Archaeologist, expert on ancient water systems in Arabia, I am currently leading the Al-Ula Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) on behalf of Archaïos company & in partnership with AFALULA and the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia). Since 2016, I am also leading the study of Masafi oasis, a 2nd and 1st millennium BC settlement in the UAE. My research focuses on the impact of environmental change on cultural developments in drylands. I am specifically investigating the role of water management in the evolution of social structure during the 2nd half of the Holocene. My methodological approach combines survey and excavation of settlement sites in arid areas, remote sensing and mapping of irrigation systems, as well as the ethnoarchaeological study of present-day oasian communities.
Revealing Cultural Landscapes in North‑West Arabia, 2022
Funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) on behalf of the Royal Co... more Funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP), undertaken by Archaïos, aims at mapping and understanding the spatial organization of the al-ʿUlā oasis (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The project’s methodology includes a systematic foot survey of cultivated areas in al-ʿUlā Valley, the vectorization of identified archaeological structures on the GIS using high-resolution orthophoto maps, as well as remote sensing on archive imagery. In the present paper we aim to fill the gaps in our knowledge of the understudied Islamic and pre-modern Arabian oases by presenting and proposing a preliminary analysis of the archaeological map of al-ʿUlā Valley, resulting from the first five field seasons of UCOP (2019–2021). For this purpose, we will delineate the ‘historical oasis of al-ʿUlā Old Town’ (i.e. the locale formed by al-ʿUlā Old Town and associated gardens and fields, from their foundation in the middle Islamic period to the early twentieth century), provide a first study of its spatial organization, describe its components, and highlight the rapid growth of the gardens during the twentieth century. Ultimately, our objective is to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of this exceptional heritage, which is inseparable from the already protected al-ʿUlā Old Town.
Le projet interdisciplinaire UCOP (AlUla Cultural Oasis Project) s’inscrit dans le cadre du « Pro... more Le projet interdisciplinaire UCOP (AlUla Cultural Oasis Project) s’inscrit dans le cadre du « Projet Oasis » initié par l’Agence Française pour le Développement d'AlUla (Afalula) en partenariat avec la Commission Royale pour AlUla (RCU) en 2019. Porté par la société Archaïos, UCOP vise à reconstituer l’histoire de l’une des plus importantes oasis d’Arabie. AlUla prospère en effet depuis plusieurs millénaires grâce à une habile gestion de l’eau et des sols et surtout par son implantation sur les routes de commerce et de pèlerinage.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2023
The palm grove of al-ʿUlā (AlUla) oasis (KSA) contains, besides plots solely dedicated to agricul... more The palm grove of al-ʿUlā (AlUla) oasis (KSA) contains, besides plots solely dedicated to agriculture, hundreds of complexes called 'farms' that are spatially divided into two groups, with at least one of them established after the early twentieth century. These farms and their components are subject to an in-depth study conducted within the AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) led by Archaïos, and funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). All built with local materials-mainly earth-these farms reflect the ingenuity of Arabian vernacular architecture and its evolution. Firstly, construction techniques used within the oasis farms will be discussed in this paper. Secondly, focus will be on farm dwellings: al-ʿUlā oasis houses present a range of possibilities, from single-cell to multi-cell buildings, with interior and exterior courtyards, terraces, and upper floors. The examination of a large number of these dwellings allowed us to identify the function of certain spaces and to consider the daily life and societal structure of the inhabitants of al-ʿUlā oasis who settled in their palm grove until the 1980s. This research aims to fill a major gap: in terms of Saudi Arabia, rural buildings have never been subject to comprehensive studies, while in many places they are currently threatened by development.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2023
Over 400 fragmentary coloured glass bangles have so far been collected in the al-ʿUlā oasis durin... more Over 400 fragmentary coloured glass bangles have so far been collected in the al-ʿUlā oasis during the archaeological survey carried out within the framework of the ongoing AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) led by Archaïos, funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). A technological and morphological study has enabled the establishment of a typology and a relative chronology of the various glass jewellery productions in al-ʿUlā. Several criteria allow us to isolate different glass productions and to draw connections between al-ʿUlā's assemblage, still unpublished, and other glass bangle corpuses located in the neighbouring regions, mainly in Palestine and Egypt but also farther afield, in the Indian Ocean and in Bohemia. Spatial distribution and compositional analysis (LA-ICP-MS) of the well-dated types of glass bangles thus provide evidence of both the evolution of the al-ʿUlā oasis and its role within the trade networks and the Hajj route from the fourteenth to the twentieth century AD.
Archaeological investigations conducted since 2006 at Masāfī (hinterlands of the Emirate of Fujai... more Archaeological investigations conducted since 2006 at Masāfī (hinterlands of the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE) have led to the discovery of several architectural entities organised around the local palm grove and in use from the Bronze Age onwards. The whole complex constitutes an important site for understanding the regional protohistory in Eastern Arabia, in particular regarding the development of oasis agriculture as well as copper mining and metallurgy. The site of Masāfī 5 has revealed the presence of an ancient settlement organised on a series of terraces which have been occupied during the Late Bronze Age (1600–1300 BCE) and at the beginning of the Iron Age (1300–300 BCE). Domestic and potential metallurgical activities at the site have been evidenced by the presence of fireplaces and furnaces that could have been used for copper smelting. The site economy is also documented by faunal remains, including those of domesticated mammals and a substantial amount of marine shells.
The results of the present study highlight that marine molluscs were not only exploited as seafood at Masāfī 5 but also for their shell, which was used both as tools and raw material for the production of adornments, including polished plaques of mother-of-pearl and Conus rings. Use-wear analyses have shown the use of shell tools for processing vegetal fibres—we suggested that date palm fibres (i.e., leaflets and leaf sheath) were exploited and used. Coastal-hinterland exchange across the region during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (3rd-1st millennia BCE) is discussed in light of the present results.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
Despite al-ʿŪla’s arid climate, the earliest sedentary settlement in the wadi dates as far back a... more Despite al-ʿŪla’s arid climate, the earliest sedentary settlement in the wadi dates as far back as the first millennium BC and has been continuously inhabited up to the present day. Rare and short-duration rainfall forced the inhabitants of the wadi to develop several methods to exploit underground water resources. While the well-known qanat network has been partially studied (Nasif 1988), there remains a significant lacuna in the understanding of the wells. The al-‘Ūla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) — led by Archaïos, funded and steered by the French Agency for Al-Ula Development (AFALULA), on behalf of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) — highlighted the study of the wells in its research programme. The preliminary study took place during the autumn of 2020 with a corpus of almost twenty structures detected by remote sensing, followed by a systematic field survey and photogrammetry of a relevant example. This work enabled the establishment of a preliminary typology and a relative chronology of these structures. The study of the distribution of the wells is furthermore essential to the understanding of the spatial development of the oasis.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
Over the past fifteen years the French archaeological mission in the UAE has excavated several ar... more Over the past fifteen years the French archaeological mission in the UAE has excavated several areas of Masāfī in Fujairah. A Late Bronze Age settlement was found in MSF-5 and Iron Age architectural remains in MSF-1, MSF-2, and MSF-3 that include, respectively, a public building, fortified settlements, and a temple possibly dedicated to the cult of the snake, similar to Bithnah. The oasis environment in this rather arid region makes it suitable for agro-pastoral activities. The study of the faunal remains of these four areas (NISP 1657) indicates that domesticates — predominantly sheep and goat with a ratio of 1:2 — were the main meat/dairy component of the diet. Cattle are only present in a few remains and dromedary remains were recovered in the public areas of MSF-1 and 3. Wild taxa are only represented by gazelle remains. The absence of wild animals is the main difference from most contemporaneous sites in the UAE, where they have economic and social importance alongside domestic animals. While fish remains are scarce in Masāfī sites, molluscs are surprisingly abundant and confirm the existence of exchange between the coast and the hinterland. They were consumed or used for craft production.
In order to understand the role of water resources in the establishment and long-term evolution o... more In order to understand the role of water resources in the establishment and long-term evolution of settlements investigated by the French Archaeological Mission in the UAE in the oasis of Masāfī, wells and springs of all periods, identified at the surface and in stratified contexts, were mapped and studied thanks to a multidisciplinary approach combining archaeology, geomorphology, geoarchaeology and ethnography. Our study demonstrates that:
– The Masāfī oasis was located in a specific geological setting entailing the accumulation of groundwater resources at reachable depth. – The groundwater resources remained rather stable from the mid-second millennium BC to the second half of the twentieth century AD. In this respect, the apparent abandonment of the oasis during some periods cannot be explained by water depletion. – The groundwater resources have decreased sharply since the second half of the twentieth century AD, due to the introduction of new water extraction technologies, motor pumps and then drillings, as a result of the modernisation and industrialisation of UAE economy. Our study also stresses the importance of well and spring irrigation in the development of the sedentary settlements in south-eastern Arabia, technologies that have often been neglected in the regional archaeological literature in favour of the qanāt.
Biodiversités, environnements et sociétés depuis la Préhistoire : nouveaux marqueurs et approches intégrées. 41es Rencontres internationales d’archéologie et d’histoire – Nice Côte d’Azur, 2021
Oases have been cultivated and irrigated in arid environments
for millennia. They have been endan... more Oases have been cultivated and irrigated in arid environments for millennia. They have been endangered recently by climatic and socio-economic changes. In order to fuel the debate on their rational management, it was necessary to understand the history of their formation. To locate former cultivated areas, understand how and what plant resources were grown, and to discuss their socio-climatic significance, modern environmental data repositories were created in different areas of the Masafi oasis (U.A.E.) within the framework of the ANR OASIWAT. Multiscale sampling using a paleoecological (malacology, phytolithology, anthracology) and pedological (physico-chemistry, geochemistry, micromorphology) approach allowed us to create and calibrate a model of proxy records in soils. The results reveal a differential preservation of these proxies and taphonomic biases in the interpretation of paleoecological assemblages, demonstrating the need to combine them with pedological analyses to identify irrigated, amended and degraded areas.
Oasis soils result from the combined action of natural and anthropic processes, and thus constitu... more Oasis soils result from the combined action of natural and anthropic processes, and thus constitute valuable systems for the understanding of human–environment trajectories over the millennia. The present research aims to develop the study of ancient oasis soils by identifying proxies to detect past agricultural practices. Ten reference pits were dug in Masafi, in both cultivated plots (irrigated plots with palm trees/fruit trees/cereals; manure/ashes/carbonates) and abandoned ones. Bulk sediment samples were analysed for geochemistry/pedo-sedimentary studies: inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, loss on ignition, pH, electrical conductivity, grain size and magnetic susceptibility. This multiproxy approach enabled the creation of a soil typology of oasis agricultural modes. Irrigation and liming lead to salinisation, particularly in a B-horizon. Manure creates a hortic horizon, enriched in P and Zn. Ashes can be detected with a simultaneous increase of magnetic and salinity values. Soils in plots with fruit trees/cereals are not distinguishable from those with palm monoculture. Weathering was identified on the basis of the enrichment in Al, Ti, K Na, Ni, Cr and Fe, whereas proxies of ancient practices seem to be preserved after 15 years of abandonment. As leaching processes appear to be limited to the first 50 cm, the durability of soil signatures depends on how they were buried.
Oases are subject to decreasing resources and changing human activities. Fully aware of their ric... more Oases are subject to decreasing resources and changing human activities. Fully aware of their rich heritage, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have undertaken work to preserve and revitalize these oases. However, there is a clear lack of understanding of the dynamic links between climate change, hydraulic and agricultural management, and socioeconomic activities. To clarify these links, our team conducted a systematic geoarchaeological, geophysical, spatial, and chronological study of the Masafi oasis, UAE. Results indicate the existence of a natural humid area as early as the late Pleistocene (~18 cal ka BP). These conditions persist during the early-mid Holocene with drainage activation and soil development (~12–6.3 ka). During the late Holocene, after the emergence of the “artificial” oasis around ~3250 cal yr BP, cycles of intense management suggesting water availability (~3250–2380 cal yr BP; 550 cal yr BP) alternate with episodes of fluvial detritism (~2380–1870 cal yr BP; >550 cal yr BP) and scattered evidence of farming activities with complex hydroclimatic signatures (~2300–550 cal yr BP). These results, together with regional environmental data, indicate that water and soil resources were available and exploited strategically throughout the Holocene despite adverse climatic conditions, and the oasis of Masafi could have acted as a desert refugium .
The role of water management in the emergence of state societies in the Middle East has been wide... more The role of water management in the emergence of state societies in the Middle East has been widely discussed by anthropologists and archaeologists, who saw water as a means of controlling populations or, on the contrary, as an element of social cohesion. Yet, ethnoarchaeological studies of water systems are still rare. The aim of this article is therefore to lay the theoretical and methodological foundations of the ethnoarchaeology of water systems. We believe that such a methodological approach is the only way to understand the role of water in ancient societies.
In From Refugia to Oases: living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day. Actes des XXXVIIIe Rencontres Internationales d’Archéologie et d'Histoire d'Antibes. L. Purdue, J. Charbonnier and L. Khalidi (eds.), 2018
The qanāt, as a traditional, low-cost, sustainable, water distribution system, was fundamental fo... more The qanāt, as a traditional, low-cost, sustainable, water distribution system, was fundamental for the settlement of arid environments. This brief introduction to the special issue ‘‘The Qanāt: Archaeology and Environment’’ presents an overview of a workshop of the same name, held at Durham University in October 2014, and introduces the key themes that are explored through the papers in this volume. It also lays out the basis of an interdisciplinary research agenda for qanāt studies in archaeology.
Located in the northern part of the Hajar mountains (UAE), the oasis of Masāfī benefits from abun... more Located in the northern part of the Hajar mountains (UAE), the oasis of Masāfī benefits from abundant copper and water resources and a strategic location at the crossroad between the western piedmont and the shore of the Gulf of Oman. Our project aims at reconstructing the dynamics and evolution of this oasis. An interdisciplinary approach was adopted for this purpose, based on a combination of archaeological, geoarchaeological, geomorphic, spatial, and botanical study. This article presents the methodology and the first results of our investigation in the southern part of the palm grove (Emirate of Fujairah) and more specifically: the mapping of the palm grove and the surrounding valley; the excavation of Iron Age hydraulic structures near the site of Masāfī-1; and the study of a test pit dug inside the palm grove. Thus, we will put forward first hypothesis on landscape use and evolution in the valley of Masāfī.
Revealing Cultural Landscapes in North‑West Arabia, 2022
Funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) on behalf of the Royal Co... more Funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP), undertaken by Archaïos, aims at mapping and understanding the spatial organization of the al-ʿUlā oasis (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The project’s methodology includes a systematic foot survey of cultivated areas in al-ʿUlā Valley, the vectorization of identified archaeological structures on the GIS using high-resolution orthophoto maps, as well as remote sensing on archive imagery. In the present paper we aim to fill the gaps in our knowledge of the understudied Islamic and pre-modern Arabian oases by presenting and proposing a preliminary analysis of the archaeological map of al-ʿUlā Valley, resulting from the first five field seasons of UCOP (2019–2021). For this purpose, we will delineate the ‘historical oasis of al-ʿUlā Old Town’ (i.e. the locale formed by al-ʿUlā Old Town and associated gardens and fields, from their foundation in the middle Islamic period to the early twentieth century), provide a first study of its spatial organization, describe its components, and highlight the rapid growth of the gardens during the twentieth century. Ultimately, our objective is to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of this exceptional heritage, which is inseparable from the already protected al-ʿUlā Old Town.
Le projet interdisciplinaire UCOP (AlUla Cultural Oasis Project) s’inscrit dans le cadre du « Pro... more Le projet interdisciplinaire UCOP (AlUla Cultural Oasis Project) s’inscrit dans le cadre du « Projet Oasis » initié par l’Agence Française pour le Développement d'AlUla (Afalula) en partenariat avec la Commission Royale pour AlUla (RCU) en 2019. Porté par la société Archaïos, UCOP vise à reconstituer l’histoire de l’une des plus importantes oasis d’Arabie. AlUla prospère en effet depuis plusieurs millénaires grâce à une habile gestion de l’eau et des sols et surtout par son implantation sur les routes de commerce et de pèlerinage.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2023
The palm grove of al-ʿUlā (AlUla) oasis (KSA) contains, besides plots solely dedicated to agricul... more The palm grove of al-ʿUlā (AlUla) oasis (KSA) contains, besides plots solely dedicated to agriculture, hundreds of complexes called 'farms' that are spatially divided into two groups, with at least one of them established after the early twentieth century. These farms and their components are subject to an in-depth study conducted within the AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) led by Archaïos, and funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). All built with local materials-mainly earth-these farms reflect the ingenuity of Arabian vernacular architecture and its evolution. Firstly, construction techniques used within the oasis farms will be discussed in this paper. Secondly, focus will be on farm dwellings: al-ʿUlā oasis houses present a range of possibilities, from single-cell to multi-cell buildings, with interior and exterior courtyards, terraces, and upper floors. The examination of a large number of these dwellings allowed us to identify the function of certain spaces and to consider the daily life and societal structure of the inhabitants of al-ʿUlā oasis who settled in their palm grove until the 1980s. This research aims to fill a major gap: in terms of Saudi Arabia, rural buildings have never been subject to comprehensive studies, while in many places they are currently threatened by development.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2023
Over 400 fragmentary coloured glass bangles have so far been collected in the al-ʿUlā oasis durin... more Over 400 fragmentary coloured glass bangles have so far been collected in the al-ʿUlā oasis during the archaeological survey carried out within the framework of the ongoing AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) led by Archaïos, funded and steered by the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). A technological and morphological study has enabled the establishment of a typology and a relative chronology of the various glass jewellery productions in al-ʿUlā. Several criteria allow us to isolate different glass productions and to draw connections between al-ʿUlā's assemblage, still unpublished, and other glass bangle corpuses located in the neighbouring regions, mainly in Palestine and Egypt but also farther afield, in the Indian Ocean and in Bohemia. Spatial distribution and compositional analysis (LA-ICP-MS) of the well-dated types of glass bangles thus provide evidence of both the evolution of the al-ʿUlā oasis and its role within the trade networks and the Hajj route from the fourteenth to the twentieth century AD.
Archaeological investigations conducted since 2006 at Masāfī (hinterlands of the Emirate of Fujai... more Archaeological investigations conducted since 2006 at Masāfī (hinterlands of the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE) have led to the discovery of several architectural entities organised around the local palm grove and in use from the Bronze Age onwards. The whole complex constitutes an important site for understanding the regional protohistory in Eastern Arabia, in particular regarding the development of oasis agriculture as well as copper mining and metallurgy. The site of Masāfī 5 has revealed the presence of an ancient settlement organised on a series of terraces which have been occupied during the Late Bronze Age (1600–1300 BCE) and at the beginning of the Iron Age (1300–300 BCE). Domestic and potential metallurgical activities at the site have been evidenced by the presence of fireplaces and furnaces that could have been used for copper smelting. The site economy is also documented by faunal remains, including those of domesticated mammals and a substantial amount of marine shells.
The results of the present study highlight that marine molluscs were not only exploited as seafood at Masāfī 5 but also for their shell, which was used both as tools and raw material for the production of adornments, including polished plaques of mother-of-pearl and Conus rings. Use-wear analyses have shown the use of shell tools for processing vegetal fibres—we suggested that date palm fibres (i.e., leaflets and leaf sheath) were exploited and used. Coastal-hinterland exchange across the region during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (3rd-1st millennia BCE) is discussed in light of the present results.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
Despite al-ʿŪla’s arid climate, the earliest sedentary settlement in the wadi dates as far back a... more Despite al-ʿŪla’s arid climate, the earliest sedentary settlement in the wadi dates as far back as the first millennium BC and has been continuously inhabited up to the present day. Rare and short-duration rainfall forced the inhabitants of the wadi to develop several methods to exploit underground water resources. While the well-known qanat network has been partially studied (Nasif 1988), there remains a significant lacuna in the understanding of the wells. The al-‘Ūla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) — led by Archaïos, funded and steered by the French Agency for Al-Ula Development (AFALULA), on behalf of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) — highlighted the study of the wells in its research programme. The preliminary study took place during the autumn of 2020 with a corpus of almost twenty structures detected by remote sensing, followed by a systematic field survey and photogrammetry of a relevant example. This work enabled the establishment of a preliminary typology and a relative chronology of these structures. The study of the distribution of the wells is furthermore essential to the understanding of the spatial development of the oasis.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
Over the past fifteen years the French archaeological mission in the UAE has excavated several ar... more Over the past fifteen years the French archaeological mission in the UAE has excavated several areas of Masāfī in Fujairah. A Late Bronze Age settlement was found in MSF-5 and Iron Age architectural remains in MSF-1, MSF-2, and MSF-3 that include, respectively, a public building, fortified settlements, and a temple possibly dedicated to the cult of the snake, similar to Bithnah. The oasis environment in this rather arid region makes it suitable for agro-pastoral activities. The study of the faunal remains of these four areas (NISP 1657) indicates that domesticates — predominantly sheep and goat with a ratio of 1:2 — were the main meat/dairy component of the diet. Cattle are only present in a few remains and dromedary remains were recovered in the public areas of MSF-1 and 3. Wild taxa are only represented by gazelle remains. The absence of wild animals is the main difference from most contemporaneous sites in the UAE, where they have economic and social importance alongside domestic animals. While fish remains are scarce in Masāfī sites, molluscs are surprisingly abundant and confirm the existence of exchange between the coast and the hinterland. They were consumed or used for craft production.
