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Origin and history

The Prehistoric Camp of Chassey-le-Camp is a major archaeological site located on a 9 hectare plateau in Chassey-le-Camp (Saône-et-Loire). Occupied from the fourth millennium BC, he gave his name to the Neolithic civilization of Chasseen. The site, a barred spur type, combines natural barriers and dry stone ramparts. It was used sporadically until the Middle Ages, with traces of occupation in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Merovingian and medieval periods.

Discovered in 1865 by Édouard Flouet, the site was extensively searched between 1866 and 1880 by E. Loydreau, who collected thousands of flint objects. Subsequent campaigns (1925–27, 1953, then from 1969) revealed remains of the Middle Neolithic, including decorated ceramics and evidence of beekeeping. The Chassees, the first occupants, left homes and tools in chaille on the eastern fringe of the plateau. The site was fortified at the Iron Age, with structures called "the castle" (north) and "the dread" (south).

Collections from the excavations are preserved in several regional museums: the Rolin d'Autun Museum (a flint object), the Denon de Chalon-sur-Saône Museum, and the Régnier de Mont-Saint-Vincent Museum. An Archaeological Interpretation Centre (CIACC), inaugurated in 2018, exhibits artifacts from the Neolithic, Protohistoric and Merovingian periods, in collaboration with archaeologists such as Jean-Paul Thévenot and Yves Pautrat. The site, classified as a Historic Monument in 1932, is now crossed by the GR7 and equipped with educational panels.

The camp illustrates the evolution of prehistoric societies in Burgundy, moving from an organized neolithic habitat (with characteristic support vessels) to a political role in the Iron Age. Its gradual abandonment after the Middle Ages allowed its preservation, before its rediscovery in the 19th century. Modern studies, including stratigraphic studies, have refined the understanding of its successive occupations, while highlighting innovative practices for the time, such as beekeeping.

The importance of the site goes beyond the local framework: it has been used as a reference to define the material culture of Chasseen, marked by pottery with geometric decorations and flint tools. The excavations of the 19th century, although less rigorous than the current methods, have made it possible to constitute a corpus of objects today essential for research on the Burgundy Neolithic. The CIACC now plays a key role in mediating this heritage, presenting both original pieces and contextual re-enactments.

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