On the early medieval sites in South Bohemia, the graphite pottery can be found very often. This kind of pottery can be considered as a topic arising many questions and problems. With the help of the interdisciplinary way, the diploma thesis aims to summarize these issues for the early middle age, especially in South Bohemia.

Thesis gives an overview about early middle age metal vestiges (with focus on castle hills) and about manufacturing processes associated with them. The main aim is description (including hooked illustration) and analysis of middle ages metal vestiges founded on castle hill Netolice. The results illustrates how the archaeological finds are reflected in day-to-day activities of medieval castle comunity.

The presented work focuses on the comparison of the basic characteristics of cultures inhabitating the area of today's Czech republic and the area of the historical Avar Khaganate in the time period betweeen half of the 6th century to the beginning of 9th century. The groundwork for this comparison is the study of 10 sites - 5 settlements and 5 cemeteries. Two cemeteries and two settlements are located in the centre of Czech republic, two and two others are located in the centre of khaganate, the remaining two are located in the border area between them. These sites show us parallels between both preseneted cultures. We can observe the similarities in funerary customs and in patterns of houses and settlements as well. Movable artifacts, some of which we may describe as luxurious ones, also undeniably reflect contacts between the Khaganate and areas of today's Czech republic. Key words Slavs, Avars, Contacts, Ethnicity, Archaeology, Early Middle Ages

This thesis deals with the revision of archaeological research at Stará Kou im. This locality was excavated between 1948 and 1957 by M. Šolle. Sixty years after the end of the Stará Kou im research, some conclusions need to be reinterpreted. The paper was mainly focused on the revision of the middle fortifications research and brought new, unpublished results. Key words: early middle age, hillfort, fortification, revision, ceramic, Old Kou im.

<p>This is a study of martial material culture in the context of the Viking Age warrior of Birka, Sweden. The aim is to establish the role, function and affiliation of the Birka warrior and thereby place Birka on the power-political map of the 10th century. The study is based on the excavations of the fortified structures, particularly the Garrison, at the trading post of Birka as well as the extensive remains of material culture deriving from these investigations. A starting hypothesis is that an analysis of material culture constitutes a way of mapping social structures and that style and iconography reflect cultural groups, contacts and loyalties.</p><p>Based on the case studies of six papers, the synthesis deals with questions of the work and world view of the warriors, as too their relation to their contemporary counterparts in eastern and western Europe. Questions are raised concerning the value and function of symbols in a martial context where material culture reflects rank, status and office. In defining the Birka warrior’s particular stylistic expression, a tool is created and used in the search for contacts and affiliations reflected through the distribution patterns. The results show close contacts with the eastern trading posts located on the rivers Volga and Dnjepr in Ancient Russia.</p><p>It is stated that these Rus’ trading posts, essentially inhabited by Northmen, shared a common cultural expression that was maintained throughout a vast area by exceptionally close contacts. It is suggested that a particular stylistic expression developed in these Rus’ trading places containing elements of mainly Scandinavian, Steppe nomadic and Byzantine origin.</p><p>In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that the warriors from Birka’s Garrison had a share in the martial development of contemporary Europe but with their own particular traits. Close relations with the eastern trade route and contact with the powerful Byzantine Empire were enjoyed. As a pointer for future research, it is wondered what organisational form the close-knit structure of the Rus’ trading posts actually took, keeping the subsequent guilds of medieval Europe in mind. The fall of the Garrison, as of Birka, corresponds with the establishment of Christianity in the region. Such changes were not limited to Central Sweden but part of a greater process where a new political structure was developing, better anchored in local concerns.</p>

Cette thèse de doctorat a pour objectif d’identifier entre le second Âge du Fer et le haut Moyen Âge les occupations et les activités humaines d’un territoire de marge aux confins des cités arvernes, vellaves et ségusiaves, le Livradois-Forez, puis d’apporter des éléments de réflexion sur leur intégration régionale. Elle est menée dans une perspective dynamique, diachronique et systémique. Cette approche d’archéologie du paysage met au centre des préoccupations les relations entre les sociétés et leur milieu, et tout particulièrement l’économie. Cette recherche est volontairement à la croisée de l’archéologie et des sciences de l’environnement afin de mieux cerner le milieu dans lequel les sociétés passées ont évolué et les éventuelles influences humaines sur celui-ci, mais aussi d’identifier les processus socio-économiques et culturels. Cette recherche a nécessité une approche en trois étapes : intégrer les travaux et les synthèses développés dans le cadre de programmes de recherche auxquels je participe ; établir une synthèse des données archéologiques ; acquérir de nouvelles données par des prospections archéologiques et des analyses des macrorestes végétaux en milieu tourbeux. L’utilisation de quatre fenêtres d’études, reflet des différentes entités paysagères, a été privilégiée. Autant qu’il fut possible, chaque fenêtre comportait des prospections archéologiques et des données paléoenvironnementales. Le croisement des données archéologiques, paléoécologiques, géoarchéologiques et l’utilisation d’un SIG ont permis d’identifier une hétérogénéité du développement qu’il faut replacer dans deux cycles économiques : le premier du second Âge du Fer au Haut-Empire, le second du Bas-Empire au haut Moyen Âge. Pour chaque cycle, les occupations humaines et les mises en valeur du milieu reflètent des stratégies et des choix socio-économiques : le relief et son climat, les ressources disponibles (agricoles mais aussi vraisemblablement le bois et la présence de minerai), la proximité de voies de communication, de bassins de peuplement importants et des différents centres des trois cités. Chaque nouvelle étape dans la mise en valeur des terroirs est accompagnée par une hausse de l’érosion, la mise en place de tourbières et de modifications dans le fonctionnement des tourbières plus anciennes. Enfin, cet espace semble être intégré à l’économie régionale. / The purpose of this thesis is to identify human occupation and exploitation of the environment of marginal territories in the Livradois-Forez, which include the cities of Arverne, Segusiave, and Vellave, and to investigate the regional integration of these localities from the second Iron Age to the Early Middle Age. This thesis is conducted from a dynamic, diachronic, and systemic perspective, and utilizes a landscape archaeology approach to explore the relations between societies, in particular their economies, and the environment. The research presented crosses archaeology and the environmental sciences in order to increase knowledge of the setting in which these societies evolved and the possible human influences on it, but it also identifies social-economic and cultural processes. The completion of this project required three stages: first, the integration of research and syntheses developed from research programs in which I collaborated; second, the synthesis of the archaeological data; third, the acquisition of new data through archaeological field surveys and through the analysis of plant macrofossils from peatlands. Four sectors that reflect key components of the landscape have been used. As far as possible, research in each sector included archaeological surveys and paleoenvironmental research. Interdisciplinary archaeological, paleoecological, and geoarchaeological studies, combined with GIS, exhibit a heterogenous development that can be seen in two economic cycles: the first, from the Second Iron Age to the High Roman Empire; the second, from the Late Roman Empire to the Early Middle Age. For each economic cycle, human land use and the exploitation of the environment reflect strategies and social-economic choices driven by topography, climate, and available resources (particularly agricultural resources, but also the presence of wood and ore). The proximity of routes of communication reflects important pools of population and the centers of the three cities. Each stage of environmental exploitation is marked by an increase of erosion, peat initiation, and changes in the use of the oldest peatland. Finally, this border area seems to be integrated into the regional economy

This is a study of martial material culture in the context of the Viking Age warrior of Birka, Sweden. The aim is to establish the role, function and affiliation of the Birka warrior and thereby place Birka on the power-political map of the 10th century. The study is based on the excavations of the fortified structures, particularly the Garrison, at the trading post of Birka as well as the extensive remains of material culture deriving from these investigations. A starting hypothesis is that an analysis of material culture constitutes a way of mapping social structures and that style and iconography reflect cultural groups, contacts and loyalties. Based on the case studies of six papers, the synthesis deals with questions of the work and world view of the warriors, as too their relation to their contemporary counterparts in eastern and western Europe. Questions are raised concerning the value and function of symbols in a martial context where material culture reflects rank, status and office. In defining the Birka warrior’s particular stylistic expression, a tool is created and used in the search for contacts and affiliations reflected through the distribution patterns. The results show close contacts with the eastern trading posts located on the rivers Volga and Dnjepr in Ancient Russia. It is stated that these Rus’ trading posts, essentially inhabited by Northmen, shared a common cultural expression that was maintained throughout a vast area by exceptionally close contacts. It is suggested that a particular stylistic expression developed in these Rus’ trading places containing elements of mainly Scandinavian, Steppe nomadic and Byzantine origin. In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that the warriors from Birka’s Garrison had a share in the martial development of contemporary Europe but with their own particular traits. Close relations with the eastern trade route and contact with the powerful Byzantine Empire were enjoyed. As a pointer for future research, it is wondered what organisational form the close-knit structure of the Rus’ trading posts actually took, keeping the subsequent guilds of medieval Europe in mind. The fall of the Garrison, as of Birka, corresponds with the establishment of Christianity in the region. Such changes were not limited to Central Sweden but part of a greater process where a new political structure was developing, better anchored in local concerns.

