Paris through the ages

[Article in english AND in french!]

Before posting here a series of articles about the ancient and medieval Paris, I thought it'd be a good idea to begin with a quick presentation of Paris through the ages.
Avant de poster ici une série d'articles sur le Paris antique et médiéval, j'ai pensé bon de commencer avec une rapide présentation de Paris à travers les âges.

I. Prehistory

The site of Paris has been inhabited by stable groups of people since the neolithic (traces from the late 5th millenium B.C have been discovered). In the 1980's a settlement was found on the site of the Louvres. In 1991, another one was excavated at Bercy.
Le site de Paris a été habité par des groupes sédentaires depuis le néolithique (des traces datant de la fin du 5ème millénaire av. J-C ont été découvertes). Dans les années 80 des installations sont mises à jour au niveau du Louvres. En 1991, d'autres le sont à Bercy. 

A pirogue found at Bercy (Carnavalet Museum) / Une pirogue trouvée lors des fouilles à Bercy (Musée Carnavalet)

What the pirogue looked like originally / A quoi ressemblait la pirogue à l'origine

Before the neolithic, nomadic hunters-gatherers had wandered along the parisian banks for milleniums, and traces of a temporary camp dating from the 9th millenium BC were found in the 15th arrondissement, more precisely at the 62, rue Henry Farman.
Avant le néolithique, des chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades ont évolué le long des berges parisiennes de la Seine pendant des millénaires, et des traces d'habitations temporaires datant du 9ème millénaire av. J-C ont été trouvées dans le 15ème arrondissement, plus précisément au 62, rue Henry Farman.

BBC documentary (2011) "The Bible's Buried Secrets": Review + Streaming

In March 2011, the BBC broadcast a three-episode programme entitled The Bible's Buried Secrets. Presented by a young scholar, Dr. Francesca Stavrakopoulou, the documentary aimed at presenting how modern archeology and history have cast a new light on the Old Testament.

Well, it's not a surprise... the programme stirred some controversy.

The first thing that is important to point out I think is that almost all of what Francesca says isn't new, but on the contrary has been more or less boradly accepted in academic circles for some years at least now. Therefore, she's not talking about her findings, but about the findings of many specialists, and to that she adds here and there her own opinion and hypotheses.

I thought the programme well-done, with a dynamic directing avoiding the monotonous close-ups on some scholar's face that you can find in other documentaries. It's also well written: the information delivered is clear, and specifically accessible for newcomers on the subject.