Early Middle Ages Fishweirs, Dendrochronology and Wood Supply in Western France: The Case of the Léguer Estuary, Servel-Lannion, Northern Brittany, France

Abstract

Abstract Between the fifth and the seventh century AD, Brittany was colonized and evangelized by Celtic populations from Wales and Ireland. Saint Efflam, who was the son of an Irish king, was according to oral tradition one of them. The value of this character is to deliver, through his Vita which was probably transcribed during the eighth century, incredibly accurate descriptions of a set of stone fishweirs at the foot of the ancient city of Yaudet (Coz Yoded) owned by a local lord. This area has already revealed a rich Iron Age, Roman and medieval heritage (). As a consequence, an archaeological survey started in 2011 in the mouth of the small river of Lannion (northern coast of Brittany), where 11 stone fishweirs are still visible. Four classical ‘V-shape’ superimposed structures were selected to determine the first chronological frame of these settlements. Among them, one of the oldest was particularly well preserved: a stone phase is supported by a level of wattle panels and ferns, dated by radiocarbon to 1430±30 BP: 580–660 cal AD. This structure has some similarities both in its shape and in its period of use with that described in the Life of Saint Efflam. But, it is undoubtedly the discovery of an earlier phase under the wall, made entirely of wood and dated from AD 615, which holds more in store for us.