Revue Paléo, Hors-Série "Une aristocratie préhistorique ? L’égalitarisme des sociétés du Paléolithique récent en question", 2021
L’archéologie de la préhistoire ne dispose pas des
moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropolog... more L’archéologie de la préhistoire ne dispose pas des moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropologie sociale. Aussi, la question des indices de l’inégalité au Paléolithique est un sujet central, qui reste insuffisamment débattu. Suivant la tendance posi- tiviste de l’archéologie, nous raisonnons actuelle- ment plutôt en termes quantitatifs, mettant en avant les différences de richesses comme indices | 1 | d’inégalités sociales transmises par hérédité, allant jusqu’à utiliser des outils économiques tels le coefficient de Gini comme révéla- teurs des degrés d’inégalités applicables aux sociétés du passé. Toutefois, en tirant de ces résultats chiffrés des conclusions sur l’or- ganisation sociale, nous oublions de nous interroger sur le rapport entre inégalités de richesse et inégalités sociales. Avant même que n’intervienne une série de filtres déformants propres à l’archéolo- gie (taphonomie, conservation, hypothèses de recherche, localisa- tion des recherches, etc.), le degré de matérialisation des inégalités ne reflète pas nécessairement le degré d’inégalités dans une société. Au-delà de ces questions d’ordre méthodologique, c’est plus largement notre vision des types d’organisation sociale qui doit être renouvelée. La majeure partie de la littérature archéolo- gique dévolue à la question des inégalités repose sur un modèle évolutionniste implicite. Chaque chercheur est tenté de voir dans sa période de spécialisation les signes décisifs menant à l’émergence ou au développement des sociétés inégalitaires. Tout se passe comme si le bénéfice des recherches récentes se résumait à avoir repoussé la frontière entre sociétés égalitaires et sociétés inégali- taires un peu plus loin dans le temps, la déplaçant du tournant de la néolithisation au Paléolithique récent, voire au Paléolithique moyen. À partir des études de cas publiées ces vingt dernières années en archéologie, je propose une revue critique des proxies employés pour ce faire, dans l’optique de contribuer à une discus- sion méthodologique plus vaste.
O. Moro Abadia & M. Porr (eds.) - Ontologies of rock art: images, relational approaches, and indigenous knowledges, 2021
Introduction: Ontological approaches in the context of Saharan rock art studies As several author... more Introduction: Ontological approaches in the context of Saharan rock art studies As several authors have pointed out, archaeology is a highly anthropocentric discipline (Jones 2012; Fowler 2013). A conventional definition of the discipline is that it concerns the study of past human life and activities. Hence, any kind of engagement with the world is seen from the viewpoint of human beings: what it makes for humans, what it changes to human life, and what it says about the human condition. For decades, archaeologists have mostly emphasized the genius of the human mind, our creative spirit, and the success of technical innovations that litter our long history (Latour and Lemonnier 1994). However, this paradigm has come under attack in recent years, as demonstrated by the rise of symmetrical archaeology (Witmore 2007; Shanks 2007), anti-humanist perspectives (Thomas 2002; Calvert-Minor 2010) and, in general, an increasing deconstruction of what Tim Hayward had qualified as 'human chauvinism' along with speciesism and anthropocentrism (Hayward 1997, 53-54). In this setting, several authors have suggested that archaeology and anthropology have long retained an ethnocentric Western-oriented discourse (Descola 2005; Latour 2005; Atalay 2006; Colwell-Chanthaphonh et al. 2010), implicitly assuming that our own conceptions of the world make an effective canvas to describe and understand the lives, thoughts, and actions of people from other cultures or other time periods. Going against this assumption, the 'ontological turn' has had a massive impact in the field of anthropology since the 1990s. Social anthropologists have called into question their ways of understanding of peoples' being, becoming, and interacting in and with the world (Viveiros de Castro 1998; Bird-David 1999). In archaeology, as well as in rock art research, ontological approaches are relatively new (see, for
Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 2023
Africanist archaeologists are struggling since decades with terminologies that were imported from... more Africanist archaeologists are struggling since decades with terminologies that were imported from European research traditions. Some of these terminologies do not fit well with field evidence. Among them, the "Neolithic" remains the most problematic until today. Indeed, the many elements of the "Neolithic package" do appear in Africa as rather independent processes, with their own timings and dynamics. Beyond terminology debates, africanist archaeology is still in the process of taking its epistemological independence. In some literature, there is indeed a misconception of some major events contributing to the definition of the African "Neolithics". In particular, pastoralism is sometimes viewed and defined as a marginal phenomenon. In this paper, I try to show how such imported views currently lead to minor the role and importance of early cattle pastoralism in the development of the African "Neolithics" especially in the northeastern part of the continent, where such phenomena first spread. The fact that such practices were not oriented towards the production of meat has contributed to their underrepresentation. If zooarchaeological evidence seems to say that it was "anything but a revolution" in terms of food subsistence, to the contrary some other evidence shows that a profound change in the relation to the world takes place with the development of early pastoralism. Cattle, with evidence for burials topped by monuments, become a mediating element central to the life of prehistoric groups. It is also the quasi-monopolistic motif of the rock art repertoire, replacing previous mythologies. Rock art displays large herds whose size might not be commensurate with food subsistence needs. It testifies to the development of new forms of social interactions. Archaeological evidence shows that all the elements defining the "African cattle complex" emerged at the very beginnings of pastoralism on the continent.
