Nada Elias

Over more than a century, extensive archaeological excavations have taken place in Byblos. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the Neolithic settlement of Byblos and narrate the story of human communities in Byblos during the emergence of settled life. It encompasses the dawn and development of this settlement, the evolution of architecture, the expansion of settlements and continuity from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic period. Furthermore, it delves into subjects like the dynamics of life and death in prehistoric Byblos, and presents the origins and legacy of this city through an interdisciplinary lens that combines prehistoric archaeology and anthropology. This study has integrated old archaeological drawings while introducing novel illustrations and reconstructions to enhance our understanding on Byblos during the Neolithic period.

جرت عمليّات تنقيبٍ أثريّة كثيرة في جبيل على مدى أكثر من قرنٍ من الزمن. يهدف هذا البحث إلى تسليط الضوء على جبيل خلال العصر الحجري الحديث وسرد قصّة المجتمعات البشريّة فيها عند نشوء الحياة المستقرّة. ويتطرّق هذا البحث أيضاً إلى مواضيع متعدّدةٍ نذكر منها تأسيس جبيل وتطوّرها، ومراحل تطوّر الهندسة المعماريّة، وتوسّع الاستيطان واستمراره فيها من العصر الحجري الحديث إلى العصر النّحاسي. علاوةً على ذلك، يغوص هذا البحث  في دراسة مسائل مثل الحياة والموت في جبيل ما قبل التاريخ، ويستعرض أصول هذه المدينة وتراثها من منظارٍ متعدّد الاختصاصات يربط ما بين علم آثار ما قبل التاريخ والأنثروبولوجيا. كما تتضمّن هذه الدراسة رسوماتٍ وصوراً أثريّةً قديمة، فضلاً عن رسوم اعادة بناءٍ جديدةٍ أعدّت لتعزيز فهمنا لمدينة جبيل خلال العصر الحجري الحديث.

Au Proche-Orient, des sépultures appartenant à des hommes, des femmes et des individus immatures, ont été retrouvées sous le sol des maisons néolithiques en Anatolie Centrale, au Levant Nord, au Levant Sud, et dans la Djezirah Iraquienne. Au sein de ses sépultures, les individus reposaient individuellement ou à plusieurs (simultanément ou successivement) dans une position evocant celle d’un fœtus au sein de l’utérus. Les études sur leur contexte domestique et sur leur organisation spatiale sont des principales clefs pour l’interprétation des idées religieuses derrière ces pratiques. Dans le présent article, nous allons présenter quelques aspects des pratiques funéraires au Néolithique proche-oriental qui concernent surtout la gestion de l’espace funéraire à Çatalhöyük.


Burials containing men, women and immature individuals have been found below the platforms and floors of Neolithic houses in Central Anatolia, in the Northern and Southern Levant, and in Iraqi Djazirah. Inside these burials, the individuals rested individually or together (simultaneously or successively) in a position resembling that of a foetus within the womb. Studies focused on the domestic context of theses burials and their spatial organisation are the main keys to the interpretation of the religious thoughts behind these practices. In this article we will present some aspects of funerary practices in the Near Eastern Neolithic period which mainly focus on the management of the funerary space and its relationship with the living space in Çatalhöyük.

https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/associated_publications/anthropologica-prehistorica/anthropologica-et-praehistorica/bibliographic-references/articlereference.2023-11-16.3829457089

This paper deals with recent discovery of a moulded glazed skyphos uncovered in the funerary site of Mazraa 571 (Beirut). The most captivating aspects of archaeology is that it connects arts to sciences especially when studying material culture. The term itself of material culture holds the duality of material (physical) and culture (conceptual). The aim of this study was to present the typochronological study of the skyphos but to go beyond the classical morphological and chronological analyses and to reach an interpretative level in order to understand the symbolism, meaning and use of this artifact on the site.
Mazraa 571 is mainly a funerary site, the moulded lead-glazed skyphos was discovered as a part of a cluster in a funerary zone between burials. It is covered with a green glaze on the outside and yellow glaze on the inside. Moreover, a plant relief pattern is moulded all over the vessel, this type of pottery was never common.

La parcelle de terrain « MAZ 571 » est située en face du cimetière moderne des Anglicains et des juifs dans la rue de Damas à Beyrouth. Les occupations funéraires dans ce secteur s’échelonnent de la période augustéenne jusqu’à la fin du 4ème siècle apr. J.-C. Mais, la concentration des sépultures est à son zénith entre le 1er et 2ème siècle apr. J.-C. (fig. 2). L’objectif de cet article est de présenter les premières données récoltées lors de la fouille et les résultats de l’étude biologique.

