News by Emilie Martinet
Collection Connaissance de l'Egypte Ancienne, 26, 2024
La question du processus de formation des élites est fondamentale pour comprendre la stabilité de... more La question du processus de formation des élites est fondamentale pour comprendre la stabilité de la civilisation pharaonique qui est l’une des entités politiques les plus anciennes et durables de l’Histoire. L’Ancien Empire (2700-2160), caractérisé par la construction des pyramides et la mise en place d’un État territorial, représente un champ d’application pertinent en raison de l’accroissement considérable de la documentation épigraphique, papyrologique et archéologique ces dernières années.
Les élites provinciales jouaient un rôle essentiel dans le fonctionnement de l’État égyptien et l’accès de la monarchie aux diverses ressources qui se trouvaient dans les provinces ou qui transitaient par celles-ci.
À l’aide d’une analyse exhaustive et croisée des sources et des apports issus du renouvellement des études sur les élites en histoire et en sociologie, Émilie Martinet propose une théorie novatrice pour expliquer l’émergence des élites provinciales à cette époque. Composé de cinq chapitres, cet essai historique aborde successivement le concept d’élites en égyptologie, les mécanismes d’émergence et d’enrichissement des élites provinciales, la progressive diffusion de la culture élitaire de la capitale en province durant l’Ancien Empire, les facteurs de la reproduction sociale de ces élites et leurs oppositions, parfois violentes, ainsi que les processus similaires de montée en puissance de groupes élitaires dans les sociétés de l’Orient ancien.
The question of how elites were formed is crucial to understanding the stability of the Pharaonic civilisation, one of the oldest and most enduring political entities in history. The Old Kingdom (2700-2160), characterised by the construction of the pyramids and the establishment of a territorial state, represents a relevant field of application due to the considerable increase in epigraphic, papyrological and archaeological documentation in recent years.
Provincial elites played an essential role in the Egyptian state and the monarchy's access to the various resources found in or passing through the provinces.
Émilie Martinet proposes an innovative theory to explain the emergence of provincial elites at this time, based on an exhaustive cross-analysis of sources and contributions from the renewal of studies on elites in history and sociology. Divided into five chapters, this historical essay looks successively at the concept of elites in Egyptology, the mechanisms of emergence and enrichment of provincial elites, the gradual spread of elite culture from the capital to the provinces during the Old Kingdom, the factors of social reproduction of these elites and their sometimes violent opposition, as well as similar processes of the rise to power of elite groups in ancient societies.
Dans L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet propose une anal... more Dans L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet propose une analyse novatrice des structures administratives provinciales et de la hiérarchisation des élites locales sous l’Ancien Empire (2700-2160 avant notre ère), à partir d'une étude critique des sources et en s'appuyant sur une base de données comprenant environ 1500 personnes titrées. Elle utilise une approche globale et novatrice qui dépasse le cadre de l'analyse prosopographique et qui intègre l'ensemble des niveaux hiérarchiques ainsi que les relations entre l'administration centrale et l'administration provinciale. Le caractère exhaustif de cette étude, le raisonnement historique mis en œuvre, l'élaboration d'une typologie des structures administratives provinciales et d'une nouvelle terminologie des divers responsables des provinces sont parmi les atouts majeurs de cet ouvrage.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
Books by Emilie Martinet
Addressing the dynamics of change in Ancient egypt: complex network analysis, 2020
The present volume seeks to indicate novel methods and approaches to analysing and interpreting t... more The present volume seeks to indicate novel methods and approaches to analysing and interpreting the agency of individual officials in different periods of ancient Egyptian history. Their activity and careers are observed using different methods of complex network analysis and put into a broader framework of more general trends operating the society at a given stage of its evolution. We are confident that this is one of the most promising and proven ways to gain deeper insights into day-to-day lives of the people of the past. The story of civilisations is above all a story of ideas and thoughts, and social/complex network analysis is one of the most efficient tools we can use. It enables us to view known data anew and assess them from new perspectives that significantly expand and deepen our knowledge of the past civilisation.