In L. Moreau ed, Social inequality before farming? Multidisciplinary approaches to the study of social organization in prehistoric and ethnographic hunter-gatherer-fisher societies. Cambridge, McDonald Institute Conversations: 293-302., 2020
D. Friesem & N. Lavi N eds, Towards a Broader View of Hunter Gatherer Sharing. Cambridge, McDonald Institute Monographs, 2019
The most challenging practices to detect in the archaeological record are those evidenced by the ... more The most challenging practices to detect in the archaeological record are those evidenced by the fewest traces, as they leave a broad area for interpretation. It is not unusual for the physical remains of a unique archaeological site to be read in completely different ways by different researchers, even before starting the reconstruction of ancient peoples’ lives (Muzzolini 1986, 35). The sharing of food is a common topic in the anthropological and archaeological literature (Gurven & Jaeggi 2015; Enloe 2003), whilst the sharing of immaterial things remains little investigated, especially in archaeology. The latter concept is fraught with pitfalls, justifying why it is still barely found in archaeology. With insights gained from a case study involving Late Stone Age rock art, this chapter examines how the sharing of immaterial things can be studied in the archaeological record. On the walls of natural shelters nested in the rocky flanks of the Libyan Desert massifs, hunter-gatherer groups represented themselves performing group activities. Images of social gatherings allow one to question the relevance and significance of the concept of sharing – especially applied to immaterial things – both for the hunter-gatherers who painted such scenes and, more generally, in our discipline.
In the Libyan Desert, the Gilf el-Kebir and Jebel el-'Uwein at are two large rock formations loca... more In the Libyan Desert, the Gilf el-Kebir and Jebel el-'Uwein at are two large rock formations located in the extreme SouthWest of Egypt, at the edge of the Libyan and Sudanese borders. A hundred and twenty kilometers from each other, they are surrounded by plains and sandy formations, punctuated by a few smaller massifs. Although they are of different ages and geological formations, the two great massifs both offered interesting and complementary refuges for prehistoric groups who used rock shelters, cliffs and boulders for engraving and painting. The existence of a multitude of styles and techniques allow to detect striking parallels between the rock art record of the two regions, providing a dynamic view of the regionalization of rock art and of how these territories were conceived and occupied by semi-nomadic groups during the Holocene optimum period (8000e3500 BCE). Paintings from the Gilf el-Kebir show very close stylistic affinities with representations identified in the Jebel el-'Uwein at. But the fact that they remain a minority in the overall rock art record from both areas tends to evidence that, contrary to what has been hypothesized before, migrations between the Gilf el-Kebir and the Jebel el-'Uwein at were not systematic. This paper also highlights a possible increase in the contacts and migrations between the two massifs after the adoption of pastoralist lifestyles. The repartition of rock art and the evolution through times of the parallels offers interesting insights into land use strategies of both hunter-gatherers and herd keepers in such contrasted environments, and into what can be called symbolic territories.
Territory is a notion referring to a spatial extent. Yet, beyond its geographical meaning, it enc... more Territory is a notion referring to a spatial extent. Yet, beyond its geographical meaning, it encompasses various aspects, at the forefront of which the perception of a space, landscape or region by a certain group of humans is critical. Such perceptions are hardly accessible to Prehistorians, and by consequence we often use the dispersal of artefacts or practices in order to define ‘territories’, even though this produces different views of Prehistoric territories. This explains why this notion, its relevance and scope are still debatable in our discipline.
In this introductory contribution for the thematic issue on the archaeology and art of the Nile V... more In this introductory contribution for the thematic issue on the archaeology and art of the Nile Valley during the Middle Holocene, the authors question the current disciplinary frontiers between "Africanist archaeology" and "archaeology of the Nile Valley", and beyond, between the latter and "Egyptology/Sudanology". The two following papers open new avenues for a dialogue between Africanists and Nilotists on an area that has been under-represented in the journal Afrique : Archéologie & Arts so far.