In order to understand the role of water resources in the establishment and long-term evolution o... more In order to understand the role of water resources in the establishment and long-term evolution of settlements investigated by the French Archaeological Mission in the UAE in the oasis of Masāfī, wells and springs of all periods, identified at the surface and in stratified contexts, were mapped and studied thanks to a multidisciplinary approach combining archaeology, geomorphology, geoarchaeology and ethnography. Our study demonstrates that:
– The Masāfī oasis was located in a specific geological setting entailing the accumulation of groundwater resources at reachable depth. – The groundwater resources remained rather stable from the mid-second millennium BC to the second half of the twentieth century AD. In this respect, the apparent abandonment of the oasis during some periods cannot be explained by water depletion. – The groundwater resources have decreased sharply since the second half of the twentieth century AD, due to the introduction of new water extraction technologies, motor pumps and then drillings, as a result of the modernisation and industrialisation of UAE economy. Our study also stresses the importance of well and spring irrigation in the development of the sedentary settlements in south-eastern Arabia, technologies that have often been neglected in the regional archaeological literature in favour of the qanāt.
Biodiversités, environnements et sociétés depuis la Préhistoire : nouveaux marqueurs et approches intégrées. 41es Rencontres internationales d’archéologie et d’histoire – Nice Côte d’Azur, 2021
Oases have been cultivated and irrigated in arid environments
for millennia. They have been endan... more Oases have been cultivated and irrigated in arid environments for millennia. They have been endangered recently by climatic and socio-economic changes. In order to fuel the debate on their rational management, it was necessary to understand the history of their formation. To locate former cultivated areas, understand how and what plant resources were grown, and to discuss their socio-climatic significance, modern environmental data repositories were created in different areas of the Masafi oasis (U.A.E.) within the framework of the ANR OASIWAT. Multiscale sampling using a paleoecological (malacology, phytolithology, anthracology) and pedological (physico-chemistry, geochemistry, micromorphology) approach allowed us to create and calibrate a model of proxy records in soils. The results reveal a differential preservation of these proxies and taphonomic biases in the interpretation of paleoecological assemblages, demonstrating the need to combine them with pedological analyses to identify irrigated, amended and degraded areas.
Oasis soils result from the combined action of natural and anthropic processes, and thus constitu... more Oasis soils result from the combined action of natural and anthropic processes, and thus constitute valuable systems for the understanding of human–environment trajectories over the millennia. The present research aims to develop the study of ancient oasis soils by identifying proxies to detect past agricultural practices. Ten reference pits were dug in Masafi, in both cultivated plots (irrigated plots with palm trees/fruit trees/cereals; manure/ashes/carbonates) and abandoned ones. Bulk sediment samples were analysed for geochemistry/pedo-sedimentary studies: inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, loss on ignition, pH, electrical conductivity, grain size and magnetic susceptibility. This multiproxy approach enabled the creation of a soil typology of oasis agricultural modes. Irrigation and liming lead to salinisation, particularly in a B-horizon. Manure creates a hortic horizon, enriched in P and Zn. Ashes can be detected with a simultaneous increase of magnetic and salinity values. Soils in plots with fruit trees/cereals are not distinguishable from those with palm monoculture. Weathering was identified on the basis of the enrichment in Al, Ti, K Na, Ni, Cr and Fe, whereas proxies of ancient practices seem to be preserved after 15 years of abandonment. As leaching processes appear to be limited to the first 50 cm, the durability of soil signatures depends on how they were buried.