In recent years, this research approach has evolved independently at several institutions exploring ancient Egypt. We were very pleased to host most of these scholars at a joint meeting and offer them an opportunity to present and communicate their individual approaches, methods, points of view and observations. The contributions in this volume, originally presented at a workshop in Prague in September 2018, cover selected periods of ancient Egypt (the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, the Greco-Roman Period). Cyber-Egyptology, a new area of research in Egyptology, appears to be a justified approach with its own methodology, philosophy and a vast potential to answer complex questions relating to this fascinating civilisation and its diachronic dynamics. Moreover, this method of cyber-research can be applied universally across most archaeological and historical specialisations.
Dans L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet propose une anal... more Dans L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet propose une analyse novatrice des structures administratives provinciales et de la hiérarchisation des élites locales sous l’Ancien Empire (2700-2160 avant notre ère), à partir d'une étude critique des sources et en s'appuyant sur une base de données comprenant environ 1500 personnes titrées. Elle utilise une approche globale et novatrice qui dépasse le cadre de l'analyse prosopographique et qui intègre l'ensemble des niveaux hiérarchiques ainsi que les relations entre l'administration centrale et l'administration provinciale. Le caractère exhaustif de cette étude, le raisonnement historique mis en œuvre, l'élaboration d'une typologie des structures administratives provinciales et d'une nouvelle terminologie des divers responsables des provinces sont parmi les atouts majeurs de cet ouvrage.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
Papers by Emilie Martinet
Études et Travaux 35, p. 75-102, 2022
The territorial organisation in the early Fifth Dynasty remains little known compared to the Sixt... more The territorial organisation in the early Fifth Dynasty remains little known compared to the Sixth Dynasty, for which the data are more numerous. However, in recent years, there have been several discoveries concerning the reign of Sahure (c. 2487–2475 BCE). This latest information, combined with a re-examination of the textual and material sources known for a long time, shed new light on the policy of territorial organisation of Sahure by enabling us to answer the following questions: To which provinces did this king give his attention? What are the characteristics and the motivations of this territorial policy? Sahure carried out a huge policy of development in Lower Egypt, in particular in the south-east of the Delta, and in the south of Upper Egypt. By using a global approach, the analysis of all the data allows the identification of three main reasons explaining this territorial policy: to facilitate the recovery of valuable resources at the margins of the country and abroad, to support the increase in the number of officials and to carry out the construction projects of the monarchy. Moreover, a new theory is proposed about the creation of the 8th nome in the south-east of the Delta.
Abstract: "The causes and processes that have led to the sudden rise of the provincial elites who... more Abstract: "The causes and processes that have led to the sudden rise of the provincial elites who had the wherewithal to commission inscribed monuments, especially from the end of the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2350 BCE), remain poorly understood. This paper aims to highlight some of the main factors involved in this process, using specific case studies and a global and comparative approach. The results indicate greater levels of complexity than previously thought, and that no single, concurrent cause applied in all provinces. The paper also discusses methodological issues about how to reconstruct a causal system for the emergence and enrichment of provincial elites and, in particular, the need to study this process diachronicly to achieve deeper insights into its mechanisms".
Abstract: "The recent discoveries made in the Old Kingdom settlement at Tell Edfu, combined with ... more Abstract: "The recent discoveries made in the Old Kingdom settlement at Tell Edfu, combined with a re-examination of the prosopographical and material data already known, enable us to determine the causes and the different phases of the process of the emergence of the elites who were buried in inscribed monuments in the 2nd nome of Upper Egypt from the beginning of the VIth Dynasty. This process was complex and multifactorial: it involved the indirect role of the monarchy in the second part of the Vth Dynasty, and external economic factors, namely the strategic location of the 2nd nome of Upper Egypt near mining resources, were decisive. The flow of copper ore (and probably gold) passing through Tell Edfu, as well as the introduction of specialised activities, contributed to the emergence of these local elites. Their greater economic resources and their will to imitate the palatine values owing to their awareness of their superior status explain the construction of decorated and inscribed mastabas in Tell Edfu from the beginning of the VIth Dynasty. The administrative innovations introduced into Upper Egypt at that time, in particular the appointment of a nomarch in Tell Edfu under the reign of Teti for the first time, are also reconsidered in the light of all the data".
