Les occupations néolithiques sur les grands tracés linéaires de Picardie : premier bilan

The aim of this article is to present the new data concerning the Neolithic period obtained following major linear development works in western Picardy. This compilation is based on the consultation of the various catalogues drawn up from the findings of surveys, test trenches and excavations, but without the possibility of examining the artefacts concerned. In all, 28 archaeological sites, corresponding to 30 distinct chronological periods of occupation, were listed. With the notable exception of the group burial at Saint-Sauveur, these are dwelling sites, represented either by a single pit, or a more complex settlement. From a chronological point of view, the majority of these sites (11) can be dated to the Later Neolithic period, Early and Middle Neolithic being represented by 4 sites each. Almost 50% of the sites are impossible to date with any certainty. This article is also the occasion to discuss the impact of the various diagnostic techniques used in these operations on the detection of Neolithic sites and to reconsider, in the light of precise instances, the notion of “ isolated pit”, a designation too often improperly applied.