A Combined Method Study of Middle Neolithic Cremation and Funerary Practices in Dolmen A, Cairn of Goasseac’h, Brittany, France

Diplôme Master A Combined Method Study of Middle Neolithic Cremation and Funerary Practices in Dolmen A, Cairn of Goasseac’h, Brittany, France eng 2025-09-01 author Brancic Anastasija 411649 director Cousseau Florian 0000-0002-6542-7094 904740 director Besse Marie 0000-0002-4752-9070 28306 83 The hill of Goasseac’h is situated in the municipality of Carhaix-Plouger, in central Brittany, at the border of the Finistère, Côtes-d’Armor, and Morbihan departments. Although the mound has been known since the 19th century, systematic archaeological investigation was only initiated in 2019, following a collaborative decision by Florian Cousseau, the operations manager, and the Regional Archaeology Service. Excavations have been conducted annually since 2020. Central Brittany was long considered to lack large Middle Neolithic monuments, which immediately drew scholarly attention to Goasseac’h as one of the few sites of this scale in the region. Its exceptional preservation of burial spaces within megalithic architecture makes it particularly valuable, offering rare evidence for the emergence and diversity of funerary practices. More broadly, Northwest France is distinctive for its early monumental traditions that predate and lead into megalith construction, and within this context the cairn of Goasseac’h provides new insights that refine our understanding of Brittany and contribute to wider discussions of early European megalithic tradition (Schulz Paulsson 2019; Cousseau et al. 2024). This thesis brings together multiple approaches in order to shed light on the funerary practices of Dolmen A. It combines anthropological analysis of the cremated human remains with spatial analysis of the distribution of bones and associated funerary objects, while also drawing on comparative data from other sites. By integrating these perspectives, the study not only seeks to reconstruct the specific funerary practices that took place within Dolmen A, but also to understand how the internal organization of the monument reflects these practices. Ultimately, this dual focus allows the dolmen to be situated within the broader framework of Middle Neolithic funerary traditions in Brittany, providing both a site-specific interpretation and a wider cultural context. Europe Préhistoire Archéologie Néolithique France Bretagne Mégalithisme Sépulture Crémation Nécropole Bioanthropologie Anthropologie Dewey 550 Master thesis in Prehistoric Archaeology 41 Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau 153 false 754 Laboratory of Prehistoric Archeology and Anthropology fa0ba514-946c-41cf-a271-45e91ad3a31e Master thesis Restricted Brancic_MA_Thesis_2025.pdf 15893272 application/pdf a25cfd3e6d6c051b849dfb7e8e059b360c8ddd4dd55bde939e6511143c28a452 restrictedAccess Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau

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A Combined Method Study of Middle Neolithic Cremation and Funerary Practices in Dolmen A, Cairn of Goasseac’h, Brittany, France				2025	23	2

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