In the Libyan Desert, Wadi Sūra II shelter hosts numerous stencil paintings believed to date to t... more In the Libyan Desert, Wadi Sūra II shelter hosts numerous stencil paintings believed to date to the Early and Mid-Holocene. Tiny hands have previously been considered to belong to human babies. We challenge this identification , having conducted a morphometric study to compare the archaeological material with samples of hands of babies born at term and pre-term at the neonatal unit of the CHRU Jeanne de Flandre (Lille, France). The results show that the rock art small hands differ significantly in size, proportions and morphology from human hands. Potential biases between the different samples were quantified, but their average range cannot explain the observed differences. Evidence suggest that the hand stencils belong to an animal, most probably a reptile. The identification of non-human pentadactyl hand stencils is unique in the field of rock art and raises new perspectives for understanding the rock art at Wadi Sūra, and the behaviour and symbolic universe of the populations who made it.
This article displays measurement data from the hands of human babies, taken at birth. Measuremen... more This article displays measurement data from the hands of human babies, taken at birth. Measurements were made on 25 individuals born pre-term, from 26 to 36 weeks EGA (Estimated Gestational Age), and on 36 individuals born at term, from 37 to 41 weeks EGA. Data were collected in the Neonatal Unit of the CHRU Jeanne de Flandre (University Hospital) in Lille, France, between January and May 2014. Seven kinds of measures were taken with a medical caliper on the hand, palm and digits.
C. Leduc, A. Salavert, T. Nicolas & T. Al Halabi eds., Les images : regards sur les sociétés. Archéo.Doct-3 series. Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne., 2012
L’auteur aborde l’étude des images rupestres de l’abri WG 35 (Gilf el- Kebir, sud-ouest de l’Égyp... more L’auteur aborde l’étude des images rupestres de l’abri WG 35 (Gilf el- Kebir, sud-ouest de l’Égypte) en utilisant la méthode stratigraphique. Un phasage et des marqueurs de datation (termini ante/post quem) permettent de proposer une correspondance des principales phases de peintures avec la fin de l’intervalle humide de l’Holocène. L’hypothèse est établie qu’un type de représentation de grands troupeaux de bovins à collier pourrait être le témoignage de cultures pastorales présentes également sur les sites du nord du Jebel ‘Uweinât, où sont enregistrées des peintures très similaires. Les choix de représentation des troupeaux dans l’abri WG 35 se révèlent cohérents avec des stratégies de gestion du bétail bien attestées chez des groupes de pasteurs subactuels de l’Afrique orientale. Les données archéozoologiques étant encore sporadiques et pas totalement représentatives, les images permettent de caractériser les activités pastorales préhistoriques du Gilf el-Kebir mieux que ne l’autorisent les autres vestiges archéologiques et d’approcher les modalités de fonctionnement de l’univers symbolique de ce type des sociétés.
H. Hanna ed., Preprints of the International Conference on Heritage of Naqada and Qus Region, volume II, 2007
The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater ... more The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater Mesopotamia to Egypt which occurs during the Naqada IIc-d1 period. An autonomous Egyptian glyptic tradition seems to begin early in Late Naqada IId, around 3300 BC. This school overlay specifically Egyptian motifs upon the bases of the Middle Uruk Mesopotamian heritage, something which is especially evident in the seals' composition. Beginning with that date, seals in Egypt no longer appear as mere ornamental objects in tombs and actually take on their role as a functional tool. اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻣﻠﺨﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ هﺬا ﻣﻦ اﻟﻬﺪف إن * ﻧﻘﻞ وﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﻟﻐﺰ ﺣﻞ هﻮ اﻷﺳﻄﻮاﻧ اﻟﺨﺘﻢ ﻰ ﺑﻼد ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ،ﻣﺼﺮ إﻟﻰ ﻋﺼﺮ ﺧﻼل ذﻟﻚ ﺣﺪث ﺣﻴﺚ ﻧﻘﺎدا) IIc-d1 .(ﻣﺴﺘﻘ ﻣﺼﺮى ﻧﻘﺶ ﻓﻦ ﻇﻬﺮ ﻗﺪ أﻧﻪ وﻳﺒﺪو ً ﻣﺒﻜﺮا ﺑﺪأ ﻞ ﻋﺼﺮ أواﺧﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻧﻘﺎدا (IId) ﺣﻮاﻟﻰ 3300 م ق. ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ اﻷﺷﻜﺎل اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ هﺬﻩ ﻧﺸﺮت وﻗﺪ أﺳﺲ وهﺬا ،اﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ اﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺣﻀﺎرة ﺗﺮاث ﻓ ﺟﻠﻰ ﺧﺎص ﺷﻲء ﻰ اﻷﺳﻄﻮاﻧﻴﺔ اﻷﺧﺘﺎم ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ. و ،اﻟﺘﺄرﻳﺦ هﺬا ﻣﻦ ﺑﺪاﻳﺔ ﺗﻌﺪ ﻟﻢ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ اﻷﺧﺘﺎم ﺗﻈﻬﺮ ﻓ ﻰ اﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ زﻳﻨﺔ آﺄدوات ﺣﻴ دورهﺎ ﺗﺄﺧﺬ ﻓﻌﻠﻴﺎ ﺑﺪأت ﺚ وﻇﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺻﻔﺔ ذات آﺄدوات. اﻟﻤﻔﺘﺎﺣﻴﺔ اﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎت ،اﻷﺳﺮات ﻗﺒﻞ ﻣﺎ ،اﻵﺛﺎر ﻋﻠﻢ ﻧﻘﺎدا ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻼد ، اﻟﻨﻘ ﻓﻦ ،ﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺶ أﺳﻄﻮاﻧ ﺧﺘﻢ ، ﻰ. * اﻷول اﻟﻤﺠﻠﺪ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ هﺬا ﻣﻦ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﻴﺰﻳﺔ اﻟﻨﺴﺨﺔ أﻧﻈﺮ .
