Abstract Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid ar... more Abstract Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was conducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce.
I materiali coloranti ricchi in goethite ed ematite rinvenuti nel sito epigravettiano di Riparo T... more I materiali coloranti ricchi in goethite ed ematite rinvenuti nel sito epigravettiano di Riparo Tagliente (NE Italia), sono stati oggetti di uno studio multidisciplinare comprendente la riproduzione sperimentale della chaine-operatoire e volto alla comprensione del ruolo di questi materiali all'interno dei gruppi di cacciatori-raccoglitori.
La grotte de Pertus II (Meailles, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) : exploitation du couvert forestier au... more La grotte de Pertus II (Meailles, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) : exploitation du couvert forestier au chasseen recent (3850-3650 cal. BC)
Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies ha... more Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies have traditionally been interpreted as the result of a taxonomic selection based on the physical properties of each woody species, while little attention has been paid to other criteria such as the soundness of the wood used, a parameter which could have significantly weighed on indigenous firewood selection, hearth functions and supply areas. To explore this possibility, we created a new experimental dataset of microscopic decay features in charcoal of Pinus canariensis, one of the most valued Prehispanic fuels. Following a previous experimental protocol, our results confirm the correlation between the macroscopic and microscopic state of the wood, with a gradual trend from healthy to rotten according to varying proportions of low to high micromorphological alteration features within each charcoal assemblage. It now becomes possible to assess the state of the wood ante combustion on archeological samples as a marker of fuel gathering strategies. New experimental results were also obtained regarding charcoal vitrification, although the origin of this phenomenon remains unclear. High proportions of vitrified fragments found in a batch composed of resinous heartwood (pitch wood) with highly degraded sapwood raise the hypothesis of a possible relationship between vitrification and the combustion of high resin contents.
Abstract Remains of animal fuel and driftwood fires are evident in Birnirk and Thule sites of nor... more Abstract Remains of animal fuel and driftwood fires are evident in Birnirk and Thule sites of northwestern Alaska (AD 11th-14th century). To better understand these fires, a robust experimental protocol was designed to study the effects of multi-fuel fires, in particular, the addition of fat to woody fuels. In Arctic regions, permafrost and climate conditions do not allow for the development of tree vegetation. Marine mammal oil and bones served as fuel substitutes, as did locally shrubby vegetation and driftwood accumulations. The excavation of numerous thick burnt areas in many Arctic sites confirms the use of multiple fuels including wood, animal fat, and bone in large quantities. These burnt areas correspond to a wide range of fire activities—cooking, smoking, firing ceramics, and others—but the actions and effects of each fuel are still poorly known. We describe conditions necessary to achieve a reproducible and statistically representative experimental fire sample. We compared fuel combinations of driftwood or non-drifted wood, animal fat, and caribou bones over 55 combustions. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in a laboratory in France and on the coast of northwestern Alaska. We found that a minimum of 30 test assays was needed to obtain statistically significant results but many research avenues can be obtained from smaller series. We obtained key figures and descriptive data on the impact of different animal fuels on fire temperature and duration, as well as on the firewood spectrum, with important implications for the representation of different woody fuels and the fragmentation patterns of charcoals. We report a relatively rapid rate of formation for blackened and crusted sediments when seal oil is burned along with driftwood. This means that thick accumulations of burnt material may not be a reliable signal of long-term occupations and that the relationship between the duration of site occupation and fuel management deserves further study.
The authors attempt to specify the diffusion pattern of the Impressed-Ware Neolithic (Impresso-c... more The authors attempt to specify the diffusion pattern of the Impressed-Ware Neolithic (Impresso-cardial complex, ICC), from south-eastern Italy onto the French Mediterranean coasts. Using ChronoModel® software, a Bayesian model was built with sets of dates obtained on well-contextualised, short-lived samples. The results highlight a clear tightening of the chronology in the so-called nuclear area (Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria) and a pioneer dispersal at record speed in the Tyrrhenian Basin. Moreover, they question the origins and initial developments of the Impressed-Wares techno-complex.
Identificando estrategias de adquisicion del combustible lenoso en antracologia: puede contribuir... more Identificando estrategias de adquisicion del combustible lenoso en antracologia: puede contribuir la experimentacion a determinar el calibre de los carbones en contexto arqueologico ?
L. Purdue, D. Kennet, A. Garnier, A. Parton, H. Djerbi, S. Botan, L. Herveux, G. Davtian, A. Carré, D. Moger, N. al-Jahwari, 2021
Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Rese... more Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was con ducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce.
Abstract Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid ar... more Abstract Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was conducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce.
