Cultiver et consommer les plantes au Néolithique entre Seine et Meuse : technologie des meules et analyses carpologiques

International audienceThe beginning of the neolithic is a major change of paradigm in the relation between men and vegetal resources, especially visible in the field of food when we consider the growing place of cultivated plants in the general pattern. This orientation of vegetal food consumption towards cereals has also important consequences in the field of technical systems, with the development of grinding tools. In north-western Europe, the first cultivated plants and grinding tools have been brought by the so called Lbk pioneer colonization, which reaches the Meuse, Escaut and Seine basin around 5,200 cal. BC. This phenomenon corresponds to the beginning of the Neolithic in this vast area, which will go on till the end of the 3rd millennium BC (around 2,200 BC). The goal of this paper is to examine the level of interaction and correlation between the great types of cultivated plants, by the analysis of carpological assemblages, and the technics of food preparation, by the analysis of grinding tools, during the Neolithic in Western Europe. To discuss this issue, we have tried to solve several questions: have the Neolithic farmers favored one type of cereal or another (especially naked or hulled cereals), and why? Is there a relationship between the types of cereals selected and the categories of grinding tools used during the Neolithic? A database has been elaborated in this purpose: it takes into account for each great period of the Neolithic the tools characteristics (type and number of querns) and the cereal products (grains) and by products (glumes). Each site is documented either by the analysis of carpological remains (50 sites) or by grinding tools remains (68 sites), or by both (33 sites). The complete analysis relies on 38643 rests and 38 querns. The morphological differences between the two great types of cereals (naked/hulled) has consequences on the chaîne opératoire of their treatment especiallytheir harvesting, their storage and their transformation. Two types of calculation have been tested: first, an evaluation of the proportion of rests of naked and hulled wheat by comparison to the total number of rests identified, 2) the Minimum number of individuals (NMI), so to say complete grains. Different grinding systems are known in the Neolithic: querns/grinders, mortars/pestles, grinding slab/grinders, etc. The most frequent ones in our contexts are the quern and grinder on which we have centered our analysis, and which show a great diversity of types and morphologies all along the period. Only the complete querns have been considered for analysis. We choose to classify querns by great types, defined on the basis of differentcriteria (morphology, dimensions, curvature of the active surfaces): 1) narrow querns, functioning with overlapping grinders, 2) plan and concave querns, 3) basin querns. When considering occurrences on the sites, several types of cereals and querns are present at all periods. However, in quantitative terms, we observe at each period a domination of naked or hulled wheat on one side, and of one type of quern on the other side. A parallel evolution of both kind of data is visible, though not completely corresponding. Some correlations are particularly remarkable, as the disappearance of overlapping grinders together with the arrival of naked cereals during the BVSG, or the development of hulled cerealstogether with the use of basin querns during the recent and final Neolithic.Considering the impossibility to highlight a unique explanation for both evolution, we propose a multi-agentsmodel discussing the role of cultural influences, food practices changes and climatic degradation episods inthe evolution of both cereal types and preparation technics. Climate, especially the atmospheric humidity, couldexplain at least partially the particular selection of hulled cereals at some stages of the Neolithic, as its storagein spikelets form, has much advantages. Then, the type of food preparation expected (floor, groats) and thenature of the analyzed sites (houses, enclosures, level of occupation) can clearly have an incidence on thechoice of one type of cereal or another and of a type of associated grinding tool. Finally, the influence ofcultural parameters appears of major importance: the hypothesis of a possible Mediterranean influence in theemergence of naked wheat and the disappearance of overlapping grinders during the BVSG is still reliable.But a rather systemic approach of the influence of all these parameters should be explored more deeply in anext future.En Europe nord-occidentale, les premières plantes cultivées et les premières meules à grains accom-pagnent le front pionnier de colonisation, dit Rubané, qui atteint les bassins de la Meuse, de l’Escaut et de laSeine aux alentours de 5200 cal. BC. Ce phénomène marque les débuts du Néolithique dans cette vaste aire géographique, et se poursuivra jusqu’à la fin du 3e millénaire (vers 2200 cal. BC). L’objectif de cet article est de déterminer le degré d’interaction et de corrélation entre les grands types de plantes cultivées, perceptibles à travers les assemblages carpologiques, et les techniques de préparation alimentaire, via les types de meules, durant le Néolithique en Europe occidentale : les agriculteurs néolithiques ont-ils privilégié l’un ou l’autre type de céréales (à grains nus, à grains vêtus), et pourquoi ? Existe-t-il une relation entre les types de céréales choisis et les catégories de meules utilisées au cours du Néolithique ? Bien qu’aucune coévolution ne soit perceptible, certaines corrélations apparaissent particulièrement notables, comme par exemple la disparition des molettes débordantes et l’arrivée des céréales à grains nus sous possible influx méditerranéen au cours du BVSG, ou encore le développement remarqué des céréales vêtues et de l’utilisation des meules à rebord et cuvette durant le Néolithique récent/final. Faute de pouvoir mettre en évidence un facteur de causalité unique, nous discutons le rôle respectif de différents facteurs, tels que des influences culturelles, des changements de pratiques alimentaires et des épisodes de péjorations climatiques, dans l’évolution parallèle des types de céréales consommées et de leurs techniques de préparation