Résumé : "Les récentes découvertes effectuées à Tell Edfou, associées à un réexamen des données épigraphiques et matérielles déjà connues, permettent de déterminer les causes et les différentes phases du processus ayant conduit à l'émergence d'élites dotées de monuments inscrits dans le 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à partir du début de la VIe dynastie. Il s'agit d'un processus complexe et multifactoriel qui a été déclenché de façon indirecte par la monarchie dans la seconde partie de la Ve dynastie et dans lequel des facteurs économiques externes, à savoir l'emplacement stratégique du 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à proximité de ressources minières, ont été déterminants. L'afflux de minerais de cuivre (probablement aussi de l'or) transitant par Tell Edfou et l'introduction d'activités spécialisées ont contribué à l'émergence de ces élites locales. Leurs plus grandes capacités économiques et leur volonté d'imiter les valeurs palatines, en raison de la prise de conscience de la supériorité de leur statut, expliquent la construction de mastabas décorés et inscrits à partir du début de la VIe dynastie à Tell Edfou. Les innovations administratives introduites en Haute-Égypte à cette époque, en particulier la nomination d'un nomarque à Tell Edfou pour la première fois sous le règne de Téti, sont également reconsidérées à l'aune de l'ensemble des données".
Corrigenda
Émilie Martinet, L’Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien,
Problem... more Corrigenda
Émilie Martinet, L’Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien,
Probleme der Ägyptologie 38, 2019, 2 vol., Brill.
Claroscuro n° 19, vol. 2 - Revista del Centro de Estudios sobre Diversidad Cultural Facultad de Humanidades y Artes , 2020
"While the methods of Social Network Analysis (SNA) have enjoyed
great success among historians ... more "While the methods of Social Network Analysis (SNA) have enjoyed
great success among historians since the early years of the century,
these methods have hardly been deployed so far in Egyptology.
Nevertheless, since the 2010's, a few studies have allowed for
methodological and historiographical renewals within this eld of
study. After presentation of the inputs of this recent research, the
potentialities of network analysis for the study of the provincial elites
in Egypt at the time of the VIth Dynasty (c. 2345-2181 BC) will
be explored through two case studies. The rst is devoted to the
detection of the interactions between the members of the di erent
social groups belonging to the same household, namely, that of
Pepyankhheryib, a high ocial of Middle Egypt. In the second case,
the aims will be to determine and quantify the links that have been
established among several members of the elite of Elephantine, in
the southernmost province of Upper Egypt, especially through the
networking of the inscribed vessels that have been discovered in their
tombs".
Veronika Dulíková and Miroslav Bárta (eds.), Addressing the dynamics of change in ancient Egypt: Complex network analysis, Prague, 2020 (proceedings of the international workshop: "Social networks analyses in Ancient Egypt", Prague, 2018)., 2020
E. Martinet: "Social transformations are discernible within the whole Egyptian society from the t... more E. Martinet: "Social transformations are discernible within the whole Egyptian society from the time of the late Old Kingdom. Social mobility and hierarchy are crucial issues, especially concerning the provinces marked by an increase in the number of titled individuals. The visual representation of social networks from the iconographical data and records coming from the tomb of Pepyankhheryib (14th nome of Upper Egypt) using the Gephi software makes it possible to uncover the role of some individuals in this network as well as detect the dynamics among the social groups surrounding
the tomb owner, notably by connecting individuals who were involved in similar institutions. This approach, producing results that were unnoticeable from a manual method alone, ties in with a more global one whose aim is to investigate the social structures as well as the process of social promotion in Old Kingdom provinces by tackling this issue in a comprehensive way, based upon a crossover study of the
written, iconographical and archaeological sources, and comparing the results with those obtained from my analysis of the provincial administrative structures."
