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14-2014, tome 111, 3, 2014, p. 397-412 - L. CASSON - Faire la Préhistoire en province à la fin du XIXe siècle L'univers des préhistoriens vu et vécu par Charles Janet dans l'Oise entre 1880 et 1910

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14-2014, tome 111, 3, 2014, p. 397-412 - L. CASSON - Faire la Préhistoire en province à la fin du XIXe siècle L'univers des préhistoriens vu et vécu par Charles Janet dans l'Oise entre 1880 et 1910

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En 1900, la SPF n'existe pas encore et la Préhistoire est une discipline en gestation se construisant une identité propre aux limites de l'anthropologie, de la paléontologie, de la géologie et de l'archéologie. Si son processus de professionnalisation est enclenché, elle demeure une science d'amateurs. L'institutionnalisation grandissante des préhistoriens se fait alors au sein des sociétés savantes, de leurs musées, de leurs congrès et de leurs publications.

Dans ce contexte diffus, non centralisé, il n'est pas aisé d'observer les pratiques des préhistoriens sans les réduire à l'histoire de quelques grands noms ou à celle de sociétés parisiennes. Aussi, nous observerons les préhistoriens à travers les yeux d'un amateur de province dénommé Charles Janet (1849-1932). Cette approche biographique permettra, en se décentrant, d'observer des pratiques collectives et d'éclairer une histoire nationale de la science préhistorique en devenir. Acteur de tiers rang dans la fabrique des savoirs préhistoriques, Charles Janet n'en est pas moins un témoin fiable. Son activité scientifique intense va le mettre en position favorable d'observateur dans son département de l'Oise. En effet, ce naturaliste aujourd'hui anonyme va croiser à Beauvais des faits, des hommes et leurs réseaux qui participeront à l'histoire de la Préhistoire.

Cette plongée débute en 1880 par une affaire de faux silex dans laquelle Janet est pris à témoin. Il faut bien dire que les 18'000 spécimens extraits des 600 tombes découvertes ont de quoi attiser la curiosité des collectionneurs et des savants. La pratique de la Préhistoire s???incarne aussi dans une science engagée dans la lutte anticléricale. Ainsi, une conférence de Gabriel de Mortillet (1821-1898) donnée à Beauvais en 1886 s'appuie sur son hypothèse de l'homme du Tertiaire pour mettre à mal les idéaux religieux et relayer les courants francs-maçons. De Janet témoin on passera au Janet acteur avec la constitution de sa collection préhistorique. En cela, il sera le reflet des érudits bourgeois capables d'organiser des collections dignes d'un musée. Si la collection reste la pratique usuelle de cette science, sa structuration est surtout le fruit de ses hommes. Ainsi on replacera Janet dans le contexte des sociétés savantes qu???il fréquente à Beauvais. Deux sociétés se réclament de science préhistorique, mais de manières bien différentes. La Société académique de l'Oise (SAO), ancienne, bourgeoise, académique et catholique s'oppose à la Société d'études historiques et scientifiques de l'Oise (SEHSO), laïque, sociale, nouvellement créée avec l'appui d'Adrien de Mortillet (1853-1931, fils aîné de G. de Mortillet). Dans l'une les hommes de foi détiennent les spécialités historiennes, dans l'autre on fait appel aux instituteurs pour dresser la carte préhistorique de l'Oise. Nous verrons que ces sociétés sont en prise directe, en contact étroit, parfois d'homme à homme (Stalin-Mortillet) avec la SPF qui fédère alors les protestations contre un projet de loi régissant les fouilles. La tenue du cinquième Congrès préhistorique de France à Beauvais en 1909, auquel Janet participa, montrera que la province, forte de ses gisements, décentralise les préhistoriens sans pour autant les désunir grâce à une communauté d'observation des fouilles. Nous arriverons ainsi au 23 novembre 1910 au moment où la SPF célèbre sa reconnaissance d'utilité publique et où curieusement, Charles Janet, un ingénieur myrmécophile de Beauvais, figure aux premiers rangs des neuf cents convives invités à cet événement fondateur.

Charles Janet nous permettra ici une observation privilégiée de la science préhistorique en province entre 1880 et 1910. Nous éclairerons ainsi de l'intérieur les pratiques des collectionneurs, excursionnistes ou congressistes. Nous montrerons les relations complexes tissées entre une académie de province et l'autorité parisienne en recherche d'institutionnalisation. Le regard offert par Charles Janet, bien que local, reflète possiblement les préoccupations pratiques, scientifiques et politiques de nombreux préhistoriens autour de la fin du xixe.

 

 

Prehistory in provincial France in the late 19th century. The world of prehistorians as seen and experienced by Charles Janet in the Oise département between 1880 and 1910. In 1900, the Darwin's major work was already forty years old, just like the Moulin-Quignon jaw controversy. The pPrehistoric man and the evolution idea of evolution weare not new in France, even if they still faced some opposition. It is true that the society of biology had existed for 52 years and that the Paris anthropological society already reachedfor about forty40, such aslike the Saint-Germain-en-Laye Museum of Antiquities Celtic and Gallo-Roman Antiquities. However, for the last quarter ending of the Tthird French Republic, the prehistoric science was not well-established in its institutions and its practices. At thatis time, prehistorians weare therefore not therefore integrated or associated with official scientificsts structures centralized and framed organized by the universities. Ten years later the French prehistoric society wais a young learned society already destined for a rapid national boom expansion, while the English prehistoric society will would take it only be founded in 1935. In this context, it is not easy to observe the practices of prehistorians without limiting it them to the history of some famous personalities or to that of Parisian learned societies.

