Early Medieval Muslim Graves in France: First Archaeological, Anthropological and Palaeogenomic Evidence.

ABSTRACT: The rapid Arab-Islamic conquest during the early Middle Ages led to major political and cultural changes in the Mediterranean world. Although the early medieval Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula is now well documented, based in the evaluation of archeological and historical sources, the Muslim expansion in the area north of the Pyrenees has only been documented so far through textual sources or rare archaeological data. Our study provides the first archaeo-anthropological testimony of the Muslim establishment in South of France through the multidisciplinary analysis of three graves excavated at Nimes. First, we argue in favor of burials that followed Islamic rites and then note the presence of a community practicing Muslim traditions in Nimes. Second, the radiometric dates obtained

SUBMITTER: Gleize Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4765927 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature