The lowland Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, had a long history of occupation, spanning from the Middle Preclassic Period through the Terminal Classic (1000 BC to AD 950). The Ceibal-Petexbatun Archaeological Project has been conducting archaeological investigations at this site since 2005 and has obtained 154 radiocarbon dates, which represent the largest collection of radiocarbon assays from a single Maya site. The Bayesian analysis of these dates, combined with a detailed study of ceramics, allowed us to develop a high-precision chronology for Ceibal. Through this chronology, we traced the trajectories of the Preclassic collapse around AD 150–300 and the Classic collapse around AD 800–950, revealing similar patterns in the two cases. Social instability started with the intensification of warfare around 75 BC and AD 735, respectively, followed by the fall of multiple centers across the Maya lowlands around AD 150 and 810. The population of Ceibal persisted for some time in both cases, but the center eventually experienced major decline around AD 300 and 900. Despite these similarities in their diachronic trajectories, the outcomes of these collapses were different, with the former associated with the development of dynasties centered on divine rulership and the latter leading to their downfalls. The Ceibal dynasty emerged during the period of low population after the Preclassic collapse, suggesting that this dynasty was placed under the influence from, or by the direct intervention of, an external power.

No settlement remains at Early Dynastic Memphis, the first ‘capital’ of the newly emerging Egyptian state, have yet been located. This study draws together exclusive evidence from three well-known non-elite Memphite cemeteries Saqqara-Serapeum, Turah and the recently excavated site of Helwan (all dating from 3200 to 2700 BC) to explore the society of this early urban centre through its funerary remains. The study engages in statistical analyses of cemetery data comparing grave parameters such as volume, quantity of grave goods, their materials and pottery vessel types, but also architecture, body protection, skeletal sex and the age of the deceased across sites. The application of statistical hypothesis testing techniques forms a methodological cornerstone highlighting some pitfalls of mortuary analyses rooted in Processual theoretical frameworks. As a result, a nuanced funerary culture with a significant degree of mortuary variability was revealed at each of the sites investigated. Non-elite funerary provision at Memphis was influenced by a complex web of factors such as economic potential, relationships to local elites, communal and personal identities, choice, and practicality. While mortuary differentiation by sex could not be proven statistically, evidence emerged for significant age differentiation in the funerary provision. The four communities investigated are distinct and each represent a different population within the Memphite region ranging from a main necropolis (Helwan) to a cemetery of a secondary or tertiary local centre (Turah). The smallscale regionality observed at Memphis should serve as a springboard for future research on Early Dynastic Egypt. Finally, the study has highlighted the research potential of statistical analyses to extract vital information from old data, alongside the importance of hypothesis testing in the evaluation of such analyses.

During the preliminary phase of analytical discourse on South Asia’s medieval history, the scholarship rigidly demarcated the material cultures of the pre-Islamic societies from those of the Muslim communities that were only introduced to the region’s landscapes once the Islamic political rule was established. This was done to simplify the process of examining the regional, religious, ethnic, political, and cultural disparities in the Indian subcontinent’s medieval milieu. Consequently, the exceedingly broad categories of “Muslim” and “Hindu” were conceived to portray the identities of South Asian societies and cultures. However, these categories remain in use even in the current art-historical scholarship that shows a tendency to classify the historical artifacts based on either geographic or sectarian identities. To that end, the sites developed by Muslim rulers are termed as “Islamic/Muslim,” and Hindu temples as “Indian.” Such simplistic classifications, which identify the social and material cultures with singular monolithic identities, overlook the dynamics of intercultural and interfaith interactions between the diverse co-existing communities of South Asian regions that played an active role in shaping those cultures. The Samma dynastic architecture in the vast necropolis of Makli – a UNESCO world heritage site located in the city Thatta (in present-day Sindh province of Pakistan) – presents an opportunity to examine this key methodological issue. Modern scholars classify Samma architecture under the polarities such as “Sindhi,” “Islamic,” and “Indo-Islamic.” The present research challenges these classifications to demonstrate that the overall artistic program of Samma architecture does not reflect any single culture, religion or region. In fact, it evinces a hybridization of style and character, and hence, transcends the standard categorization of architectural artifacts from South Asia. Therefore, by actively engaging with the architecture, decoration, and epigraphy, this study allows for the formulation of important conclusions on the meanings attached to the Samma dynastic architecture, which was a key medium of presenting their social, religious, political and cultural programs. Additionally, this study demonstrates where Samma monuments fit within the broader categories of artistic productions from South Asia as well as the wider Islamic world. Hence, where this research augments the overly broad and simplified classifications, it also aims to produce a more meaningful analytical framework that moves beyond visual analysis, iconography, and typology. / Graduate / 2021-11-15