Thus, to bear witness to the prehistorians' practices in its the widest sense, we wi'll see consider them through the eyes of a provinciale amateur scientist named Charles Janet (1849-1932). The Following Janet's life and work of Janet as thread a lead will allow us to discover the evolution discover bits of prehistorians??? practices evolutions forover thirty years to reachuntil the recognition of the French prehistoric society was recognized by the State in 1910. Without wanting to posesetting Janet up as a model, this biographical approach will allow, decentering, to the observation ofe collective practices and inform shed light on a French national history of the developing prehistoric science of prehistory in France. Despite his being a third rank actor in the development of prehistoric knowledge factorylearning, Charles Janet remains a reliable witness. His intense scientific activity placeds him in a favourable observer position as an observer in the Oise déDepartement. Indeed, in Beauvais today, this now anonymous naturalist will was come across someto approach facts, men and networks all participating playing a role in the history of prehistory. This plunge immersion starts in 1880 with an important case of false fake flints. It takes place in Beauvais, where Janet iwas called to as a witness. It must has to be said that 18000 extracted specimens extracted from 600 graves weare enough to stir uparouse the interestts of collectors, scholars and forgers. The local press will makewas to print its most important prints editions with this unique discovery, which turned out to be false. The case will extendreached as far as Paris, the Paris anthropological society will seized the opportunity to intervene. The practice of prehistory is also embodied reflected in the anticlerical fight struggle long before the December 1905 law of regarding the separation ofbetween the Church and the State in France December 1905. Thus, in 1886 a lecture by Gabriel de Mortillet in Beauvais rests was based on his hypothesis regarding the existence of mankind during the Tertiary human period in order hypothesis to struggle againstcombat religious ideals and relay promulgate those of freemasons and freethinkers. Charles Janet, witness or observer, will move tobecame Janet, actor or participant, with the constitution of his prehistoric collection. In this, he will was the reflection the indication of the practices of bourgeois scholars, capable of practices able to concentrate assembling and organizinge collections sometimes worthy of a museum. If theWhile assembling a collection remaineds the concrete and positive part of this science, its structure and development is also thanks to itswas above all due to the men involved, their relationships, they have, their fightsstruggles and influences that this science is structured and developed. Thus we will place Janet in the context of the learned societies context that he attended frequented in Beauvais. These tTwo companies societies claim ofinvoked prehistoric science but in many very different ways. One (SAO), former created in 1847, bourgeois, local academic and Ccatholic, was academy opposed tos the other (SEHSO), secular, social, open to all and created in 1906 with the discreet support of Adrien de Mortillet (1853-1931, the son of G. de Mortillet). In one the former, the men of faith hold were the holders of the historicalans' specialties, in the other latter teachers are appealedwere called on to draw up maps of prehistoric Oise. But wWe will see, however, that these companies societies weare not isolated in their province. Instead, but had they take direct, close contact, sometimes from man to man (Stalin-Mortillet), with the Parisian French prehistoric society in Paris (Stalin-Mortillet) which at the time federates thefocused protests against an excavation draft law regulating excavations. Any possible iIsolation wais also broken by exchanges with the scientific excursions company society (chaired by Adrien de Mortillet) which will caome several times in to the Oise département and visited Janet twice.

Another event, in which Janet will participated, wouldill eventually show that the provincial Francee, if it is not far from scientific debates, is was attractive because of her its prehistoric sites, as control. This is what shown by the fact that the Fifths the holding of a national Congress of Pprehistoricy Congress was held in Beauvais in 1909. The provinces could decentralize prehistorians without disuniting them, thanks to the joint observation of excavations.

Indeed the delegates' practices weare sometimes close enough to tourism. B, but this national Congress mediates and promoteds Prehistory and prehistorians who weare here almost all amateurs. We thus get toarrive at 23 November 1910. This is the time, when the French prehistoric society (SPF) celebrateds its public utilityofficial recognition by the State as being beneficial to the public and, curiously, Charles Janet, an Beauvais engineer from Beauvais, appeareds at in the 1St front rows of the nine hundred guests invited to this event.

The reconstruction of the course of Janet's life will allow provide us with a privileged observation of prehistoric science observation in the provinces between 1880 and 1910. We?'ll We will illuminate thus shed light on the interior practices of collectors, excursionists visitors and delegates of to the Beauvais Congress and the publicizing publicity resulting therefrom. We will show the complex relationships woven between a province provincial academy and the higher Parisian authority in research of institutionalization. The look offeredvision proposed by Charles Janet, although it is local, possibly reflects the practical, scientific and political concerns of many prehistorians around the end of the 19th century.

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