Mdawar 168 funerary space is composed of 50 burials. Its location along the Roman road situated between Berytus pomoerium and the far limits of the suburbium allow to relate it to a local urban context well-known by its suburbium funerary spaces. It was used from the first half of the 1st century to the end of the 4th century AD. Thanks to the site phasing, it has been possible to detect the organisation of the funerary area and the evolution of inhumation practices, from the point of view of burial typology (particularly the kind of container being used) as from the grave goods and, of course, the biological identities. This site brings a wide range of evidence that permits identifying funerary practices in the eastern Roman colonies.

Two centuries following the fall of Constantinople, Estephanus El Douaihy emerged as a prominent Lebanese Maronite patriarch, living between 1630 and 1704. In 2018, the Maronite Church embarked on formal proceedings for his canonization within the Vatican. The primary objective of this study was the identification of the remains of Patriarch Estephanus El Douaihy as a crucial step in his sanctification process. Employing a multidimensional approach, the investigation included archaeological excavations in the collective burial of the Maronite Patriarchs interred in Qadisha valley between 1445 and 1845, along with forensic anthropological examinations, unveiling a considerable number of novel insights. These ranged from discerning burial characteristics to uncovering the presence of other patriarchs and associated individuals buried alongside. This presentation offers an exposition and assessment of the strategies, methodologies, and initial discoveries of the archaeo-anthropological investigations, while also outlining the broader objectives and forthcoming horizons of the project.

كان إسطفان الدويهي بطريركًا لبنانيًا مارونيًا عاش بين عامي 1630 و 1704. في العام 2018، باشرت الكنيسة المارونية دعوة قانونية لتقديسه في الفاتيكان. الهدف الرئيسي من دراستنا هو العثور والتعرف على رفات البطريرك اسطفان الدويهي كجزء من عملية تقديسه. وهكذا تمّ إجراء التنقيبات الأثرية والتحقيقات الأنثروبولوجيّة الطبيّة-الشرعيّة التي أدت إلى الكشف عن قدر كبير من البيانات الجديدة: من طبيعة الدفن إلى هوية الأشخاص المدفونين معه. في هذه المحاضرة، سوف يتمّ عرض ومناقشة الاستراتيجيات والتقنيات والنتائج الأولية الأركيو-أنثروبولوجيّة للمشروع بالإضافة إلى هدفه ورؤيته المستقبلية.

During the first century B.C., with the rise of the Roman Empire, the Levant became the scene of cosmopolitanism where many heteroclite cultures would coexist. This cosmopolitan Empire had Rome as its capital (Caput Mundi) and roads drawn up by the army linked the rest of the empire to its capital. Following an archaeo-anthropological approach, this research presentation aims to reveal an assessment of eight funerary sites (N= 290) from the cities of Berytus (Beirut) and Botrys (Batroun). Botrys, unlike Berytus, did not have the status of a Roman colony. The main purpose is to understand the populations who lived in the region during the four centuries of the Roman Empire through the study of the skeletons, biological identities, rituals and funerary practices, as well as the organization of suburban funerary spaces and the population mobility in the classical Near East.

Au cours du premier siècle avant notre ère le Levant devient le théâtre d’un cosmopolitisme où maintes cultures hétéroclites vont coexister avec l'avènement de l’Empire romain.  Les fouilles préventives récentes (depuis 2005) à Berytus (Beyrouth) et à Botrys (Batroun) ont mis au jour une quantité considérable de données inédites sur l’homme et sur les populations qui vivaient dans la région durant les quatre siècles de l’Empire romain et jusqu’au début du Christianisme. Nous allons présenter les résultats d’une étude archéo‐anthropologique de huit ensembles funéraires (n=290) provenant de la Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus et de la ville de Botrys qui contrairement à Berytus n’a pas le statut de colonia romana, ce travail propose de contribuer à l’histoire de ces deux villes.  Cette étude révèle en premier lieu un cosmopolitisme culturel et biologique illustré par la variabilité des pratiques funéraires et par la diversité biologique des deux ou plusieurs groupes qui ont dû coexister à la Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. Par contre, les données bio-culturelles de Botrys évoquent quant à elles, une cité moins cosmopolite, moins diversifiée sur les plans anthropologiques et culturels. En effet, la ressemblance des modes d’inhumation, du traitement du corps, du mobilier funéraire et la structuration de l’espace funéraire et l’homogénéité biologique sont incontestables à Botrys. En revanche, les analyses comparatives entre Berytus et Botrys ont mis en évidence une hétérogénéité biologique existante à plusieurs échelles entre les individus des deux villes. Cette distance est brisée par l’homogénéité du corpus féminin des deux villes pour la période qui s'étend du IIème au IVème siècle de notre ère.

