Thesis : Étude des productions céramiques de l’âge du Fer dans le Berry, du Hallstatt C à La Tène B2 / C1. Des Hommes et des pots.

This study deals with the analysis of ceramics assemblages from Berry dating from Hallstatt C to La Tène B2/C1. The data examined are drawn mainly from the analysis of previously unpublished collections coming for the most part from rescue excavations carried out on settlement sites. The corpus is made up of 54.272 fragments of pottery representing a minimum of 6.206 vessels, most of which were discovered at the site of Bourges (Cher) site. Our key objectives were to establish a regional typology in order to better determine the settlement sequence during the transitional period between the first and second Iron Ages, as well as to define place of manufacture and their changes through time. We have organized our approach under five headings.

The first stage consisted in collecting the data of the 32 selected sites, including standardizing the recording of the find contexts, statistical information, drawings and typological identifications across the dataset. Close study of the ceramic material led us to define seven technical groups. Two suites of experimental work allowed both a better understanding of the use of the slow potter’s wheel, and the creation of a reference collection of stamped decoration produced by using metal rods. The forms of the ceramic items were also taken into account in the establishment of our typology, in which the upper and lower parts of vessels were considered separately, and in which lids, strainers and funnels were treated as independent classes. Seriation of quantified data revealed six ceramic phases in Berry over the time span studied. These demonstrated influences from cultures of various origins through time. It is also very noticeable that the more of production of pottery underwent major changes as soon as the wheel first appeared in the pottery workshops.

Research Thematic

• Studies of Iron age ceramics products in Berry
• The settlement of Bourges at the Iron age

Ongoing works

• Preventive archaeology