The excavations in Jauranga revealed a sequence of archaeological contexts distributed over a stratigraphy with a depth of morethan three meters. Within this stratigraphy we found the remains of numerous adobe walls pertaining to structures of a settlement dating to the Middle and Late Paracas periods. Forty nine funerary contexts from different phases of the Paracas culture were embedded in the stratified layers and structural remains. Furthermore, we recorded 31 intrusive burials of the Nasca culture.The stratigraphic analysis of the structural remains in their relation to the associated artifacts and non-artifactual finds, the ty- pological analysis of the ceramic artifacts from the stratified layers and from the burial contexts, as well as numerous radiocarbon dates allowed us for the first time to establish a chronological ordering of the developmental phases of the Paracas culture based on stratigraphic contexts. The results of these analyses helped to confirm the validity of the results of the stylistic seriation of the Paracas ceramics from the Ica valley published by Menzel, Rowe and Dawson in 1964. Based on the stratigraphic evidence recorded in Jauranga, we discuss aspects of chronology, type and function of the site, as well as their implications for the local and regional archaeological contexts. / Las excavaciones en Jauranga pusieron al descubierto un conjunto de contextos arqueológicos distribuidos en una estratigrafíade más de tres metros de profundidad, en donde destacan los restos de muros de barro, correspondientes a numerosas estructuras arquitectónicas superpuestas. Estas últimas forman parte de un asentamiento de los períodos Paracas Medio y Paracas Tardío. Asimismo, entre las capas y los restos arquitectónicos, se descubrieron 49 contextos funerarios pertenecientes a diferentes fases Paracas y 31 entierros intrusivos de filiación nasca.El análisis estratigráfico de los restos arquitectónicos en relación con los materiales y artefactos asociados, la clasificación de los materiales cerámicos tanto de las capas como de las tumbas, así como el fechado de los mismos a través de numerosas muestras de C14, nos han permitido por primera vez tener un ordenamiento cronológico de las fases de desarrollo de la cultura Paracas sobre la base de los contextos estratificados. Esto, de algún modo, nos ha ayudado a comprobar la validez de la seriación estilística propuesta para la cerámica paracas del valle de Ica por Menzel, Rowe y Dawson (1964). En este manuscrito, se presentan las evidencias registradas y documentadas en Jauranga, a partir de las cuales se discutirán aspectos relacionados con la cronología, el tipo y función del sitio, así como sus implicancias en el contexto de arqueología local y regional.

Rethinking the Middle Horizon: A Case Study at Conchopata, Ayacucho, PerúKnowledge about the past is socially created, in historical contexts that influence how we understand and interpret archaeological information. Consequently, as time change we must be prepared to modify our thinking about prehispanic cultures. The Middle Horizon cultural period and the archaeological site of Conchopata, in Peru's Ayacucho valley, seemed very well understood but recent excavations have revealed unexpected new possibilities.Archaeologists believed that a new religious ideology spread from Tiwanaku initiated the Middle Horizon at Conchopata. But newly defined «D»-shaped temple buildings, associated with the art called «Tiwanaku» have no parallels in Tiwanaku´s Lake Titicaca homeland.Conchopata was considered haphazard in form, occupied primarily by specialists in the production of pottery. But new research shows that much of Conchopata's architectural core was planned and enclosed by perimeter walls, and a palace may have been located in the city's architectural core. Numerous new offerings of giant pottery have been excavated, suggesting that these ceremonial ceramics may have been brewing and serving sets for feast organized by ancient kings. Several forms of burials have been identified ranging from interments to Bedrock Cavity Interment and Mortuary Building Interments, and one grave might have been a royal tomb. Finally a suite of radiocarbon dates confirm much thinking about Middle Horizon chronology, but they suggest that Tiwanaku iconography did not arrive at Conchopata until the middle of the phase, when a long tradition of polychrome ceramic painting already existed. Apparently Conchopata was more than the recipient of new religion and art from the Altiplano. We must be prepared to abandon old ideas about Conchopata and the Middle Horizon as more convincing understandings emerge. / El conocimiento del pasado se crea socialmente, en contextos históricos que influyen en la forma en que se entiende e interpreta la información arqueológica. En consecuencia, a medida que los tiempos cambian, los arqueólogos deben estar preparados para modificar su forma de pensar acerca de las culturas prehispánicas. Tanto el periodo cultural denominado Horizonte Medio como el sitio arqueólogico de Conchopata, en el valle de Ayacucho, Perú, parecían bien comprendidos hasta el momento; sin embargo, excavaciones recientes han revelado nuevas e inesperadas posibilidades.Los arqueólogos creían que una nueva ideología religiosa proveniente de Tiwanaku dio comienzo al Horizonte Medio en Conchopata, pero los recientemente definidos templos en forma de «D», que se encuentran asociados con el arte denominado «Tiwanaku», no tienen paralelo en el área de origen de Tiwanaku en el lago Titicaca.Conchopata era considerado como un centro de forma irregular y habitado primariamente por especialistas en la elaboracion de cerámica, pero las nuevas investigaciones demuestran que gran parte de su núcleo arquitectónico fue bien planificado y circundado por muros perimetrales y que podría haber existido un palacio en él. Se han excavado numerosas ofrendas de cerámica gigante, lo que sugiere que esta cerámica ceremonial podría haber sido usada para preparar y servir bebidas en fiestas organizadas por los antiguos reyes. Varias formas de contextos funerarios han sido identificados, desde estructuras simples, en cavidades en la roca madre, hasta construcciones mortuorias especiales. Finalmente, un conjunto de fechados radiocarbónicos confirma algunas ideas acerca del Horizonte Medio, pero sugieren también que la iconografía Tiwanaku no llegó a Conchopata hasta mediados de su ocupación, cuando una larga tradición de cerámica polícroma ya existía en la zona. Aparentemente, Conchopata fue mucho más que un simple receptor de una nueva religión y arte procedentes del altiplano. Por ello, los arqueólogos deben estar preparados para dejar de lado viejas ideas acerca de este complejo y del Horizonte Medio, a medida que emergen interpretaciones más convincentes.