H. Hanna ed., Preprints of the International Conference on Heritage of Naqada and Qus Region, volume I, 2007
The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater ... more The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater Mesopotamia to Egypt which occurs during the Naqada IIc-d1 period. An autonomous Egyptian glyptic tradition seems to begin early in Late Naqada IId, around 3300 BC. This school overlay specifically Egyptian motifs upon the bases of the Middle Uruk Mesopotamian heritage, something which is especially evident in the seals’ composition. Beginning with that date, seals in Egypt no longer appear as mere ornamental objects in tombs and actually take on their role as a functional tool.
Revue Paléo, Hors-Série "Une aristocratie préhistorique ? L’égalitarisme des sociétés du Paléolithique récent en question", 2021
L’archéologie de la préhistoire ne dispose pas des
moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropolog... more L’archéologie de la préhistoire ne dispose pas des moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropologie sociale. Aussi, la question des indices de l’inégalité au Paléolithique est un sujet central, qui reste insuffisamment débattu. Suivant la tendance posi- tiviste de l’archéologie, nous raisonnons actuelle- ment plutôt en termes quantitatifs, mettant en avant les différences de richesses comme indices | 1 | d’inégalités sociales transmises par hérédité, allant jusqu’à utiliser des outils économiques tels le coefficient de Gini comme révéla- teurs des degrés d’inégalités applicables aux sociétés du passé. Toutefois, en tirant de ces résultats chiffrés des conclusions sur l’or- ganisation sociale, nous oublions de nous interroger sur le rapport entre inégalités de richesse et inégalités sociales. Avant même que n’intervienne une série de filtres déformants propres à l’archéolo- gie (taphonomie, conservation, hypothèses de recherche, localisa- tion des recherches, etc.), le degré de matérialisation des inégalités ne reflète pas nécessairement le degré d’inégalités dans une société. Au-delà de ces questions d’ordre méthodologique, c’est plus largement notre vision des types d’organisation sociale qui doit être renouvelée. La majeure partie de la littérature archéolo- gique dévolue à la question des inégalités repose sur un modèle évolutionniste implicite. Chaque chercheur est tenté de voir dans sa période de spécialisation les signes décisifs menant à l’émergence ou au développement des sociétés inégalitaires. Tout se passe comme si le bénéfice des recherches récentes se résumait à avoir repoussé la frontière entre sociétés égalitaires et sociétés inégali- taires un peu plus loin dans le temps, la déplaçant du tournant de la néolithisation au Paléolithique récent, voire au Paléolithique moyen. À partir des études de cas publiées ces vingt dernières années en archéologie, je propose une revue critique des proxies employés pour ce faire, dans l’optique de contribuer à une discus- sion méthodologique plus vaste.