Autors: Nada ELIAS, Yasha HOURANI, Ali BADAWI, Rose-Marie ARBOGAST, Dominique CASTEX, Géraldine SACHAU:  Tyr is situated on the coastal road between the north (Beirut) and the South (Haifa). Since 2011, an archaeological excavation conducted by the Directorate General of Antiquities of Lebanon in Jal el Baher (Tyr), has revealed a Phoenician-Hellenistic necropolis on the Mediterranean coast. This article aim to study a multiple deposit of several individuals in the most ancient level of funeral occupation in the Phoenico-Hellenistic necropolis.
The multiple deposit is formed by eight human skeletons deposited simultaneously with five skulls of cattle in a staging that may suggests voluntary will wich suppose a funerary practice. The archaoanthropological and archaeozoogical approaches tend to understand funeral rituals, beliefs and perception of life after death that used to exists in the Hellenistic Tyr.

During the first century B.C., with the rise of the Roman Empire, the Levant became the scene of cosmopolitanism where many heteroclite cultures would coexist. The new cosmopolitan society had Rome as its capital (Caput Mundi), and roads drawn up by the army linking the rest of the empire to its capital. Recent rescue excavations (since 2005) in Berytus (Beirut) and Botrys (Batroun) have revealed a considerable amount of unpublished data on populations who lived in the region during the four centuries of the Roman Empire until the early centuries of Christianity. Following an archaeo-anthropological approach, this thesis presents an assessment of eight funerary sites (n= 290) from the cities of Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus and Botrys. Significantly, Botrys, unlike Berytus, did not have the status of a Roman colony. This research seeks to contribute to the history of these two cities. The purpose is to understand the populations of the past through the study of the skeletons, rituals and funerary practices as well as the organisation of funerary spaces. This study primarily reveals a cultural and biological cosmopolitanism illustrated by variability in funerary practices and in biological characteristics. These results suggest that at least two different groups or more coexisted in the Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. On the contrary, the biocultural data of Botrys skeletons reveal a less cosmopolitan city with less diversity shown on different anthropological and cultural levels. Indeed, the similarity of funerary practices, body treatments, grave goods and the organisation of the funerary space and biological homogeneity are indisputable in Botrys. Comparative analysis between Berytus and Botrys highlighted an existing biological heterogeneity at different scales between individuals of both cities. However, this diversity is contradicted by the homogeneity of the females of both cities during the 2th and the 4th century A. D.

Keywords : Berytus, Botrys, Levant, roman period, roman colony, funerary practices, religious beliefs, archaeoanthropology, archaeothanatology, morphometry, non metric anatomical traits, population health, spatial distribution of burial practices.

Avec l’avènement de l’Empire romain au cours du premier siècle avant notre ère le Levant devient le théâtre d’un cosmopolitisme où maintes cultures hétéroclites vont coexister. Ce nouveau système a Rome comme Caput Mundi. Des voies vont être tracées par l’armée jusqu’au fin fond de l’empire pour relier le monde à sa capitale. Les fouilles préventives récentes (depuis 2005) à Berytus (Beyrouth) et à Botrys (Batroun) ont mis au jour une quantité considérable de données inédites sur l’homme et sur les populations qui vivaient dans la région durant les quatre siècles de l’Empire romain et jusqu’au début du Christianisme. À partir d’une étude archéo‐anthropologique de huit ensembles funéraires (n=290) provenant de la Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus et de la ville de Botrys qui contrairement à Berytus n’a pas le statut de colonia romana, ce travail propose de contribuer à l’histoire de ces deux villes. Notre but est d’appréhender les populations du passé d’après l’étude du squelette, les caractéristiques biologiques, les rituels et les pratiques funéraires ainsi que l’organisation des espaces sépulcraux. Cette étude révèle en premier lieu un cosmopolitisme culturel et biologique illustré par la variabilité des pratiques funéraires et par la diversité biologique des deux ou plusieurs groupes qui ont dû coexister à la Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. Par contre, les données bio-culturelles de Botrys évoquent quant à elles, une cité moins cosmopolite, moins diversifiée sur les plans anthropologiques et culturels. En effet, la ressemblance des modes d’inhumation, du traitement du corps, du mobilier funéraire et la structuration de l’espace funéraire et l’homogénéité biologique sont incontestables à Botrys. En revanche, les analyses comparatives entre Berytus et Botrys ont mis en évidence une hétérogénéité biologique existante à plusieurs échelles entre les individus des deux villes. Cependant cette distance est brisée par l’homogénéité du corpus féminin des deux villes pour la période qui s'étend du IIème au IVème siècle de notre ère.