Middle Horizon Textiles: Evidence from Huaca Malena, Asia ValleyArchaeological research was undertaken in 1997 at Huaca Malena in the Asia valley of Peru's south central coast, under the auspices of the Asia Municipal Government. The archaeological complex consists of an Early Intermediate architectural complex that has a huge Middle Horizon Epoch 2B and 3 cemetery intruded into its upper platforms. These intrusive tombs consist of circular pits containing several individuals. Textile wrappings on the bodies reveal a stratified society in which elites possessed extremely fine weavings characterized by Wari iconography reminiscent of the Conchopata and Atarco ceramic styles. Also associated, however, are textiles from other regional traditions, providing a new and broader vision of Middle Horizon societies. / Bajo los auspicios de la Municipalidad de Asia, en 1997 se realizaron estudios en el sitio denominado Huaca Malena, valle de Asia, costa sur-central del Perú. Esta es una construcción del Periodo lntermedio Temprano, sobre cuyas plataformas superiores se emplazó un gran cementerio correspondiente a las épocas 2B y 3 del Horizonte Medio. Las tumbas intrusivas son de planta circular y contienen varios individuos. Los fardos funerarios reflejan una sociedad estratificada cuyos contextos de elite contienen finísimos tejidos con iconografía wari, que recuerda a La cerámica de los estilos Conchopata y Atarco. Asociados a estos, igualmente, aparecen tejidos relacionados a otras tradiciones regionales y locales, lo que permite obtener una visión más amplia de las sociedades del Horizonte Medio.

"El Castillo" de Huarmey: A Middle Horizon Burial PlatformDue to excellent conditions of preservation excavations at the Middle Horizon site "El Castillo" de Huarmey have yielded many textiles. It is now clear that the majority of the textiles known as "Moche-Huari" come from this site. In this paper architectural remains at the site and other surface findings are described and discussed. These new data shed interesting light on cultural dynamics in this region during the Middle Horizon. / Gracias a unas excelentes condiciones de conservación, se ha podido recuperar un gran número de tejidos del "Castillo" de Huarmey, complejo correspondiente al Horizonte Medio. La mayoría de los tejidos "moche-huari" que se conocen actualmente provienen de este sitio. En este trabajo se discuten tambien los restos arquitectónicos conservados, así como hallazgos de superficie de otros tipos de materiales. Los datos obtenidos revelan aspectos interesantes acerca de la dinámica cultural en esta región durante el Horizonte Medio.