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L’objet de cette thèse est de mettre en lumière la politique dynastique des Wittelsbach dans le premier tiers du XIXe siècle. L’étude part de l’hypothèse qu’il s’agit là d’une politique savamment orchestrée qui, le plus souvent, fut couronnée de succès. De plus, ce travail dégage le concept d’ensemble de cette politique en démontrant qu’elle repose sur les trois piliers de « pouvoir », « parenté » et « amour ». Après avoir présenté les acteurs principaux dans le contexte de leur réseau familial (qui servit de moyen de consolidation de pouvoir), l’étude se penche sur le rôle éminent de l’éducation dispensée aux enfants princiers. Sont ensuite examinées les négociations menées pour marier ces princes et princesses le plus avantageusement possible : ici, l’étude démontre que les idées nouvelles (postulant la primauté du mariage d’inclination sur le mariage de raison) n’ont été prônées que pour voiler le calcul politique. Finalement, l’examen des conséquences de la politique dynastique révèle une grande homogénéité entre les principes transmis par les parents et l’action des enfants. / This thesis analyses the dynastic politics of the House of Wittelsbach in the first third of the 19th century. The study assumes that these politics were well orchestrated and most often successful. Furthermore, the thesis aims at showing that the global concept of these politics was based on the three pillars “power”, “kinship” and “love”. After presenting the main actors in the context of their family network (which served as a medium of consolidating power), the study examines the key role played by the education of the royal children. The thesis then explores the negotiations led in order to marry the princes and princesses to the highest advantage: here it is shown that the new ideas (postulating the primacy of the marriage for love over the marriage of convenience) were only used in order to veil political calculation. Finally, the focus is put on the consequences of these dynastic politics: it is revealed that a great degree of congruence exists between the parents’ principles and the children’s actions.

An osteological study on human skeletal remains from Maassara in Egypt. The goal of the study was to get a good picture of the health of the individuals buried in the graves at Maassara. The study was combined of nine individuals. Two from the Early Dynastic period and six individuals from the Old Kingdom. All the adult individuals have some form of pathological change. Most pathological changes are in the spine. Most pathological changes were age-related. Some of the individuals were very poorly kept and the bones were very fragile.

Dans l’Égypte pré- et protodynastique (3900-2700 av. J.-C.), l’imagerie anthropomorphe occupe une place de prime importance. Relevant de trois modes de communication – iconographique, ambigu et écrit – ces figurations humaines sont reproduites sur un large éventail de types de supports. Tandis que les études se focalisent habituellement sur une catégorie de source, ce travail se concentre sur un motif précis, la figure anthropomorphe, et propose ainsi une approche transversale de l’imagerie anthropomorphe pré- et protodynastique. Ainsi, cette étude vise à déterminer l’évolution des représentations anthropomorphes au cours de ces périodes, à travers elles, à dévoiler la manière dont se concevaient les premiers Égyptiens. La recherche se fonde sur l’élaboration de typologies des figures humaines et des motifs associés, couplée à une étude statistique des données ainsi réunies. Les résultats de ce travail ont permis de révéler une évolution chronologique des figurations humaines, avec une nette rupture se dessinant entre Prédynastique et Protodynastique. Cette transition est à mettre en lien avec l’introduction d’une monarchie royale, provoquant une dichotomie entre documentations royale et privée en raison d’une mainmise de l’État sur l’expression artistique. Les figurations anthropomorphes témoignent par ailleurs de l’émergence, outre l’identité collective préexistante, d’une identité personnelle, gage d’une individualisation grandissante. / During the Predynastic and Early Dynastic Periods (3900-2700 B.C.), anthropomorphic imagery is a theme of prime importance in Egyptian art. Human figures coming from the iconographic, ambiguous and written modes of communication are depicted on a large range of sources. While most of the studies focus on a single type of document, this work concentrates on a particular pattern, the human figure, by proposing a transversal approach of the anthropomorphic imagery. Therefore, this study aims to constrain the evolution of the human depictions during these periods. Through the inspection of the human figures, the study also aims to unravel the way the first Egyptians conceptualised themselves. This work is based on the creation of typologies for the human figures and associated patterns, analysed using statistical tools.The results reveal a chronological evolution of the human figures, with a distinct rupture between the Predynastic Period and the Early Dynastic Period. This transition relates to the introduction of a royal monarchy. This introduction causes a dichotomy between royal and private documentations owing to the appropriation of the art by the state. Besides, the anthropomorphic figures show the appearance of a personal identity in addition to the pre-existent collective identity. This feature is evidence of an increasing individuation.