Oases are subject to decreasing resources and changing human activities. Fully aware of their ric... more Oases are subject to decreasing resources and changing human activities. Fully aware of their rich heritage, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have undertaken work to preserve and revitalize these oases. However, there is a clear lack of understanding of the dynamic links between climate change, hydraulic and agricultural management, and socioeconomic activities. To clarify these links, our team conducted a systematic geoarchaeological, geophysical, spatial, and chronological study of the Masafi oasis, UAE. Results indicate the existence of a natural humid area as early as the late Pleistocene (~18 cal ka BP). These conditions persist during the early-mid Holocene with drainage activation and soil development (~12–6.3 ka). During the late Holocene, after the emergence of the “artificial” oasis around ~3250 cal yr BP, cycles of intense management suggesting water availability (~3250–2380 cal yr BP; 550 cal yr BP) alternate with episodes of fluvial detritism (~2380–1870 cal yr BP; >550 cal yr BP) and scattered evidence of farming activities with complex hydroclimatic signatures (~2300–550 cal yr BP). These results, together with regional environmental data, indicate that water and soil resources were available and exploited strategically throughout the Holocene despite adverse climatic conditions, and the oasis of Masafi could have acted as a desert refugium .
The role of water management in the emergence of state societies in the Middle East has been wide... more The role of water management in the emergence of state societies in the Middle East has been widely discussed by anthropologists and archaeologists, who saw water as a means of controlling populations or, on the contrary, as an element of social cohesion. Yet, ethnoarchaeological studies of water systems are still rare. The aim of this article is therefore to lay the theoretical and methodological foundations of the ethnoarchaeology of water systems. We believe that such a methodological approach is the only way to understand the role of water in ancient societies.
In From Refugia to Oases: living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day. Actes des XXXVIIIe Rencontres Internationales d’Archéologie et d'Histoire d'Antibes. L. Purdue, J. Charbonnier and L. Khalidi (eds.), 2018
The qanāt, as a traditional, low-cost, sustainable, water distribution system, was fundamental fo... more The qanāt, as a traditional, low-cost, sustainable, water distribution system, was fundamental for the settlement of arid environments. This brief introduction to the special issue ‘‘The Qanāt: Archaeology and Environment’’ presents an overview of a workshop of the same name, held at Durham University in October 2014, and introduces the key themes that are explored through the papers in this volume. It also lays out the basis of an interdisciplinary research agenda for qanāt studies in archaeology.
Located in the northern part of the Hajar mountains (UAE), the oasis of Masāfī benefits from abun... more Located in the northern part of the Hajar mountains (UAE), the oasis of Masāfī benefits from abundant copper and water resources and a strategic location at the crossroad between the western piedmont and the shore of the Gulf of Oman. Our project aims at reconstructing the dynamics and evolution of this oasis. An interdisciplinary approach was adopted for this purpose, based on a combination of archaeological, geoarchaeological, geomorphic, spatial, and botanical study. This article presents the methodology and the first results of our investigation in the southern part of the palm grove (Emirate of Fujairah) and more specifically: the mapping of the palm grove and the surrounding valley; the excavation of Iron Age hydraulic structures near the site of Masāfī-1; and the study of a test pit dug inside the palm grove. Thus, we will put forward first hypothesis on landscape use and evolution in the valley of Masāfī.
From Refugia to Oases: living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day / Des refuges aux oasis: vivre en milieu aride de la Préhistoire à aujourd'hui. L. Purdue, J. Charbonnier and L. Khalidi (eds.), 2018
This book is an invitation to travel back in time to discover the heritage of the United Arab Emi... more This book is an invitation to travel back in time to discover the heritage of the United Arab Emirates. Just like an archaeologist, you must closely observe the objects and models presented in Sharjah and Mleiha museums, to reconstruct the history of the Emirate of Sharjah. Your investigation will take you from the Stone Age to the end of Antiquity in search of the ways of life, customs and beliefs of past societies. It will also allow you to discover the role of the archaeologist and how they work.
The Masafi oasis, in the ophiolithic al Hajar mountains (United Arab Emirates, Fujairah), has bee... more The Masafi oasis, in the ophiolithic al Hajar mountains (United Arab Emirates, Fujairah), has been excavated since 2007 in the framework of the French archaeological mission (Dir. S. Méry). The excavations have revealed an occupation spanning from the Iron Age to the late Islamic Period, structured on the exploitation of agro-pastoral products and copper. To understand the environmental context and subsistence strategies, geoarchaeological test pits have been dug in the palm grove since 2014. While they have revealed cycles of cultivation and abandonment for the last 3000 years, the farming activities themselves remain poorly understood and the agrarian patterns need to be clarified. The present study aims to improve our knowledge of ancient agrosystems by identifying new proxies in soils to 1-characterize phases of occupation versus abandonment, 2-estimate soil fertility, implementation and nature of soil enrichment products, and the impact of agriculture on soil resilience, 3-assess land cover, 4-detect paleo-pollutions linked with human activities. To this end, shallow test pits were dug in the current Masafi oasis in abandoned areas and in cultivated plots possibly representative of ancient agricultural landscapes: irrigated plots with palm trees, fruit trees or cereals; plots with manure, ashes, or carbonates. Systematic samples were taken for laboratory studies: elementary and isotopic analyses, loss on ignition, pH, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility. Statistical analyses allowed for the creation of agricultural facies characteristic of agricultural modes. This reference collection is a powerful analytical tool to study agrosystems as a whole, from socio-environmental dynamics (identification of cultivated soils and agrarian patterns) to technical systems (agricultural strategies, gestures and heritage). This will be applied to the study of the 3000 years old Masafi oasis, with the aim to enlarge its use to ancient agricultural soils in semi-arid environments in Arabia.