Por meio da análise das máscaras funerárias do Egito Romano procuramos discutir algumas questões relevantes sobre a sociedade egípcia de então. A principal delas é a criação de uma elite local de origem “grega” pelo governo romano e seu papel na propagação de elementos de origem grega e romana no meio cultural egípcio, os quais podem ser observados nas características faciais e no tipo de vestimenta retratados nas máscaras funerárias. Estas formas artísticas variavam cronológica e geograficamente, conforme as particularidades regionais e o interesse da elite dominante aliada ao Império Romano. Nesta complexa rede de relações sociais, as crenças funerárias do Egito Romano mantêm a tradição que remonta ao período faraônico. A máscara pode ser considerada tanto como uma salvaguarda da memória social do morto, o qual preserva assim seu status social, como seu duplo e substituto mágico no Além. / Through the analysis of burial masks of Roman Egypt we discuss some relevant issues bearing on the Egyptian society of those times. Prominent among them is the creation of a local elite of “Greek”origin by the Roman government, and its role in the propagation of elements of Greek and Roman origin in the Egyptian cultural milieu, which can be observed in the facial characteristics and in the garments portrayed in the burial masks. These artistic forms varied chronologically and geographically, according to the regional particularities and the interest of the dominant elite, allied to the Roman Empire. In this complex network of social relationships the funerary beliefs of the Roman Egypt mantain the tradition which reaches back to the pharaonic period. The mask may be considered as much as a safeguard of the social memory of the dead, which, in this way, preserves his social status, as well as his double one and magic substitute in the Beyond.

Ce travail propose de questionner un manque apparent de référents iconographiques à la pratique sacrificielle en Colombie préhispanique, alors que les récits du XVIe siècle l’évoquent aussi vigoureusement que dans d’autres aires panaméricaines. Deux axes de recherche ont été menés : une étude de cas pluridisciplinaire sur les Muiscas des hauts plateaux de Bogotá a permis d’étudier le lien existant entre l’acte et l’image, puis notre recherche s’est étendue à un ensemble iconographique macroscopique, pour en définir les modélisations socio-culturelles. Une définition et une interrogation des limites chronologiques, linguistiques, territoriales et politiques d’un tel travail ont été entreprises. Le récolement muséographique et iconographique, élargi à l’ensemble de la Colombie préhispanique, en forge l’essence même. Au sein du groupe muisca, un corpus ethno-historique des sacrifices humains a été compilé, et ses traces archéologiques ont été réévaluées, au sein de classements typologiques respectifs.L’étude des rites sacrificiels muiscas, associée à celle de leurs mythes cosmogoniques, a permis de définir un ensemble de symboliques, confirmées par les schèmes funéraires et l’iconographie. L’élargissement de cette analyse à d’autres productions iconographiques, au sein des frontières actuelles de Colombie, a permis de concevoir l’image à la fois comme une source d’information sur des rituels précis, en tant que support de représentation, mais également comme un vecteur de concepts symboliques et une écriture codifiée, un objet d’étude en lien à son support fonctionnel. Cette approche iconographique renouvelée permet à la fois de comprendre que le réalisme n’est pas le seul biais de compréhension d’une image, mais également que derrière d’apparentes dissemblances culturelles, il existe une unité conceptuelle et symbolique définissant les productions mythologiques, funéraires, architecturales, politiques, et enfin iconographiques des groupes étudiés. / This research enquires the apparent lack of iconographical display of sacrificial practices in Pre-Hispanic Colombia, while its ethno-historical depictions in the 16th century are as vivid as in the other parts of the continent. The proposed methodology consists of two lines of investigation. The first part offers a multidisciplinary case study on the Muisca culture in the highlands of Bogotá. Their sacrificial images and practices allowed to investigate the link between the sacrificial act and its representation. The second part extends its pattern to a macroscopic iconographical study, with the aim of modelling socio-cultural applications to a wider framework. We presented the chronological, linguistic, territorial and political limits of such work. An inventory of iconographical sources and museum collections, enlarged to the whole Pre-Hispanic Colombian productions, forms the essence of this work. For the Muisca culture itself, an ethno-historical corpus of sources was compiled allowing the revaluation of its archaeological traces, providing a typological classification for each.The study of Muisca sacrificial rituals, in association with their cosmogonical myths, allowed the investigation of a whole symbolic system, supported by both archaeological and iconographical data. By widening our frame of investigation to other iconography production within the frontiers of present day Colombia, we came ton conceive those images as a representative source on specific rites, but also as the vehicle of conceptual symbolisms and as a codified writing system, an object of study in relation to its functional support. This renewed iconographical approach proved that realism is not the only approach to our understanding of images, but also that beyond apparent cultural dissimilarities, the unity of the symbolism stands and governs the cultural productions in various ways, may it be mythological, funerary, architectural, political or iconographical.

