Neolithic village discovered in France after 150 years of research

Archaeologists working a vast Neolithic site in northeast France have uncovered what they say is the last piece of the puzzle -- traces of a permanent settlement.The settlement was unearthed at the vast Neolithic site of Marais de Saint-Gond, giving rare insights into its social organisation 150 years after the first flints were discovered."This is the last piece of the jigsaw we were missing," said Remi Martineau, a researcher at France's national centre for scientific research (CNRS), who located the village with his team this summer.In Marais de Saint-Gond in northeastern France, 15 large flint mines have already been identified on 450 hectares, as well as 135 hypogeum -- constructed underground chambers.Five megalithic covered alleys, ten polishers for axes and fields cultivated by controlled burns have also been located since flints were first discovered a century and a half ago.This new discovery makes it possible to pass a milestone in the understanding of "the economic, societal and territorial organisation of the Neolithic", Martineau said, adding that there is "no equivalent" in all of Europe.The village was discovered when a ditch for the installation of a palisade was identified in the commune Val-des-Marais around 136 kilometres (84 miles) from Paris.The prehistoric enclosure was circling a hill, enclosing an estimated area of one hectare (2.5 acres), according to the archaeological evaluations.In the process, an apse building was cleared, near a large rubbish pit some 20 metres in diameter, along with wells."The site was completely structured," said Martineau."The foundations of our society are already there."These successive discoveries are the result of a research programme started 20 years ago, led by the CNRS.The last campaign, which brought together CNRS, the joint laboratory Artehis, the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comte and the culture ministry, involved 50 people including researchers from France and abroad, as well as 20 "excavators", mainly archaeology students.They have also unearthed a tiny oval object made of mother-of-pearl -- a true "museum piece", according to Martineau.It is pierced with two holes in the centre and is a likely ancestor of the button, which dates to 3,400 to 3,300 years ago.Given its well-preserved state, researchers hope that the rest of the site will be equally well-preserved if more excavations are conducted in the future.