O. Moro Abadia & M. Porr (eds.) - Ontologies of rock art: images, relational approaches, and indigenous knowledges, 2021
Introduction: Ontological approaches in the context of Saharan rock art studies As several author... more Introduction: Ontological approaches in the context of Saharan rock art studies As several authors have pointed out, archaeology is a highly anthropocentric discipline (Jones 2012; Fowler 2013). A conventional definition of the discipline is that it concerns the study of past human life and activities. Hence, any kind of engagement with the world is seen from the viewpoint of human beings: what it makes for humans, what it changes to human life, and what it says about the human condition. For decades, archaeologists have mostly emphasized the genius of the human mind, our creative spirit, and the success of technical innovations that litter our long history (Latour and Lemonnier 1994). However, this paradigm has come under attack in recent years, as demonstrated by the rise of symmetrical archaeology (Witmore 2007; Shanks 2007), anti-humanist perspectives (Thomas 2002; Calvert-Minor 2010) and, in general, an increasing deconstruction of what Tim Hayward had qualified as 'human chauvinism' along with speciesism and anthropocentrism (Hayward 1997, 53-54). In this setting, several authors have suggested that archaeology and anthropology have long retained an ethnocentric Western-oriented discourse (Descola 2005; Latour 2005; Atalay 2006; Colwell-Chanthaphonh et al. 2010), implicitly assuming that our own conceptions of the world make an effective canvas to describe and understand the lives, thoughts, and actions of people from other cultures or other time periods. Going against this assumption, the 'ontological turn' has had a massive impact in the field of anthropology since the 1990s. Social anthropologists have called into question their ways of understanding of peoples' being, becoming, and interacting in and with the world (Viveiros de Castro 1998; Bird-David 1999). In archaeology, as well as in rock art research, ontological approaches are relatively new (see, for
Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 2023
Africanist archaeologists are struggling since decades with terminologies that were imported from... more Africanist archaeologists are struggling since decades with terminologies that were imported from European research traditions. Some of these terminologies do not fit well with field evidence. Among them, the "Neolithic" remains the most problematic until today. Indeed, the many elements of the "Neolithic package" do appear in Africa as rather independent processes, with their own timings and dynamics. Beyond terminology debates, africanist archaeology is still in the process of taking its epistemological independence. In some literature, there is indeed a misconception of some major events contributing to the definition of the African "Neolithics". In particular, pastoralism is sometimes viewed and defined as a marginal phenomenon. In this paper, I try to show how such imported views currently lead to minor the role and importance of early cattle pastoralism in the development of the African "Neolithics" especially in the northeastern part of the continent, where such phenomena first spread. The fact that such practices were not oriented towards the production of meat has contributed to their underrepresentation. If zooarchaeological evidence seems to say that it was "anything but a revolution" in terms of food subsistence, to the contrary some other evidence shows that a profound change in the relation to the world takes place with the development of early pastoralism. Cattle, with evidence for burials topped by monuments, become a mediating element central to the life of prehistoric groups. It is also the quasi-monopolistic motif of the rock art repertoire, replacing previous mythologies. Rock art displays large herds whose size might not be commensurate with food subsistence needs. It testifies to the development of new forms of social interactions. Archaeological evidence shows that all the elements defining the "African cattle complex" emerged at the very beginnings of pastoralism on the continent.
In L. Moreau ed, Social inequality before farming? Multidisciplinary approaches to the study of social organization in prehistoric and ethnographic hunter-gatherer-fisher societies. Cambridge, McDonald Institute Conversations: 293-302., 2020
D. Friesem & N. Lavi N eds, Towards a Broader View of Hunter Gatherer Sharing. Cambridge, McDonald Institute Monographs, 2019
The most challenging practices to detect in the archaeological record are those evidenced by the ... more The most challenging practices to detect in the archaeological record are those evidenced by the fewest traces, as they leave a broad area for interpretation. It is not unusual for the physical remains of a unique archaeological site to be read in completely different ways by different researchers, even before starting the reconstruction of ancient peoples’ lives (Muzzolini 1986, 35). The sharing of food is a common topic in the anthropological and archaeological literature (Gurven & Jaeggi 2015; Enloe 2003), whilst the sharing of immaterial things remains little investigated, especially in archaeology. The latter concept is fraught with pitfalls, justifying why it is still barely found in archaeology. With insights gained from a case study involving Late Stone Age rock art, this chapter examines how the sharing of immaterial things can be studied in the archaeological record. On the walls of natural shelters nested in the rocky flanks of the Libyan Desert massifs, hunter-gatherer groups represented themselves performing group activities. Images of social gatherings allow one to question the relevance and significance of the concept of sharing – especially applied to immaterial things – both for the hunter-gatherers who painted such scenes and, more generally, in our discipline.