Au cours des dernières décennies, la multiplication des fouilles d’ensembles funéraires a entraîné un renouvellement des connaissances sur les pratiques funéraires médiévales et elle a permis de réaliser des synthèses sur le sujet à l’échelle locale ou régionale. Dans l’espace méditerranéen nord-occidental, un territoire n’avait encore jamais fait l’objet d’une telle étude : la Corse. Cette recherche se propose de pallier ce constat par une analyse archéo-anthropologique du matériel issu des fouilles récentes de trois cimetières, à l’époque associés à des sièges épiscopaux : Ajaccio, Mariana et Sagone. Ces ensembles funéraires se caractérisent par une longue durée d’utilisation et une diversité des types de sépultures. L’objectif principal étant, à travers l’analyse des pratiques funéraires, d’approcher la composante culturelle des populations, les permanences et les évolutions au cours du temps. Il s’agit ainsi de mettre en évidence les spécificités relatives à chaque période et à chaque site et de les replacer dans le contexte plus général du bassin méditerranéen nord-occidental, afin d’en souligner d’éventuelles influences culturelles ou la formation de traditions locales. Cette première échelle d’analyse est couplée à une étude biologique des populations inhumées dans le but de caractériser le recrutement funéraire des cimetières, la reconnaissance de groupes familiaux ou sociaux ainsi que l’état sanitaire des populations. L’ensemble de ces éléments est dans un troisième temps replacé à l’échelle de l’espace funéraire, de manière à caractériser son organisation et sa place dans le paysage. / For several decades, the multiplication of the excavations of burial sets led to a renewal of knowledge on medieval funerary practices and allowed to operate syntheses on the subject at the local or regional level. In the North-Western Mediterranean area, a territory had never yet been the subject of a study on the topic: Corsica. This research proposes to overcome this observation by an archaeo-anthropological analysis of the archaeological material from recent excavations of three cemeteries associated with episcopal seats: Ajaccio, Sagone and Mariana. These cemeteries are characterised by a long period of use and a diversity of burials’ types. The main objective is, through the analysis of burial practices, to approach the cultural component, its permanencies and its evolutions over time. It is as well to highlight the specificities relating to each period at each site and to replace them in the larger context of North-Western Mediterranean basin, in order to underline any cultural influences or the formation of local traditions. This first level of analysis is coupled with a biological study of populations who were buried in order to characterize the funeral recruitment of the cemeteries, the recognition of the family or the social groups as well as the health status of the populations. All of these elements is, in a third step, replaced at the scale of the funerary space, so as to characterize its organization and its place in the landscape.

L’objet de cette thèse vise à restituer les pratiques funéraires d’une partie du territoire atrébate entre la fin de l’Âge du Fer et le début du IIIe s. apr. J.-C. Il est situé à l’est de la Cité des Atrébates, à la rencontre avec les Cités des Nerviens et des Ménapiens. L’Ostrevant n’existe pas en tant que tel dans l’Antiquité. Néanmoins, il correspond à une réalité antique mise en avant par la spécificité des pratiques funéraires par rapport au reste de la Cité et à celles qui l’environnent, soulignant ainsi la nécessité de réaliser des études à l’échelle micro-régionale.Le monde funéraire constitue aujourd’hui une thématique privilégiée, pour laquelle la masse de données rassemblées grâce à l’activité de l’archéologie préventive permet d’effectuer des synthèses de ce type. Le catalogue a été réalisé à partir des données brutes de fouilles d’ensembles funéraires faites par la Direction de l'Archéologie Préventive de la Communauté d'Agglomération du Douaisis (CAD-DAP), augmenté par le dépouillement des rapports de fouilles effectuées dans la région Nord-Pas-de-Calais par les différents opérateurs de l’archéologie préventive. Plus de six cents sépultures sont ainsi inventoriées dans l’Ostrevant, et plus de deux mille dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais et sur la frontière belge. L’étude se découpe en sept chapitres articulés autour du traitement fait aux morts par les vivants : l’ensemble funéraire dans son espace naturel et la relation par rapport aux vivants, l’étape du bûcher, la gestion des résidus de crémation, le traitement des os brûlés du défunt, la constitution de la tombe, et les dépôts de mobilier. Un volet chronologique ouvre l’étude. Enfin, un chapitre synthétique traitant de la signification de la tombe et des dimensions sociales, culturelles et historiques clôt la thèse. / The aim of the thesis is to relate the funeral practices from a part of the territory of the Atrebates between the end of the Iron Age and the beginning of the third century A.D. It is situated at the east of the Civitas Atrebatorum, at the meeting point with the Civitas Nerviorum and the Civitas Menapiorum. The Ostrevant did not exist during antiquity ; however, it corresponds to an antique reality emphasized by the specificity of the funeral practices in comparison with the rest of the Civitas and surrounding areas, thus underlining the interest of doing studies on a micro-regional scale.The funeral world represents a privileged subject in contemporary archaeological research, and the synthesis undertaken in this thesis was made possible by the large amount of data collected by preventive archaeologists. The inventory gathers the data from the excavations of cemeteries led by the archaeological service of the Douaisis (CAD-DAP), augmented by the results of excavations made in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais by various departments of preventive archaeology. More than 600 graves have been unearthed in the Ostrevant, and more than 6000 have been excavated in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais.The study consists of seven chapters, organized around the treatment given to the dead by the living : the cemetery in its natural context and its relation with the living, the stage of the cremation, the management of the cremation residues, the treatment of the burned bones of the dead, the constitution of the grave, and the offerings. A chronological chapter opens the study. Finally, a synthetic chapter treating the significance of the grave and the social, cultural and historical dimensions closes the thesis.