Proceedings of the International Conference "Beyond Memphis" which was held in Würzburg : M. DE M... more Proceedings of the International Conference "Beyond Memphis" which was held in Würzburg : M. DE MEYER, E. LANGE (eds), Beyond Memphis. The Transition of the Late Old Kingdom to the First Intermediate Period as reflected in Provincial Cemeteries, OLA (to be published).
Our exhaustive database, which contains approximately 1500 titled individuals known in the provin... more Our exhaustive database, which contains approximately 1500 titled individuals known in the provinces, allows us to analyse the social stratification of the provincial elites in the 3rd Millennium BC. This paper focuses especially on the composition of the upper provincial elites as well as on their uneven distribution in the provinces at the end of the Old Kingdom. By analysing the distribution of the rank title jrj-pʿt by province in particular, a correlation can be found with the type of administrative structure.
In this paper, we shall also provide an overview of the mechanisms of social mobility by focusing on the composition of the networks of subordinates who were represented in tombs of high-ranking officials. The detailed analysis of these households contributes to determining the way by which an individual from the provinces reached a high-ranking position in society. It was necessary for these elites to have contact with people of high status and to benefit from resources. This involves analysing the links with central institutions and the Court. The application of SNA (Social Network Analysis) to these data and their visual representation with the Gephi software will help provide an analysis of the integration of the elites within different social networks. By comparing the data from the 1st and 14th nomes of Upper Egypt, it is possible to define the degree of integration of these elites within court society and also to highlight the differences between social and administrative structures by province individually. Lastly, although we generally do not know the precise conditions for the acquisition of rank titles, we shall try to infer the characteristics of social promotion from some royal decrees which were issued to favour some selected provincial elites.
Göttinger Miszellen 243, 2014
Revised and corrected version of an article published in Göttinger Miszellen 243, 2014, p. 33-42.
PhD Thesis by Emilie Martinet
Talks by Emilie Martinet
The Connected Past: Religious Networks in Antiquity (05/10/2024)
The University of British Colum... more The Connected Past: Religious Networks in Antiquity (05/10/2024)
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada.
I have written the sub-section "Using Network Analysis in Egyptology: Inputs, Limits and New Perspectives".
Text read by Raúl Sánchez Casado.
Uploads
News by Emilie Martinet
Les élites provinciales jouaient un rôle essentiel dans le fonctionnement de l’État égyptien et l’accès de la monarchie aux diverses ressources qui se trouvaient dans les provinces ou qui transitaient par celles-ci.
À l’aide d’une analyse exhaustive et croisée des sources et des apports issus du renouvellement des études sur les élites en histoire et en sociologie, Émilie Martinet propose une théorie novatrice pour expliquer l’émergence des élites provinciales à cette époque. Composé de cinq chapitres, cet essai historique aborde successivement le concept d’élites en égyptologie, les mécanismes d’émergence et d’enrichissement des élites provinciales, la progressive diffusion de la culture élitaire de la capitale en province durant l’Ancien Empire, les facteurs de la reproduction sociale de ces élites et leurs oppositions, parfois violentes, ainsi que les processus similaires de montée en puissance de groupes élitaires dans les sociétés de l’Orient ancien.
The question of how elites were formed is crucial to understanding the stability of the Pharaonic civilisation, one of the oldest and most enduring political entities in history. The Old Kingdom (2700-2160), characterised by the construction of the pyramids and the establishment of a territorial state, represents a relevant field of application due to the considerable increase in epigraphic, papyrological and archaeological documentation in recent years.
Provincial elites played an essential role in the Egyptian state and the monarchy's access to the various resources found in or passing through the provinces.
