Dating the bridge at Avignon (south France) and reconstructing the Rhone River fluvial palaeo-landscape in Provence from medieval to modern times
Matthieu Ghilardi|David Sanderson|Tim Kinnaird|Andrew Bicket|Simone Balossino|Jean-Claude Parisot|Daniel Hermitte|Frédéric Guibal|Jules Fleury
This paper aims to date the construction and demise of medieval bridge at Avignon by integrating sedimentological stratigraphic evidence with geophysical surveys (ERT), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) radiocarbon chronologies. In this way palaeo-environments Barthelasse Island (Avignon) Labadie Plain (Villeneuve-les-Avignon) have been reconstructed, physical iconic landscape placed in temporal historic frameworks. course work location piers 9 10 (partly destroyed buried today beneath sediments) former masonry were re-discovered cored ca. 7 m depth. 14C dating large fragments wood (Abies Alba Mill.), from pier settings, provides first direct age determination (1213–1280 1238–1301 cal. AD) constructional phases for stone ~ 1250 ± 30 AD reveals an allochtonous origin timber (fir tree) used support it. new a primary context post-dates historical attribution based on Benezet legend (dated 1177–1185 AD). These results suggest that material associates rebuilding phase, potentially between 1234–1237, following destructive activities French Army Louis VIII during siege 1226. Additionally, integration data, OSL sediment dating, reveal major detrital overlie bedrock followed rapid accretion ca 3 sand around 1650 50 AD. relates later stages Little Ice Age which are characterised repeated floods high sedimentation rates Lower Rhone River. period, sedimentary archives chronology record environmental change, coincident political economic conditions reign King XIV final across Avignon.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports|HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)|HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)