Pirogues de Bercy (Dugouts of Bercy)

The Pirogues de Bercy are a group of dugout canoes (or fragments of canoes) dating from the Neolithic period that were discovered in 1989 during construction work in the 12th arrondissement, a neighbourhood located in southeastern Paris. The excavations of 1991–1992 unearthed two lodgings from the middle Neolithic period (about 4500–3400 BC) and one from the Late Neolithic period or the early Bronze Age (about 3000–2600 BC). The dugouts were found at the base of these lodgings, along with other Neolithic artifacts such as pottery, stone and bone tools and arrow heads.

The excavations of successive sediments revealed an almost uninterrupted occupation of the site over the prehistoric period.  At the time, the village was located on the left bank of a now-vanished branch of the Seine that split from the main branch a little upstream from the site of the village, then arched to the northwest and later rejoined the main branch farther downstream.  At the time, the site in southeastern Paris would have been a wetlands subject to flooding, but would have been centrally located for trade of Neolithic products due to its proximity to the confluence of the Seine and the Marne rivers.

Several of these dugout canoes are now on display at the Carnavalet museum in Paris, along with other artifacts found during the same excavation.