Émilie Martinet proposes an innovative theory to explain the emergence of provincial elites at this time, based on an exhaustive cross-analysis of sources and contributions from the renewal of studies on elites in history and sociology. Divided into five chapters, this historical essay looks successively at the concept of elites in Egyptology, the mechanisms of emergence and enrichment of provincial elites, the gradual spread of elite culture from the capital to the provinces during the Old Kingdom, the factors of social reproduction of these elites and their sometimes violent opposition, as well as similar processes of the rise to power of elite groups in ancient societies.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
Books by Emilie Martinet
In recent years, this research approach has evolved independently at several institutions exploring ancient Egypt. We were very pleased to host most of these scholars at a joint meeting and offer them an opportunity to present and communicate their individual approaches, methods, points of view and observations. The contributions in this volume, originally presented at a workshop in Prague in September 2018, cover selected periods of ancient Egypt (the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, the Greco-Roman Period). Cyber-Egyptology, a new area of research in Egyptology, appears to be a justified approach with its own methodology, philosophy and a vast potential to answer complex questions relating to this fascinating civilisation and its diachronic dynamics. Moreover, this method of cyber-research can be applied universally across most archaeological and historical specialisations.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
Papers by Emilie Martinet
Résumé : "Les récentes découvertes effectuées à Tell Edfou, associées à un réexamen des données épigraphiques et matérielles déjà connues, permettent de déterminer les causes et les différentes phases du processus ayant conduit à l'émergence d'élites dotées de monuments inscrits dans le 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à partir du début de la VIe dynastie. Il s'agit d'un processus complexe et multifactoriel qui a été déclenché de façon indirecte par la monarchie dans la seconde partie de la Ve dynastie et dans lequel des facteurs économiques externes, à savoir l'emplacement stratégique du 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à proximité de ressources minières, ont été déterminants. L'afflux de minerais de cuivre (probablement aussi de l'or) transitant par Tell Edfou et l'introduction d'activités spécialisées ont contribué à l'émergence de ces élites locales. Leurs plus grandes capacités économiques et leur volonté d'imiter les valeurs palatines, en raison de la prise de conscience de la supériorité de leur statut, expliquent la construction de mastabas décorés et inscrits à partir du début de la VIe dynastie à Tell Edfou. Les innovations administratives introduites en Haute-Égypte à cette époque, en particulier la nomination d'un nomarque à Tell Edfou pour la première fois sous le règne de Téti, sont également reconsidérées à l'aune de l'ensemble des données".
Émilie Martinet, L’Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien,
Probleme der Ägyptologie 38, 2019, 2 vol., Brill.
great success among historians since the early years of the century,
these methods have hardly been deployed so far in Egyptology.
Nevertheless, since the 2010's, a few studies have allowed for
methodological and historiographical renewals within this eld of
study. After presentation of the inputs of this recent research, the
potentialities of network analysis for the study of the provincial elites
in Egypt at the time of the VIth Dynasty (c. 2345-2181 BC) will
be explored through two case studies. The rst is devoted to the
detection of the interactions between the members of the di erent
social groups belonging to the same household, namely, that of
Pepyankhheryib, a high ocial of Middle Egypt. In the second case,
the aims will be to determine and quantify the links that have been
established among several members of the elite of Elephantine, in
the southernmost province of Upper Egypt, especially through the
networking of the inscribed vessels that have been discovered in their
tombs".
the tomb owner, notably by connecting individuals who were involved in similar institutions. This approach, producing results that were unnoticeable from a manual method alone, ties in with a more global one whose aim is to investigate the social structures as well as the process of social promotion in Old Kingdom provinces by tackling this issue in a comprehensive way, based upon a crossover study of the
written, iconographical and archaeological sources, and comparing the results with those obtained from my analysis of the provincial administrative structures."