In the Libyan Desert, the Gilf el-Kebir and Jebel el-'Uwein at are two large rock formations loca... more In the Libyan Desert, the Gilf el-Kebir and Jebel el-'Uwein at are two large rock formations located in the extreme SouthWest of Egypt, at the edge of the Libyan and Sudanese borders. A hundred and twenty kilometers from each other, they are surrounded by plains and sandy formations, punctuated by a few smaller massifs. Although they are of different ages and geological formations, the two great massifs both offered interesting and complementary refuges for prehistoric groups who used rock shelters, cliffs and boulders for engraving and painting. The existence of a multitude of styles and techniques allow to detect striking parallels between the rock art record of the two regions, providing a dynamic view of the regionalization of rock art and of how these territories were conceived and occupied by semi-nomadic groups during the Holocene optimum period (8000e3500 BCE). Paintings from the Gilf el-Kebir show very close stylistic affinities with representations identified in the Jebel el-'Uwein at. But the fact that they remain a minority in the overall rock art record from both areas tends to evidence that, contrary to what has been hypothesized before, migrations between the Gilf el-Kebir and the Jebel el-'Uwein at were not systematic. This paper also highlights a possible increase in the contacts and migrations between the two massifs after the adoption of pastoralist lifestyles. The repartition of rock art and the evolution through times of the parallels offers interesting insights into land use strategies of both hunter-gatherers and herd keepers in such contrasted environments, and into what can be called symbolic territories.
Territory is a notion referring to a spatial extent. Yet, beyond its geographical meaning, it enc... more Territory is a notion referring to a spatial extent. Yet, beyond its geographical meaning, it encompasses various aspects, at the forefront of which the perception of a space, landscape or region by a certain group of humans is critical. Such perceptions are hardly accessible to Prehistorians, and by consequence we often use the dispersal of artefacts or practices in order to define ‘territories’, even though this produces different views of Prehistoric territories. This explains why this notion, its relevance and scope are still debatable in our discipline.
In this introductory contribution for the thematic issue on the archaeology and art of the Nile V... more In this introductory contribution for the thematic issue on the archaeology and art of the Nile Valley during the Middle Holocene, the authors question the current disciplinary frontiers between "Africanist archaeology" and "archaeology of the Nile Valley", and beyond, between the latter and "Egyptology/Sudanology". The two following papers open new avenues for a dialogue between Africanists and Nilotists on an area that has been under-represented in the journal Afrique : Archéologie & Arts so far.
In the Libyan Desert, Wadi Sūra II shelter hosts numerous stencil paintings believed to date to t... more In the Libyan Desert, Wadi Sūra II shelter hosts numerous stencil paintings believed to date to the Early and Mid-Holocene. Tiny hands have previously been considered to belong to human babies. We challenge this identification , having conducted a morphometric study to compare the archaeological material with samples of hands of babies born at term and pre-term at the neonatal unit of the CHRU Jeanne de Flandre (Lille, France). The results show that the rock art small hands differ significantly in size, proportions and morphology from human hands. Potential biases between the different samples were quantified, but their average range cannot explain the observed differences. Evidence suggest that the hand stencils belong to an animal, most probably a reptile. The identification of non-human pentadactyl hand stencils is unique in the field of rock art and raises new perspectives for understanding the rock art at Wadi Sūra, and the behaviour and symbolic universe of the populations who made it.
This article displays measurement data from the hands of human babies, taken at birth. Measuremen... more This article displays measurement data from the hands of human babies, taken at birth. Measurements were made on 25 individuals born pre-term, from 26 to 36 weeks EGA (Estimated Gestational Age), and on 36 individuals born at term, from 37 to 41 weeks EGA. Data were collected in the Neonatal Unit of the CHRU Jeanne de Flandre (University Hospital) in Lille, France, between January and May 2014. Seven kinds of measures were taken with a medical caliper on the hand, palm and digits.
C. Leduc, A. Salavert, T. Nicolas & T. Al Halabi eds., Les images : regards sur les sociétés. Archéo.Doct-3 series. Paris, Publications de la Sorbonne., 2012
L’auteur aborde l’étude des images rupestres de l’abri WG 35 (Gilf el- Kebir, sud-ouest de l’Égyp... more L’auteur aborde l’étude des images rupestres de l’abri WG 35 (Gilf el- Kebir, sud-ouest de l’Égypte) en utilisant la méthode stratigraphique. Un phasage et des marqueurs de datation (termini ante/post quem) permettent de proposer une correspondance des principales phases de peintures avec la fin de l’intervalle humide de l’Holocène. L’hypothèse est établie qu’un type de représentation de grands troupeaux de bovins à collier pourrait être le témoignage de cultures pastorales présentes également sur les sites du nord du Jebel ‘Uweinât, où sont enregistrées des peintures très similaires. Les choix de représentation des troupeaux dans l’abri WG 35 se révèlent cohérents avec des stratégies de gestion du bétail bien attestées chez des groupes de pasteurs subactuels de l’Afrique orientale. Les données archéozoologiques étant encore sporadiques et pas totalement représentatives, les images permettent de caractériser les activités pastorales préhistoriques du Gilf el-Kebir mieux que ne l’autorisent les autres vestiges archéologiques et d’approcher les modalités de fonctionnement de l’univers symbolique de ce type des sociétés.
