"L'écume des pierres" : l'Inventaire général au service du littoral / "The foam of the stones" : general inventories for coastal regions

The first result s of the study carried out on part of the Atlantic coastal zone, in accordance with the method s of the French General Survey, have led us to present the following hypothesis : the process of human occupation of the coastal area is closely linked to the presence or proximity of the sea. A double interpretation , both historical and geographical, of the Iandscape, which we term halioscopy, shows that the sea is the driving force behind its evolution . In the Pays de la Loire region, the estuary paleo-ports and the architecture of seaside resorts are good examples of the way in which halioscopy can help to pin-point the breaks in the continuity of the relationship, established over time, between people and the shore . Mankind has always been drawn to the sea but, like the tide, his attraction has ebbed and flowed .