In this paper, we shall also provide an overview of the mechanisms of social mobility by focusing on the composition of the networks of subordinates who were represented in tombs of high-ranking officials. The detailed analysis of these households contributes to determining the way by which an individual from the provinces reached a high-ranking position in society. It was necessary for these elites to have contact with people of high status and to benefit from resources. This involves analysing the links with central institutions and the Court. The application of SNA (Social Network Analysis) to these data and their visual representation with the Gephi software will help provide an analysis of the integration of the elites within different social networks. By comparing the data from the 1st and 14th nomes of Upper Egypt, it is possible to define the degree of integration of these elites within court society and also to highlight the differences between social and administrative structures by province individually. Lastly, although we generally do not know the precise conditions for the acquisition of rank titles, we shall try to infer the characteristics of social promotion from some royal decrees which were issued to favour some selected provincial elites.
PhD Thesis by Emilie Martinet
Talks by Emilie Martinet
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada.
I have written the sub-section "Using Network Analysis in Egyptology: Inputs, Limits and New Perspectives".
Text read by Raúl Sánchez Casado.
Les élites provinciales jouaient un rôle essentiel dans le fonctionnement de l’État égyptien et l’accès de la monarchie aux diverses ressources qui se trouvaient dans les provinces ou qui transitaient par celles-ci.
À l’aide d’une analyse exhaustive et croisée des sources et des apports issus du renouvellement des études sur les élites en histoire et en sociologie, Émilie Martinet propose une théorie novatrice pour expliquer l’émergence des élites provinciales à cette époque. Composé de cinq chapitres, cet essai historique aborde successivement le concept d’élites en égyptologie, les mécanismes d’émergence et d’enrichissement des élites provinciales, la progressive diffusion de la culture élitaire de la capitale en province durant l’Ancien Empire, les facteurs de la reproduction sociale de ces élites et leurs oppositions, parfois violentes, ainsi que les processus similaires de montée en puissance de groupes élitaires dans les sociétés de l’Orient ancien.
The question of how elites were formed is crucial to understanding the stability of the Pharaonic civilisation, one of the oldest and most enduring political entities in history. The Old Kingdom (2700-2160), characterised by the construction of the pyramids and the establishment of a territorial state, represents a relevant field of application due to the considerable increase in epigraphic, papyrological and archaeological documentation in recent years.
Provincial elites played an essential role in the Egyptian state and the monarchy's access to the various resources found in or passing through the provinces.
Émilie Martinet proposes an innovative theory to explain the emergence of provincial elites at this time, based on an exhaustive cross-analysis of sources and contributions from the renewal of studies on elites in history and sociology. Divided into five chapters, this historical essay looks successively at the concept of elites in Egyptology, the mechanisms of emergence and enrichment of provincial elites, the gradual spread of elite culture from the capital to the provinces during the Old Kingdom, the factors of social reproduction of these elites and their sometimes violent opposition, as well as similar processes of the rise to power of elite groups in ancient societies.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
In recent years, this research approach has evolved independently at several institutions exploring ancient Egypt. We were very pleased to host most of these scholars at a joint meeting and offer them an opportunity to present and communicate their individual approaches, methods, points of view and observations. The contributions in this volume, originally presented at a workshop in Prague in September 2018, cover selected periods of ancient Egypt (the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, the Greco-Roman Period). Cyber-Egyptology, a new area of research in Egyptology, appears to be a justified approach with its own methodology, philosophy and a vast potential to answer complex questions relating to this fascinating civilisation and its diachronic dynamics. Moreover, this method of cyber-research can be applied universally across most archaeological and historical specialisations.
In L'Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien, Émilie Martinet offers an innovative analysis of the provincial administrative structures and the stratification of the local elites in the Old Kingdom (2700-2160 BC) based on a critical study of sources and building on a database containing about 1500 titled individuals. She applies a comprehensive and novel approach which goes beyond the scope of prosopographical analysis and which includes all the hierarchy levels as well as the links between central administration and provincial administration. The exhaustive character of this study, the historical reasoning which is employed, and the development of a typology of provincial administrative structures and of a new terminology for the rulers of the provinces are among the major assets of this book.
