Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing

In five megalithic monuments in the Paris Basin, major structural rearrangements occurred from the Neolithic, involving displacements and removals of orthostats. The use of these monuments as tombs was periodically interrupted, possibly – but not necessarily – in conjunction with deposits of general...

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Main Authors: Dominique Jagu, Claude Masset
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société d'Anthropologie de Paris 2022-03-01
Series:Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/9743
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author Dominique Jagu
Claude Masset
author_facet Dominique Jagu
Claude Masset
author_sort Dominique Jagu
collection DOAJ
description In five megalithic monuments in the Paris Basin, major structural rearrangements occurred from the Neolithic, involving displacements and removals of orthostats. The use of these monuments as tombs was periodically interrupted, possibly – but not necessarily – in conjunction with deposits of generally thin "underlayers", though at times these could also be relatively thick. Primary or secondary burials could co-occur or sometimes follow each other, in relation to these "underlayers". At times, an entire burial layer was almost completely eliminated. At two of these sites, evidence shows that heavy "cover slabs" were put in place only after burials had ceased, as a gesture of permanent closure: prior to their installation, only a lightweight, water-tight cover had been present. Although permanently closed, these megalithic structures continued to be visited for some time until they were sealed again, this time with a clearly destructive intention associated with their final abandon.
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spelling doaj.art-6d3f5736509b41dd803620497171f6e32023-09-03T14:47:25ZengSociété d'Anthropologie de ParisBulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris1777-54692022-03-013410.4000/bmsap.9743Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealingDominique JaguClaude MassetIn five megalithic monuments in the Paris Basin, major structural rearrangements occurred from the Neolithic, involving displacements and removals of orthostats. The use of these monuments as tombs was periodically interrupted, possibly – but not necessarily – in conjunction with deposits of generally thin "underlayers", though at times these could also be relatively thick. Primary or secondary burials could co-occur or sometimes follow each other, in relation to these "underlayers". At times, an entire burial layer was almost completely eliminated. At two of these sites, evidence shows that heavy "cover slabs" were put in place only after burials had ceased, as a gesture of permanent closure: prior to their installation, only a lightweight, water-tight cover had been present. Although permanently closed, these megalithic structures continued to be visited for some time until they were sealed again, this time with a clearly destructive intention associated with their final abandon.http://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/9743megalithic structuresfunerary ritualsprimary burialssecondary burialsintentional destructionfinal sealing
spellingShingle Dominique Jagu
Claude Masset
Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
megalithic structures
funerary rituals
primary burials
secondary burials
intentional destruction
final sealing
title Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
title_full Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
title_fullStr Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
title_full_unstemmed Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
title_short Megalithic biographies. From partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
title_sort megalithic biographies from partial closures to total closures and from single sealing to double sealing
topic megalithic structures
funerary rituals
primary burials
secondary burials
intentional destruction
final sealing
url http://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/9743
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