Inaug.-Diss.--Fakultät für Geschichtswissenschaft--Bochum--Ruhr-Universität, 2001. / Bibliogr. p. IV-XI.

Ce travail propose une reconstitution de l'évolution de l'environnement de la plaine terminale de l'Eşen Çayı depuis le milieu de l'Holocène, avec une attention particulière pour l'environnement proche du sanctuaire du Létôon et de la cité de Xanthos, durant leur période d'occupation (du viie siècle av. J.-C. jusqu'à la période byzantine). La démarche retenue déploie trois approches. L'approche historique, d'abord, confronte les sources archéologiques, historiques, littéraires et géomorphologiques pour définir les enjeux de cette recherche et cerner les questions auxquelles elle doit répondre : l'objectif est de mieux comprendre les sociétés qui ont occupé cet espace et leur relation avec leur environnement. L'approche géo archéologique, ensuite, y répond en s'appuyant sur les données géophysiques (résistivité électrique) et l'analyse des séquences carottées (étude des sédiments, datations). Il apparaît qu'à l'époque de l'occupation des sites, les lagunes qui occupaient auparavant cet espace avaient laissé place à des marais. Un changement dans le tracé de l'Eşen Çayı (un bras du fleuve s'installe temporairement devant le Létôon) facilite l'accessibilité du site depuis la mer, mais l'alluvionnement et la mobilité fluviale qui en résultent mettent aussi en danger les édifices, dès le iiie siècle ap. J.-C. C'est seulement avec la mise en culture systématique de la plaine, durant la deuxième moitié du xxe siècle, que les marais disparaissent et que la plaine est assainie et drainée. L'approche patrimoniale, enfin, permet une réflexion épistémologique et empirique sur la communication des résultats en direction des archéologues commanditaires, du public de visiteurs des sites et des habitants de la plaine. Le concept de géomorphosite, qui fournit une profondeur temporelle à un site aux caractères géomorphologiques remarquables est sollicité pour définir la plaine de Xanthos comme un archéo-géomorphosite / This work reconstructs the changing environment of the plain of the Eşen Çayı from the mid-Holocene period, paying particular attention to the environment around the shrine of Letoon and the city of Xanthos, at the time of their occupation (from the seventh century BC until the Byzantine period). The subject is examined using three different approaches. First, the historical approach compares the archaeological, historical, literary and geomorphological sources to define the boundaries of this research and identify relevant issues : the aim is to better understand the societies which occupied this space and their relationship with the surrounding environment. The geoarchaeological approach then answers these questions, relying on geophysical data (electrical resistivity) and cored sequence analysis (study of sediments, dating). It seems that when the sites were inhabited, lagoons which formerly occupied this area had been replaced by swamps. A change in the flow of the Eşen Çayı (an arm of the river which moved temporarily towards the Letoon) allowed access to the site from the sea, but the buildings were threatened by the river's silting and consequent changes of course (around the third century AD). It is only with the systematic agricultural use of the plain, in the second half of the twentieth century, that the marshes disappeared and the plain was drained and reclaimed. Finally, the heritage approach allows an epistemological and empirical discussion of the communication of results to archaeologists, site visitors and inhabitants of the plain. The concept of geomorphosite, which provides time depth to a site with remarkable geomorphological character, is used to define the plain of Xanthos as an archaeo-geomorphosite

La Lycie, région mystérieuse et fascinante, avec une identité mixte qui englobait des éléments locaux et des éléments gréco-perses, n’a pas encore une étude « générale » : pour cette raison, j’ai décidé de consacrer mon travail à son analyse. Cette thèse a été divisée en trois grandes parties : la première présente une analyse de l’évolution géographique des frontières régionales à partir du VIe siècle av. J.-C. jusqu’à la provincialisation romaine avec une perspective synchronique et diachronique. La deuxième décrit l’histoire régionale, en tenant naturellement compte des sources arrivées jusqu’à nous. La troisième contient l’édition des fragments des historiens auteurs de Lykiaka, c’est à dire les fragments des historiens de langue grecque, auteurs d’oeuvres monographiques sur cette région asiatique (Menecrate de Xanthos ; Policarme ; Léon d’Alabande ; les fragments de la « Constitution des Lyciens » ; Alexandre Polyhistor ; Capiton de Lycie ; Aristenète). Les trois parties de ce travail ne sont pas des sections indépendantes et séparées, mais interagissent et communiquent constamment les unes avec les autres : un ouvrage compliqué et composite, mais qui cherche de reproduire la complexité d’une région « de frontière ». / A general study lacks about Lycia, mysterious and fascinating region with a mixed identity that included local and Greco-Persian elements: for this reason, I decided to dedicate my PhD thesis to her analysis. This work has been divided into three parts: the first presents a study on the changing geography of regional borders from the sixth century B.C. until the creation of the Roman province, with a synchronic and diachronic perspective. The second describes the regional history. The third contains the fragments of the authors of Lykiaka, in other words the fragments of Greek historians, authors of monographic works on Lycia (Menecrates of Xanthos; Policarme; Léon of Alabanda; the fragments of the "Constitution of the Lycians"; Alexander Polyhistor; Capito of Lycia; Aristaenetus). The three parts of this work constantly interact and communicate each other: a complicated and composite work, but able to reproduce the complexity of a “ border” region.

In Lycia, Xanthos and its main sanctuary, the Letoon, have throughout centuries kept some very particular features which have survived intense cultural upheavals and influences both Persian and Greeks. The infrastructures and shape of the Letoon indicates that there is more to the sanctuary’s rituals and architecture than normalised Greek divinities and temples. Lycia, following the Persian invasion in the 540s, remained a remote region of the empire and benefited from an autonomous status. Nevertheless the outside contacts and cultural exchanges multiplied and intensified, especially with the Persian ruling class, but also with the Greeks who took an increasing part into the trade and artistic influence of Lycia. The most important city of the region, Xanthos was the focus of the Persian presence in Lycia but also at the spearhead of Hellenic influence in western Lycia. This underlying Greek presence became ever more pregnant under the rule of the last dynasts of Xanthos at the turn of the fourth century and under the rule of the Carian satraps under the power of whom Lycia was put in the 360s. The Hellenistic period only confirm the prior trend. To begin with, we are trying to define how the Persians had an impact on the Lycian culture and conclude that it was a great influential force but stayed somewhat limited to the higher classes of the Xanthian society. The parallel with the Greek influence is contrasting. The arrival of Greek trends was more insidious but also more widespread to the lower classes of society and lasted longer. We will conclude that none of those influences were imposed but rather chosen by the Xanthian society. We will continue by trying to understand how those cultural manifestations affected local religious beliefs. By exposing the successive evolutions of the Letoon and of the divinities residing here, we will see that the syncretic divinities of the Letoon kept a lot of their ancestral attributes and places of worship are keeping track with their sacred past. In this process we are trying to show that religion holds a peculiar place in a nation or a city’s culture. In this attempt we are concluding that religion is the most stable aspect of a local culture and is the recipient for the safeguard of a nation’s identity.