Résumé : "Les récentes découvertes effectuées à Tell Edfou, associées à un réexamen des données épigraphiques et matérielles déjà connues, permettent de déterminer les causes et les différentes phases du processus ayant conduit à l'émergence d'élites dotées de monuments inscrits dans le 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à partir du début de la VIe dynastie. Il s'agit d'un processus complexe et multifactoriel qui a été déclenché de façon indirecte par la monarchie dans la seconde partie de la Ve dynastie et dans lequel des facteurs économiques externes, à savoir l'emplacement stratégique du 2ème nome de Haute-Égypte à proximité de ressources minières, ont été déterminants. L'afflux de minerais de cuivre (probablement aussi de l'or) transitant par Tell Edfou et l'introduction d'activités spécialisées ont contribué à l'émergence de ces élites locales. Leurs plus grandes capacités économiques et leur volonté d'imiter les valeurs palatines, en raison de la prise de conscience de la supériorité de leur statut, expliquent la construction de mastabas décorés et inscrits à partir du début de la VIe dynastie à Tell Edfou. Les innovations administratives introduites en Haute-Égypte à cette époque, en particulier la nomination d'un nomarque à Tell Edfou pour la première fois sous le règne de Téti, sont également reconsidérées à l'aune de l'ensemble des données".
Émilie Martinet, L’Administration provinciale sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien,
Probleme der Ägyptologie 38, 2019, 2 vol., Brill.
great success among historians since the early years of the century,
these methods have hardly been deployed so far in Egyptology.
Nevertheless, since the 2010's, a few studies have allowed for
methodological and historiographical renewals within this eld of
study. After presentation of the inputs of this recent research, the
potentialities of network analysis for the study of the provincial elites
in Egypt at the time of the VIth Dynasty (c. 2345-2181 BC) will
be explored through two case studies. The rst is devoted to the
detection of the interactions between the members of the di erent
social groups belonging to the same household, namely, that of
Pepyankhheryib, a high ocial of Middle Egypt. In the second case,
the aims will be to determine and quantify the links that have been
established among several members of the elite of Elephantine, in
the southernmost province of Upper Egypt, especially through the
networking of the inscribed vessels that have been discovered in their
tombs".
the tomb owner, notably by connecting individuals who were involved in similar institutions. This approach, producing results that were unnoticeable from a manual method alone, ties in with a more global one whose aim is to investigate the social structures as well as the process of social promotion in Old Kingdom provinces by tackling this issue in a comprehensive way, based upon a crossover study of the
written, iconographical and archaeological sources, and comparing the results with those obtained from my analysis of the provincial administrative structures."
In this paper, we shall also provide an overview of the mechanisms of social mobility by focusing on the composition of the networks of subordinates who were represented in tombs of high-ranking officials. The detailed analysis of these households contributes to determining the way by which an individual from the provinces reached a high-ranking position in society. It was necessary for these elites to have contact with people of high status and to benefit from resources. This involves analysing the links with central institutions and the Court. The application of SNA (Social Network Analysis) to these data and their visual representation with the Gephi software will help provide an analysis of the integration of the elites within different social networks. By comparing the data from the 1st and 14th nomes of Upper Egypt, it is possible to define the degree of integration of these elites within court society and also to highlight the differences between social and administrative structures by province individually. Lastly, although we generally do not know the precise conditions for the acquisition of rank titles, we shall try to infer the characteristics of social promotion from some royal decrees which were issued to favour some selected provincial elites.
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada.
I have written the sub-section "Using Network Analysis in Egyptology: Inputs, Limits and New Perspectives".
Text read by Raúl Sánchez Casado.
With the help of several archival collections kept in France and beyond, the overall objective is to reconstruct the career of Raymond Weill by placing him in the intellectual life of the time, as well as to highlight his contributions to the study of the Ancient East and in particular to Egyptology. Although less well known than some Egyptologists who were his contemporaries, his double career, the importance of his scientific work and his status as a Jewish intellectual in the first half of the 20th century justify such a project. Moreover, he was completely integrated into the scientific network of the time, as evidenced by the presence in the collection of approximately 200 letters sent by scholars from different countries.