Archeology on the beach

Stone fish weirs are the most common archaeological remains in coastal environments. Almost 800 of them have been identified in Brittany. Dating these remains is a real archaeological challenge, since stone fish traps have been raised for millennia.
Currently, we assess the age of fish weirs found in Brittany by comparing their altitude with the sea-level rise estimation. The objective of my PhD is to date directly stone fish weirs by rock surface luminescence dating. Thus, this will allow us to discuss the evolution of fishing practices in human societies along the coasts of Brittany.

What is a shell midden? Shell middens are accumulations of shell made by human populations, generally the waste from shells they collected to eat. But they were not just rubbish dumps. They had various functions. For instance, pits and hearths were found at the midden site at Beg-er-Vil in Brittany, with evidence of a hut situated next to the midden. Two of the midden sites also in Brittany, Téviec and Hoedic contained burials, indicating a symbolic significance.
I will present some of the results from the recent excavations and post-excavation analysis from Hoedic and Beg-er-Vil.

Merci beaucoup à nos sponsors locaux sans qui le festival ne serait pas ce qu'il est à Rennes !