I materiali coloranti ricchi in goethite ed ematite rinvenuti nel sito epigravettiano di Riparo T... more I materiali coloranti ricchi in goethite ed ematite rinvenuti nel sito epigravettiano di Riparo Tagliente (NE Italia), sono stati oggetti di uno studio multidisciplinare comprendente la riproduzione sperimentale della chaine-operatoire e volto alla comprensione del ruolo di questi materiali all'interno dei gruppi di cacciatori-raccoglitori.
La grotte de Pertus II (Meailles, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) : exploitation du couvert forestier au... more La grotte de Pertus II (Meailles, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) : exploitation du couvert forestier au chasseen recent (3850-3650 cal. BC)
Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies ha... more Prehispanic sites of the Canary Islands (ca. 2nd-15th centuries CE), fuel gathering strategies have traditionally been interpreted as the result of a taxonomic selection based on the physical properties of each woody species, while little attention has been paid to other criteria such as the soundness of the wood used, a parameter which could have significantly weighed on indigenous firewood selection, hearth functions and supply areas. To explore this possibility, we created a new experimental dataset of microscopic decay features in charcoal of Pinus canariensis, one of the most valued Prehispanic fuels. Following a previous experimental protocol, our results confirm the correlation between the macroscopic and microscopic state of the wood, with a gradual trend from healthy to rotten according to varying proportions of low to high micromorphological alteration features within each charcoal assemblage. It now becomes possible to assess the state of the wood ante combustion on archeological samples as a marker of fuel gathering strategies. New experimental results were also obtained regarding charcoal vitrification, although the origin of this phenomenon remains unclear. High proportions of vitrified fragments found in a batch composed of resinous heartwood (pitch wood) with highly degraded sapwood raise the hypothesis of a possible relationship between vitrification and the combustion of high resin contents.
Abstract Remains of animal fuel and driftwood fires are evident in Birnirk and Thule sites of nor... more Abstract Remains of animal fuel and driftwood fires are evident in Birnirk and Thule sites of northwestern Alaska (AD 11th-14th century). To better understand these fires, a robust experimental protocol was designed to study the effects of multi-fuel fires, in particular, the addition of fat to woody fuels. In Arctic regions, permafrost and climate conditions do not allow for the development of tree vegetation. Marine mammal oil and bones served as fuel substitutes, as did locally shrubby vegetation and driftwood accumulations. The excavation of numerous thick burnt areas in many Arctic sites confirms the use of multiple fuels including wood, animal fat, and bone in large quantities. These burnt areas correspond to a wide range of fire activities—cooking, smoking, firing ceramics, and others—but the actions and effects of each fuel are still poorly known. We describe conditions necessary to achieve a reproducible and statistically representative experimental fire sample. We compared fuel combinations of driftwood or non-drifted wood, animal fat, and caribou bones over 55 combustions. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in a laboratory in France and on the coast of northwestern Alaska. We found that a minimum of 30 test assays was needed to obtain statistically significant results but many research avenues can be obtained from smaller series. We obtained key figures and descriptive data on the impact of different animal fuels on fire temperature and duration, as well as on the firewood spectrum, with important implications for the representation of different woody fuels and the fragmentation patterns of charcoals. We report a relatively rapid rate of formation for blackened and crusted sediments when seal oil is burned along with driftwood. This means that thick accumulations of burnt material may not be a reliable signal of long-term occupations and that the relationship between the duration of site occupation and fuel management deserves further study.
The authors attempt to specify the diffusion pattern of the Impressed-Ware Neolithic (Impresso-c... more The authors attempt to specify the diffusion pattern of the Impressed-Ware Neolithic (Impresso-cardial complex, ICC), from south-eastern Italy onto the French Mediterranean coasts. Using ChronoModel® software, a Bayesian model was built with sets of dates obtained on well-contextualised, short-lived samples. The results highlight a clear tightening of the chronology in the so-called nuclear area (Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria) and a pioneer dispersal at record speed in the Tyrrhenian Basin. Moreover, they question the origins and initial developments of the Impressed-Wares techno-complex.
Identificando estrategias de adquisicion del combustible lenoso en antracologia: puede contribuir... more Identificando estrategias de adquisicion del combustible lenoso en antracologia: puede contribuir la experimentacion a determinar el calibre de los carbones en contexto arqueologico ?
L. Purdue, D. Kennet, A. Garnier, A. Parton, H. Djerbi, S. Botan, L. Herveux, G. Davtian, A. Carré, D. Moger, N. al-Jahwari, 2021
Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Rese... more Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was con ducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce.
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Papers by Alain Carré
Article by Alain Carré
the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy
investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was con
ducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the
formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of
cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic
Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE,
13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality
was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional
aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust
particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural
specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These
results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth,
but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which
archaeological traces are very scarce.
the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy
investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was con
ducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the
formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of
cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic
Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE,
13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality
was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional
aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust
particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural
specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These
results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth,
but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which
archaeological traces are very scarce.