Les enfants font rarement l’objet d’une étude complète et approfondie en bioarchéologie et leur intégration à la population adulte est souvent limitée. Or, il est reconnu que leurs vestiges dentaires et squelettiques apportent de nombreuses connaissances quant à leur mode de vie et l’environnement dans lequel ils ont grandi. Nous proposons de vérifier ce postulat à partir d’un large échantillon d’individus immatures (N=613, du sujet périnatal à l’adolescent tardif), daté du haut Moyen Âge européen (essentiellement, 9e-11e siècles) et provenant de populations au mode de vie contrasté (urbain vs. rural) : Cherbourg Notre-Dame, Norroy-le-Veneur (France), Mikulcice Kostelisko et Prušánky 1 (République tchèque) ; plus la collection de référence de Spitalfields (Londres, UK) pour certains aspects méthodologiques. Une problématique triple est présentée : à la fois synthétique, comparative et méthodologique, elle cerne ainsi l’ensemble des sujets traitant des individus immatures en bioarchéologie. Si les facteurs biologiques (âge au décès, variabilité intra- et inter-population, profils de croissance squelettique) ne permettent pas de discerner distinctement les individus selon leur mode de vie (hormis les indicateurs de stress non spécifique et les lésions carieuses), les pratiques funéraires — spécifiques selon les cultures — mettent parfaitement en évidence les différences entre les populations. En outre, une étude adaptée à la part non-adulte de la population permet de démontrer des modalités biologiques à partir de collections archéologiques, résultat inédit au vu de tous les facteurs de biais connus. Enfin, de nouveaux outils méthodologiques ont été mis en place (estimation secondaire de l’âge, séquences de minéralisation dentaire, profils de croissance squelettique par analyse de transition) permettant une meilleure intégration des individus immatures aux larges études populationnelles, soulignant l’importance de cette part de la population en bioarchéologie. / Thorough bioarchaeological studies of children populations are few, and their integration into the adult population is often limited. Nevertheless, it is well known that non-adult’s teeth and skeletal remains give a wealth of information about their brief lives, and on the environment where they grew. This study is based on a large skeletal sample (N= 613 individuals ranging from perinates to late adolescence), dated from the Early Middle Age (essentially 9th-11th centuries AD) and belonging to very different lifestyle populations (urban vs. rural): Cherbourg Notre-Dame, Norroy-le-Veneur (France), Mikulcice Kostelisko and Prušánky 1 (Czech Republic) ; plus the identified collection from Spitalfields (London, UK) used for methodological issues. The topic of the study is threefold: Synthetic, comparative, and methodological, in order to give a global point of view on the children in a given bioarchaeological context. The biological patterns studied (age at death, intra- and inter-population variability, skeletal growth profiles) do not demonstrate significant differences between lifestyle, whereas non-specific stress indicators, caries lesions, and funerary practices do and can describe the environment where the children grew. It has also been possible to detect and demonstrate biological patterns within archaeological samples, which is a great result, totally unexpected considering all the biases of such studies. Finally, new methodological approaches have been built (secondary age estimation, dental mineralization sequences, skeletal growth profiles with the transition analysis), allowing a better integration of the immature individuals among large population syntheses. They highlight the non-adult part of population’s great contribution to bioarchaeology.

