and therefore had a favourable location for the control of regional exchange (Lespez et al . 2000, 426; cf., Treuil 1992, 6); archaeological evidence from the site shows relations with other regions.…”

Early Holocene environment in a subsiding balkanic graben (Skopje, F.Y.R.O.M.): The Case of Tumba Madzhari (5 800-5 300 BC)

“…The Neolithic occupation of this area is attested -thus far-since the sixth millennium BC. Geoarcheological studies carried out in other Balkan basins show a tendency of the Neolithic populations to settle near wet environments, that is to say in fluviatile or lacustrine context [1,2,3,4] or in marshy area [5,6,7,8]. The environmental reconstruction of the Early Holocene period in the Skopje area may provide key data in our understanding of the socio-economic choices operated by the first farmers.…”