Sunken City off Fen
Jōmon (14000–300 BCE)·Jōmon·🇫🇷 Occitanie, France
About
About Sunken City off Fen
Sunken City off Fen in Occitanie, France is a Jōmon (14000–300 BCE) submerged city attributed to Jōmon culture. Systematically investigated through ground-penetrating radar and coring, it presents a monumental core with workshop zone. UNESCO World Heritage context. Construction employs ashlar with clamp and demonstrates craft specialization. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Jōmon submerged-city with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function as ceremonial vs domestic centre
- 02Cause of abandonment and collapse
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre and pilgrimage focus
- 02Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2063 BCE
- Period
- Jōmon (14000–300 BCE)
- Culture
- Jōmon
- Purpose
- Residential and craft production
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2063 BCE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 1263 BCE
Major expansion and monumental elaboration
c. 625 BCE
Rebuilding and fortification phase
1983
Modern archaeological excavation and survey
On the ground
Structures & features
44.6748° N · 1.9516° E · 1532 m · 4 mapped features
Enclosure Wall
chamberBurial zone — tumuli
44.6767° N · 1.9542° EReservoir/Cistern
necropolisOutlier feature with geoglyph
44.6721° N · 1.9515° EEnclosure Wall 3
shrineAncillary reservoir associated with main monument
44.6772° N · 1.9531° EEnclosure Wall 4
cairnAncillary workshop associated with main monument
44.6734° N · 1.9512° E