Les oasis, espaces de polyculture intensive irrigués en milieu aride à semi-aride, sont caractéri... more Les oasis, espaces de polyculture intensive irrigués en milieu aride à semi-aride, sont caractérisées à la fois par des conditions physiques naturelles contraignantes mais aussi par les choix et mises en oeuvre anthropiques qui les façonnent. Ces espaces sont donc à l'équilibre entre différents facteurs socio-environnementaux : contraintes morpho-climatiques, variabilité des ressources, mais aussi dynamiques de peuplements, système socio-économique et développement technologique. L'oasis constitue un lieu privilégié pour l'enregistrement et la lecture des trajectoires homme-milieu au cours des millénaires.
Dans le sud de la Péninsule Arabique, les études botaniques réalisées sur les sites archéologiques de l’Age du Bronze ont conclu à l’émergence des oasis à la fin du 4ème mill. avant notre ère, en y reconnaissant le modèle actuel de polyculture sous palmier dattier1. Depuis, peu d’évolutions ont été détectées dans ce pattern. Pourtant très peu d’espaces et de sols agricoles ont été fouillés et notre vision de l’évolution de ces agrosystèmes reste partielle. Il apparait alors nécessaire de réinvestir ces oasis et de récolter de nouvelles données qui permettront de compléter notre vision de ces paysages et de rediscuter de ce modèle d’émergence et d’évolution.
L’oasis de Masafi est fouillée depuis 2007 dans le cadre de la Mission archéologique Française aux Emirats Arabes Unis (dir. S. Méry). Ces fouilles ont permis la découverte de vestiges de l’Age du Bronze et de l’époque Islamique tardive mais surtout d’une occupation importante de l'Age du Fer, qui semble s’être structurée autour d’un espace central irrigué et cultivé2. L’ouverture de sondages géoarchéologiques au sein de la zone agricole actuelle, menée depuis 2014 et aujourd’hui dans le cadre de l’ANR OASIWAT3 (dir. L. Purdue), a mis en évidence des phases d’emprises et de déprises agraires synchrones ou non aux différentes occupations connues. A travers l’analyse d’une de ces séquences stratigraphiques, notre approche vise à mieux caractériser ces phases et à approfondir les interprétations archéologiques en terme de gestion des sols. Des référentiels ont été construits sur le terrain et une étude mêlant analyses pédo-sédimentaires (pertes au feu 30, 105, 450 et 950°C ; pH et conductivité électrique ; susceptibilité magnétique) et géochimiques (ICP-OES) a été menée en laboratoire.
Unpublished report displaying the results of the 4th season of the French archaeological mission ... more Unpublished report displaying the results of the 4th season of the French archaeological mission in the ancient kingdom of Qataban (Yemen): mapping and excavation of the archaeological site of Hasi; survey of the surrounding area.
Rencontres internationales d’archéologie et d’histoire d’Antibes (France)
Tuesday 10 October to T... more Rencontres internationales d’archéologie et d’histoire d’Antibes (France) Tuesday 10 October to Thursday 12 October 2017
From refugia to oases: living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day
Organizing committee Academic: L. Purdue, J. Charbonnier, L. Khalidi (University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, France) Administrative: A.-M. Gomez and M. Benou (University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, France)
The history of human occupation in arid environments has always been inextricably tied to the history of water. From prehistory to now, populations have continuously occupied isolated spaces in proximity to watering holes, or refugia, later modifying their environments in the form of artificial niches, or oases. The objective of this conference is to investigate the natural formation of these spaces, followed by their construction and evolution as socio-economic, political and agricultural entities. The theme of this conference contributes directly to current debates on the preservation and integrated exploitation of this continually changing human heritage.
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Papers by Julien Charbonnier
The results of the present study highlight that marine molluscs were not only exploited as seafood at Masāfī 5 but also for their shell, which was used both as tools and raw material for the production of adornments, including polished plaques of mother-of-pearl and Conus rings. Use-wear analyses have shown the use of shell tools for processing vegetal fibres—we suggested that date palm fibres (i.e., leaflets and leaf sheath) were exploited and used. Coastal-hinterland exchange across the region during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (3rd-1st millennia BCE) is discussed in light of the present results.
– The Masāfī oasis was located in a specific geological setting entailing the accumulation of groundwater resources at reachable depth.
– The groundwater resources remained rather stable from the mid-second millennium BC to the second half of the twentieth century AD. In this respect, the apparent abandonment of the oasis during some periods cannot be explained by water depletion.
– The groundwater resources have decreased sharply since the second half of the twentieth century AD, due to the introduction of new water extraction technologies, motor pumps and then drillings, as a result of the modernisation and industrialisation of UAE economy.
Our study also stresses the importance of well and spring irrigation in the development of the sedentary settlements in south-eastern Arabia, technologies that have often been neglected in the regional archaeological literature in favour of the qanāt.
for millennia. They have been endangered recently by climatic
and socio-economic changes. In order to fuel the debate on
their rational management, it was necessary to understand the
history of their formation. To locate former cultivated areas,
understand how and what plant resources were grown, and to
discuss their socio-climatic significance, modern environmental
data repositories were created in different areas of the Masafi
oasis (U.A.E.) within the framework of the ANR OASIWAT.