Les peintures murales de Baouît ont suscité dès leur découverte l’intérêt des historiens de l’art et en particulier des spécialistes de l’Orient chrétien. Devenues un corpus emblématique de l’art copte, à la charnière de l’Antiquité tardive et du haut Moyen Âge, elles représentent une manne iconographique d’autant plus exceptionnelle que les décors de cette période sont rares autour du bassin méditerranéen. Tout en se faisant l’écho des édifices protobyzantins en grande partie disparus, elles rendent compte d’une communauté monastique florissante au début de l’époque arabe. Elles constituent également une source précieuse, complémentaire des textes, sur la vie spirituelle des moines d’Égypte. La présente étude est le fruit d’une synthèse opérée entre la relecture de la documentation ancienne et les données apportées par les investigations récentes. La reprise des travaux archéologiques sur le site invitait à reconsidérer l’ensemble du matériel pictural mis au jour au début du XXe siècle, en vue notamment de préciser, à la lumière des programmes iconographiques et des nouvelles découvertes, la fonction et la datation desdites chapelles. Enfin, elle apporte un éclairage unique sur les peintres qui ont œuvré à Baouît et qui ont transmis, par l’intermédiaire de leur travail pictural, une image de leur communauté et une part de la spiritualité égyptienne. / Since their discovery, the wall paintings from Bawit aroused art historians’ interest, especially among scholars of the Christian East. They are an emblematic corpus of Coptic art, in the transition period between the Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Their significance is even more exceptional, considering the fact that they are very few around the Mediterranean basin. While echoing the largely extinct early byzantine buildings, they reflect a flourishing monastic community at the beginning of the Arab era. They are also a valuable source of information, complementary to the texts, about the spiritual life of the Egyptian monks. This study is the result of a synthesis between the proofreading of the archives and the data provided by the recent investigations. The new start of excavations on the site invited us to reconsider all the pictorial material discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, in order to clarify the function and the date of the said “chapels”, in the light of the iconographic programs and new discoveries. Finally, it gives a unique insight of the painters who have worked at Bawit and who have transmitted, through their pictorial work, an image of their community and a part of the Egyptian spirituality.

De la source à la mer, sur 95 kilomètres, la vallée du Vidourle traverse les différents aspects du géo-système bas-languedocien. Cévennes et bassins sub-cévenols, collines calcaires, garrigue, Camargue s'y juxtaposent en un paysage diversifié. Cet amphithéâtre naturel constitue donc un terrain d'étude privilégié, pour l'étude spatio-temporelle du peuplement de l'âge du Fer à l'an Mil. Occupée depuis des millénaires, cette vallée présente une fenêtre d'une grande richesse sur le passé, permettant de s'interroger sur le comportement de l'Homme vis-à-vis d'un fleuve, à travers ses déplacements et sa façon d'aménager le territoire, mais également d'apporter des éléments de réponse sur le/les rôles du cours d'eau dans cet aménagement. Appuyé sur de nombreux travaux archéologiques déjà avancés (fouilles, prospections, analyses géomorphologiques), ce travail a été complété par de nouvelles études de terrain dans la haute vallée du fleuve, venant élargir nos connaissances sur le peuplement et ayant permis de constituer une base de données de 832établissements sur laquelle se fonde cette analyse. Alliant archéologie, histoire et géographie, ainsi que l'emploi de méthodes d'études reconnues (S.I.G., statistiques etc.), cet axe de recherche met en avant la volonté de proposer un bilan de la question de la dynamique du peuplement dans la vallée du Vidourle. Le cadre chronologique très large accentue ce désir et permet d'avoir une vision plus complète de l'histoire de l'occupation humaine. / From its source to the Mediterranean Sea, the Vidourle valley, 95 km long, meets the various landscapes of the low-Languedoc géo-system. Through its journey, the river runs across the Cévennes (a small chain of mountains), the karstik hills, the garrigue and the camargue. This very rich natural environment is a perfect field for spatio-temporal analysis of settlements from the Iron Age to the High Middle Ages. Occupied since millenaries, this valley is of great archaeological wealth and allow us to question the behavior of man towards a river, through his travels and his way to develop the land, but also provides some answers on the roles of streams in this development. Based on many already advanced archaeological works (excavations, surveys, geomorphological analysis), this study was completed by new fieldworks in the upper valley of the river, expanding our knowledge of the settlement and helping us to provide a database of 832 archeological sites on which this analysis is based. Combining archeology, history and geography, along with the use of well known methods of studies (G.I.S, statistics, etc.), this research highlights the desire to offer a review of the issue of dynamics in valley of Vidourle. The broad chronological framework strengthens this desire and gives a more complete picture of the history of human occupation.