This thesis takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of ancient Egyptian ceramics by applying scientific dating techniques alongside more traditional methods. It is the first study to apply OSL dating to an Egyptian ceramic assemblage, and it has done so by developing the minimum extraction technique (MET), which has made it possible to use OSL to sample, and thus analyse, ceramics housed in museums. The MET is at present essential to the success of OSL dating of Egyptian ceramics, as the exportation ban on antiquities has prevented OSL analysis of field material. For this thesis, using this new sampling technique, OSL has been applied to several assemblages from the Predynastic to the Early Dynastic period. Ceramics from [ADD IN REVIEW ] have been examined, with three phases being established: late Naqada III, First Intermediate Period, and the mediaeval Islamic period. Absolute dates have been determined for each phase and, where comparison is possible, have been found in good agreement with the historical chronology. A set of vessels from Naqada, Ballas, and the Tomb of Djer at Abydos have been examined using OSL in conjunction with radiocarbon dating. Again, three phases of activity were discerned: late Naqada II, early Naqada III, and the first scientifically determined dates for a burning event in the Tomb of Djer (the New Kingdom). The thesis also demonstrates how OSL can be used as a relative dating technique by analysing a collection of Wavy-Handled ceramics and wine jars from Turah, finding that the OSL results agree well with the established relative chronology. Finally, this thesis has also examined the applicability of cladistic analysis to the study of Egyptian ceramics. Cladistics is a technique borrowed from the biological sciences which offers a complimentary way to examine the evolution of ceramic types and forms, in particular the development of beer and wine jars.

Digne héritier de l’Empire romain d’Occident, l’Empire romain d’Orient plus communément appelé Empire byzantin est la scène de nombreux changements politiques et socio-économiques depuis sa création au IVème siècle. Parmi les acteurs de ces évolutions se trouvent les Comnènes, une famille issue de l’aristocratie dite militaire que rien ne prédestinait à occuper les hautes sphères de l’administration impériale de 1057 à 1204. En se basant prioritairement sur les sceaux regroupés sous la forme d’un catalogue, il s’agira de mettre en lumière l’histoire de la famille qui prend petit à petit la dimension d’un réseau basé sur une forte politique matrimoniale modifiée par les empereurs Comnènes jusqu’à atteindre son apogée au XIIe siècle. Organisé en trois partie le premier tome de cette étude peint un tableau exhaustif de la famille en extrayant des sources l’ensemble des informations se rapportant aux Comnènes et à leurs parents afin, dans un deuxième temps de mieux comprendre comment le mariage est utilisé pour étendre son attraction et son pouvoir sur le reste de la population byzantine et sur le reste du monde médiéval du XIIe siècle, enfin une étude du corpus iconographique propre au réseau des Comnènes sera étudié afin de montrer l’existence ou non d’une évolution des cultes sous l’action de cette famille. Ce travail repose sur un corpus de sceaux dédié aux Comnène qui compose le second tome. / Worthy heir to the Roman Empire of Occident, the Roman Empire of the East more commonly called Byzantine Empire is the scene many political changes and socio-economic since his creation at the 4th century. Among the actors of these evolutions are Komnenian, a family resulting from the aristocracy known as military that nothing predestined to occupy the higher realms of the imperial administration of 1057 to 1204. By firstly basing on the seals gathered in form the shape of a catalogue, it will be a question of clarifying the history of the family which gradually size up a network thanks to a strong matrimonial policy which is modified by the Komnenian emperors until reaching her apogee at the 12th century. Organized into three part the first volume of this study paints an exhaustive painting of the family by extracting from the sources the whole of information referring to Komnenian and with their parents so, in the second time to better understand how the family uses the marriage to extend her attraction and her power on the rest of the Byzantine population and on the rest of the world medieval of the 12th century, finally a study of the iconographic corpus suitable for the network of Komnenian will be studied in order to show the existence or not evolution of the worships under the action of this family. This work is based on a corpus of seals dedicated to Komnenian who composed the second volume.