A la recherche du "millénaire perdu": le peuplement en Grèce du Nord et dans les Balkans au IVe millénaire av. J.-C. – Balkans 4000

Archaeological research carried out for more than a century in the area of Balkans has revealed up to now a great number of prehistoric settlements, spanning in age from the beginning of the 6th millennium BC (Early Neolithic in local terminology) until the end of the 2nd millennium BC (Late Bronze Age). Surprisingly, although we know hundreds of settlements in the period between ca. 6000 and 4000 BC and also after 3300 BC, those of the intermediate period corresponding to the transition from the Late Neolithic (or Chalcolithic) to the Early Bronze Age, are extremely rare. This chronological gap, which appears clearly in many series of C-14 dates and which has been further confirmed by other methods, is found even in settlements with apparently continuous occupation sequences (such as Dikili Tash, one of the project's key settlements). Thus, according to evidence so far, the whole South-eastern part of the Balkan peninsula (i.e. Northern Greece, Bulgaria and North-western Turkey) would have been emptied from its inhabitants for many centuries, during the biggest part of the 4th millennium. Some scientists believe, indeed, that a break in settlement took place in all these regions shortly after 4000 BC, as a result of a generalised ecological crisis or foreign invasions. But other explanations seem possible: different settlements could have moved in different dates and independently from one another, for reasons of local importance. The aim of the project is to investigate the various hypotheses by combining archaeological research, new radiocarbon datings and environmental studies. First, we will try to circumscribe the gap as accurately as possible, both chronologically and geographically, by proceeding to a new series of C-14 datings. Samples will be collected from secure and well-defined archaeological contexts in freshly excavated settlements featuring long occupation sequences where both periods (Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic and EBA) are present. Some twenty settlements have been pre-selected, showing an even geographical distribution. Excavations at all sites are currently in progress or scheduled in the near future: this would allow interaction to take place between forthcoming dates and excavation strategies. Parallel to that, we will undertake a thorough study of the landscape and environment's evolution at a regional scale, in order to determine the possible causes of the break in the occupation of the various parts. In addition to examining existing data from other regions, we will conduct new research in the Strymon river valley. This valley, located in the centre of the area under investigation, is also one of the greatest and most important North-South communication axes, which has been densely inhabited in prehistoric times. Drillings will be made at selected spots; the collected sediments from the boreholes will be further examined and their organic contents will be analysed and dated with the C-14 method. By putting together the results of the different parts of the study, we should be able to give an answer to the question of the (apparent?) depopulation of the Balkans in the 4th millennium BC. The issue is quite challenging from an historical point of view: it implies determining the pace and the conditions of the transition from a mode of socio-economic organisation that has its roots back to the Neolithic towards new formations announcing the much more complex societies of the Bronze Age.