PhD thesis at University of Bordeaux.
Advisors: Dominique Castex, Frédérique Blaizot

FUNERARY PRACTICES AND BIOLOGICAL IDENTITIES IN BERYTUS AND BOTRYS DURING THE ROMAN PERIOD (Lebanon, Ith Century B.C. - IVth Century A.D.)

During the first century B.C., with the rise of the Roman Empire, the Levant became the scene of cosmopolitanism where many heteroclite cultures would coexist. The new cosmopolitan society had Rome as its capital (Caput Mundi), and roads drawn up by the army linking the rest of the empire to its capital. Recent rescue excavations (since 2005) in Berytus (Beirut) and Botrys (Batroun) have revealed a considerable amount of unpublished data on populations who lived in the region during the four centuries of the Roman Empire until the early centuries of Christianity. Following an archaeo-anthropological approach, this thesis presents an assessment of eight funerary sites (n= 290) from the cities of Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus and Botrys. Significantly, Botrys, unlike Berytus, did not have the status of a Roman colony. This research seeks to contribute to the history of these two cities. The purpose is to understand the populations of the past through the study of the skeletons, rituals and funerary practices as well as the organisation of funerary spaces. This study primarily reveals a cultural and biological cosmopolitanism illustrated by variability in funerary practices and in biological characteristics. These results suggest that at least two different groups or more coexisted in the Colonia Julia Augusta Felix Berytus. On the contrary, the biocultural data of Botrys skeletons reveal a less cosmopolitan city with less diversity  shown on different anthropological and cultural levels. Indeed, the similarity of funerary practices, body treatments, grave goods and the organisation of the funerary space and biological homogeneity are indisputable in Botrys. Comparative analysis between Berytus and Botrys highlighted an existing biological heterogeneity at different scales between individuals of both cities. However, this diversity is contradicted by the homogeneity of the females of both cities during the 2th and the 4th century A. D.

Keywords : Berytus, Botrys, Levant, roman period, roman colony, funerary practices, religious beliefs, archaeoanthropology, archaeothanatology, morphometry, non metric anatomical traits, population health, spatial distribution of burial practices.



Online access:
http://www.theses.fr/2016BORD0070
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01369038

تشكل الأنتروبولوجيا علماً متفرع الإتجاهات يسمح بمعرفة ودراسة الإنسان والشعوب السالفة من خلال عملية التنقيب بشكل اساسي اضافةً الى عمليات التحقيق والمقارنة. وتعتمد في ذلك تقنيات ووسائل متنوعة تُساهم في دراسة البنى البيولوجية والصحية، الإجتماعية والإقتصادية، إضافة الى الفكر الديني وممارساته، والى الثقافة المادية للشعوب السالفة. غير ان استراتيجيات الدراسات الحالية تفتقر الى الرؤيا العلمية العامة والشاملة للأمور، وتحدّ نفسها في إطار اختصاص ضيق لا يسمح الا برؤية مجتزأة لواقع هذه المجتمعات. إنطلاقاً من هذا الواقع، كان علينا إنشاء مختبر يضم عدة اختصاصات )من كليات مختلفة) تتلاقى بعضها مع بعض لدراسة الانسان والشعوب السالفة من مختلف الأبعاد والمذاهب.
إن هذا المختبر هو الوحيد في لبنان الذي يُعنى بعلوم الإنسان من الناحية البيولوجية والإجتماعية، والإتنوارخيولوجية والأرخيولوجية والتاريخية معاً. هدفنا الأساسي من انشائه اذاً هو دراسة الشعوب القديمة من خلال رؤية شاملة لهذه الشعوب والمجموعات البشرية السالفة أبعاداً وتفاصيل.