H. Hanna ed., Preprints of the International Conference on Heritage of Naqada and Qus Region, volume II, 2007
The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater ... more The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater Mesopotamia to Egypt which occurs during the Naqada IIc-d1 period. An autonomous Egyptian glyptic tradition seems to begin early in Late Naqada IId, around 3300 BC. This school overlay specifically Egyptian motifs upon the bases of the Middle Uruk Mesopotamian heritage, something which is especially evident in the seals' composition. Beginning with that date, seals in Egypt no longer appear as mere ornamental objects in tombs and actually take on their role as a functional tool. اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻣﻠﺨﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ هﺬا ﻣﻦ اﻟﻬﺪف إن * ﻧﻘﻞ وﺳﺎﺋﻞ ﻟﻐﺰ ﺣﻞ هﻮ اﻷﺳﻄﻮاﻧ اﻟﺨﺘﻢ ﻰ ﺑﻼد ﻣﻦ اﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ،ﻣﺼﺮ إﻟﻰ ﻋﺼﺮ ﺧﻼل ذﻟﻚ ﺣﺪث ﺣﻴﺚ ﻧﻘﺎدا) IIc-d1 .(ﻣﺴﺘﻘ ﻣﺼﺮى ﻧﻘﺶ ﻓﻦ ﻇﻬﺮ ﻗﺪ أﻧﻪ وﻳﺒﺪو ً ﻣﺒﻜﺮا ﺑﺪأ ﻞ ﻋﺼﺮ أواﺧﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻧﻘﺎدا (IId) ﺣﻮاﻟﻰ 3300 م ق. ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ اﻷﺷﻜﺎل اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ هﺬﻩ ﻧﺸﺮت وﻗﺪ أﺳﺲ وهﺬا ،اﻟﻮﺳﻄﻰ اﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺣﻀﺎرة ﺗﺮاث ﻓ ﺟﻠﻰ ﺧﺎص ﺷﻲء ﻰ اﻷﺳﻄﻮاﻧﻴﺔ اﻷﺧﺘﺎم ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ. و ،اﻟﺘﺄرﻳﺦ هﺬا ﻣﻦ ﺑﺪاﻳﺔ ﺗﻌﺪ ﻟﻢ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ اﻷﺧﺘﺎم ﺗﻈﻬﺮ ﻓ ﻰ اﻟﻤﻘﺎﺑﺮ زﻳﻨﺔ آﺄدوات ﺣﻴ دورهﺎ ﺗﺄﺧﺬ ﻓﻌﻠﻴﺎ ﺑﺪأت ﺚ وﻇﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺻﻔﺔ ذات آﺄدوات. اﻟﻤﻔﺘﺎﺣﻴﺔ اﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎت ،اﻷﺳﺮات ﻗﺒﻞ ﻣﺎ ،اﻵﺛﺎر ﻋﻠﻢ ﻧﻘﺎدا ﺑﻴﻦ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻼد ، اﻟﻨﻘ ﻓﻦ ،ﻟﻨﻬﺮﻳﻦ ﺶ أﺳﻄﻮاﻧ ﺧﺘﻢ ، ﻰ. * اﻷول اﻟﻤﺠﻠﺪ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ هﺬا ﻣﻦ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﻴﺰﻳﺔ اﻟﻨﺴﺨﺔ أﻧﻈﺮ .
H. Hanna ed., Preprints of the International Conference on Heritage of Naqada and Qus Region, volume I, 2007
The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater ... more The aim of this paper is to decipher the means of transmission of the cylinder-seal from Greater Mesopotamia to Egypt which occurs during the Naqada IIc-d1 period. An autonomous Egyptian glyptic tradition seems to begin early in Late Naqada IId, around 3300 BC. This school overlay specifically Egyptian motifs upon the bases of the Middle Uruk Mesopotamian heritage, something which is especially evident in the seals’ composition. Beginning with that date, seals in Egypt no longer appear as mere ornamental objects in tombs and actually take on their role as a functional tool.
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Papers by Emmanuelle Honoré
moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropologie
sociale. Aussi, la question des indices de l’inégalité
au Paléolithique est un sujet central, qui reste
insuffisamment débattu. Suivant la tendance posi-
tiviste de l’archéologie, nous raisonnons actuelle-
ment plutôt en termes quantitatifs, mettant en
avant les différences de richesses comme indices
| 1 |
d’inégalités sociales transmises par hérédité, allant jusqu’à utiliser
des outils économiques tels le coefficient de Gini comme révéla-
teurs des degrés d’inégalités applicables aux sociétés du passé.
