Résumé
The beginning of the Holocene travertine system development in Southern France was formerly attributed to the Preboreal period and the main carbonated accumulation to the "bioclimatic atlantic optimum". The progressive decline and the dismantlement occurred between the Neolithic and the end of Roman times. New research has shown the beginning of the travertine system development in the Lateglacial period. The carbonated accumulation continued during the Neolithic and was only durably interrupted during the Little Ice Age. Newer complete stratigraphy has shown the importance of the geomorphological context in stratigraphical studies and their interpretation. The pattern of different sedimentary cycles within the travertinous formations became evident. Palaeo-ecological analyses undertaken have underlined the travertine sensitivity in accordance with biotope changes. Since the Final Neolithic, in the context of growing human occupation, ruptures in the travertine sequences have been recorded. These ruptures were accompanied by facies changing and strong vegetation opening in an ever growing travertine system. Between the XIIIth and the XVIIth century A.D., the decline and dismantlement of the travertine formations became noticeable. In the same way, the major final linear talweg incision was introduced in a morphogenic dynamic that is still happening today.