Multiscale sampling using a paleoecological (malacology,
phytolithology, anthracology) and pedological (physico-chemistry,
geochemistry, micromorphology) approach allowed
us to create and calibrate a model of proxy records in soils.
The results reveal a differential preservation of these proxies
and taphonomic biases in the interpretation of paleoecological
assemblages, demonstrating the need to combine them
with pedological analyses to identify irrigated, amended and
degraded areas.
The results of the present study highlight that marine molluscs were not only exploited as seafood at Masāfī 5 but also for their shell, which was used both as tools and raw material for the production of adornments, including polished plaques of mother-of-pearl and Conus rings. Use-wear analyses have shown the use of shell tools for processing vegetal fibres—we suggested that date palm fibres (i.e., leaflets and leaf sheath) were exploited and used. Coastal-hinterland exchange across the region during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (3rd-1st millennia BCE) is discussed in light of the present results.
– The Masāfī oasis was located in a specific geological setting entailing the accumulation of groundwater resources at reachable depth.
– The groundwater resources remained rather stable from the mid-second millennium BC to the second half of the twentieth century AD. In this respect, the apparent abandonment of the oasis during some periods cannot be explained by water depletion.
– The groundwater resources have decreased sharply since the second half of the twentieth century AD, due to the introduction of new water extraction technologies, motor pumps and then drillings, as a result of the modernisation and industrialisation of UAE economy.
Our study also stresses the importance of well and spring irrigation in the development of the sedentary settlements in south-eastern Arabia, technologies that have often been neglected in the regional archaeological literature in favour of the qanāt.
for millennia. They have been endangered recently by climatic
and socio-economic changes. In order to fuel the debate on
their rational management, it was necessary to understand the
history of their formation. To locate former cultivated areas,
understand how and what plant resources were grown, and to
discuss their socio-climatic significance, modern environmental
data repositories were created in different areas of the Masafi
oasis (U.A.E.) within the framework of the ANR OASIWAT.
Multiscale sampling using a paleoecological (malacology,
phytolithology, anthracology) and pedological (physico-chemistry,
geochemistry, micromorphology) approach allowed
us to create and calibrate a model of proxy records in soils.
The results reveal a differential preservation of these proxies
and taphonomic biases in the interpretation of paleoecological
assemblages, demonstrating the need to combine them
with pedological analyses to identify irrigated, amended and
degraded areas.
Your investigation will take you from the Stone Age to the end of Antiquity in search of the ways of life, customs and beliefs of past societies. It will also allow you to discover the role of the archaeologist and how they work.
Dans le sud de la Péninsule Arabique, les études botaniques réalisées sur les sites archéologiques de l’Age du Bronze ont conclu à l’émergence des oasis à la fin du 4ème mill. avant notre ère, en y reconnaissant le modèle actuel de polyculture sous palmier dattier1. Depuis, peu d’évolutions ont été détectées dans ce pattern. Pourtant très peu d’espaces et de sols agricoles ont été fouillés et notre vision de l’évolution de ces agrosystèmes reste partielle. Il apparait alors nécessaire de réinvestir ces oasis et de récolter de nouvelles données qui permettront de compléter notre vision de ces paysages et de rediscuter de ce modèle d’émergence et d’évolution.
L’oasis de Masafi est fouillée depuis 2007 dans le cadre de la Mission archéologique Française aux Emirats Arabes Unis (dir. S. Méry). Ces fouilles ont permis la découverte de vestiges de l’Age du Bronze et de l’époque Islamique tardive mais surtout d’une occupation importante de l'Age du Fer, qui semble s’être structurée autour d’un espace central irrigué et cultivé2. L’ouverture de sondages géoarchéologiques au sein de la zone agricole actuelle, menée depuis 2014 et aujourd’hui dans le cadre de l’ANR OASIWAT3 (dir. L. Purdue), a mis en évidence des phases d’emprises et de déprises agraires synchrones ou non aux différentes occupations connues. A travers l’analyse d’une de ces séquences stratigraphiques, notre approche vise à mieux caractériser ces phases et à approfondir les interprétations archéologiques en terme de gestion des sols. Des référentiels ont été construits sur le terrain et une étude mêlant analyses pédo-sédimentaires (pertes au feu 30, 105, 450 et 950°C ; pH et conductivité électrique ; susceptibilité magnétique) et géochimiques (ICP-OES) a été menée en laboratoire.
Tuesday 10 October to Thursday 12 October 2017
From refugia to oases: living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day
Organizing committee
Academic: L. Purdue, J. Charbonnier, L. Khalidi (University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, France)
Administrative: A.-M. Gomez and M. Benou (University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, CEPAM, France)
The history of human occupation in arid environments has always been inextricably tied to the history of water. From prehistory to now, populations have continuously occupied isolated spaces in proximity to watering holes, or refugia, later modifying their environments in the form of artificial niches, or oases. The objective of this conference is to investigate the natural formation of these spaces, followed by their construction and evolution as socio-economic, political and agricultural entities. The theme of this conference contributes directly to current debates on the preservation and integrated exploitation of this continually changing human heritage.