Toutefois, en tirant de ces résultats chiffrés des conclusions sur l’or-
ganisation sociale, nous oublions de nous interroger sur le rapport
entre inégalités de richesse et inégalités sociales. Avant même que
n’intervienne une série de filtres déformants propres à l’archéolo-
gie (taphonomie, conservation, hypothèses de recherche, localisa-
tion des recherches, etc.), le degré de matérialisation des inégalités
ne reflète pas nécessairement le degré d’inégalités dans une société. Au-delà de ces questions d’ordre méthodologique, c’est
plus largement notre vision des types d’organisation sociale qui
doit être renouvelée. La majeure partie de la littérature archéolo-
gique dévolue à la question des inégalités repose sur un modèle
évolutionniste implicite. Chaque chercheur est tenté de voir dans sa
période de spécialisation les signes décisifs menant à l’émergence
ou au développement des sociétés inégalitaires. Tout se passe
comme si le bénéfice des recherches récentes se résumait à avoir
repoussé la frontière entre sociétés égalitaires et sociétés inégali-
taires un peu plus loin dans le temps, la déplaçant du tournant de la néolithisation au Paléolithique récent, voire au Paléolithique
moyen. À partir des études de cas publiées ces vingt dernières
années en archéologie, je propose une revue critique des proxies
employés pour ce faire, dans l’optique de contribuer à une discus-
sion méthodologique plus vaste.
collier pourrait être le témoignage de cultures pastorales présentes également sur les sites du nord du Jebel ‘Uweinât, où sont enregistrées des peintures très similaires. Les choix de représentation des troupeaux
dans l’abri WG 35 se révèlent cohérents avec des stratégies de gestion du bétail bien attestées chez des groupes de pasteurs subactuels de l’Afrique orientale. Les données archéozoologiques étant encore sporadiques et pas totalement représentatives, les images permettent de caractériser les activités pastorales préhistoriques du Gilf el-Kebir mieux que ne
l’autorisent les autres vestiges archéologiques et d’approcher les modalités de fonctionnement de l’univers symbolique de ce type des sociétés.
moyens d’observation directe de l’anthropologie
sociale. Aussi, la question des indices de l’inégalité
au Paléolithique est un sujet central, qui reste
insuffisamment débattu. Suivant la tendance posi-
tiviste de l’archéologie, nous raisonnons actuelle-
ment plutôt en termes quantitatifs, mettant en
avant les différences de richesses comme indices
| 1 |
d’inégalités sociales transmises par hérédité, allant jusqu’à utiliser
des outils économiques tels le coefficient de Gini comme révéla-
teurs des degrés d’inégalités applicables aux sociétés du passé.
Toutefois, en tirant de ces résultats chiffrés des conclusions sur l’or-
ganisation sociale, nous oublions de nous interroger sur le rapport
entre inégalités de richesse et inégalités sociales. Avant même que
n’intervienne une série de filtres déformants propres à l’archéolo-
gie (taphonomie, conservation, hypothèses de recherche, localisa-
tion des recherches, etc.), le degré de matérialisation des inégalités
ne reflète pas nécessairement le degré d’inégalités dans une société. Au-delà de ces questions d’ordre méthodologique, c’est
plus largement notre vision des types d’organisation sociale qui
doit être renouvelée. La majeure partie de la littérature archéolo-
gique dévolue à la question des inégalités repose sur un modèle
évolutionniste implicite. Chaque chercheur est tenté de voir dans sa
période de spécialisation les signes décisifs menant à l’émergence
ou au développement des sociétés inégalitaires. Tout se passe
comme si le bénéfice des recherches récentes se résumait à avoir
repoussé la frontière entre sociétés égalitaires et sociétés inégali-
taires un peu plus loin dans le temps, la déplaçant du tournant de la néolithisation au Paléolithique récent, voire au Paléolithique
moyen. À partir des études de cas publiées ces vingt dernières
années en archéologie, je propose une revue critique des proxies
employés pour ce faire, dans l’optique de contribuer à une discus-
sion méthodologique plus vaste.
collier pourrait être le témoignage de cultures pastorales présentes également sur les sites du nord du Jebel ‘Uweinât, où sont enregistrées des peintures très similaires. Les choix de représentation des troupeaux
dans l’abri WG 35 se révèlent cohérents avec des stratégies de gestion du bétail bien attestées chez des groupes de pasteurs subactuels de l’Afrique orientale. Les données archéozoologiques étant encore sporadiques et pas totalement représentatives, les images permettent de caractériser les activités pastorales préhistoriques du Gilf el-Kebir mieux que ne
l’autorisent les autres vestiges archéologiques et d’approcher les modalités de fonctionnement de l’univers symbolique de ce type des sociétés.