Le site des Ruelles, à Serris (Seine-et-Marne), émerge dans le cadre d’une création d’habitats au VIIe s. Il débute avec l’implantation d’une ferme domaniale et s’achève au début du XIe s. après une résurgence du pôle de pouvoir au Xe s. L’opération archéologique menée sur 16 hectares, s’inscrit dans un terroir largement exploré par l’archéologie ; elle révèle un habitat groupé bipolaire et un grand ensemble funéraire qui s’est développé autour de deux édifices religieux dont l’un est abandonné à la fin du VIIIe s. Avec les petits ensembles funéraires dispersés dans l’habitat, les Ruelles comptent un peu plus d’un millier de sépultures. Ce travail a pour objectif de classer et d’étudier les phénomènes taphonomiques du squelette afin d’identifier les architectures funéraires et de comprendre leur évolution (analyse typochronologique). Concernant cet aspect, la synthèse s’accompagne du catalogue analytique exhaustif des sépultures. Un second volet concerne l’analyse des pratiques funéraires, de manière à mettre en évidence les formes d’organisation sociale qu’elles transcrivent ; cette partie aborde l’analyse du recrutement (sexe et âge au décès) par phases chronologiques, la répartition spatiale des sépultures en fonction des choix architecturaux et du sexe et de l’âge au décès, les formes de regroupements et la gestion matérielle de l’espace, les continuités et les discontinuités spatiales, ainsi que les rapports entretenus par les différentes zones d’inhumation. Sont enfin discutés la genèse des pôles funéraires, les modalités de leur développement, le rôle des deux édifices religieux, le statut des différents groupes dégagés par l’étude des pratiques funéraires, la relation entre les lieux d’habitat et les espaces sépulcraux, et aussi les modalités de gestion et d’organisation des morts dans ce territoire. Ces conclusions s’inscrivent dans les questionnements relatifs à l’organisation et à l’évolution des sociétés rurales du haut Moyen Âge. / The site of Les Ruelles, at Serris (Seine-et-Marne, France), emerges within the framework of a creation of settlements in the 7th century. It begins with the establishment of a domanial farm and is abandoned at the beginning of the 11th century after the revival of the pole of power in the 10th century. The archaeological excavations covering16 hectares, fit in a territory largely explored by archaeology ; it reveals a bipolar agglomerated settlement and a major funerary unit which developed around two religious buildings of which one is destroyed at the end of the 8th century. By taking into account the small funerary units dispersed in the different parts of the “pre-village”, Les Ruelles add up to a little more than one thousand burials. This work aims to classify and study the taphonomic phenomena of the skeleton in order to identify funerary architectures and to understand their evolution (typochronological analyses). Concerning this aspect, the synthesis is accompanied by the exhaustive analytical catalogue of the burials. A second orientation relates to the analysis of the funerary practices, to highlight the shapes of social organization that they are supposed to transcribe. This part approaches the analysis of sex and age repartition by chronological phases, the spatial distribution of the burials according to the architectural choices and to the sex and the age at death, the forms of regroups and the material management of the funeral settlement, the spatial continuities and discontinuities, as well as the relations maintained by the various burial units between them. Are finally discussed the genesis of the funerary poles, the way in which they develop, the role of the two religious buildings, the status of the various groups revealed by the study of the funerary practices, the relation between domestic and sepulchralplaces, and also the patterns of management and organization in this territory. The conclusions fit in to the general questioning relating to the organization and the evolution of the rural societies of the Early middle ages.

O presente trabalho propõe um enfoque na arte e no estilo da cerâmica arqueológica funerária da Amazônia com o objetivo de aprofundar o entendimento sobre as formas de organização social e as dinâmicas précoloniais de ocupação humana da região. Utilizando-nos de conceitos da antropologia social e da antropologia da arte sobre estilo e agência, analisamos os objetos rituais funerários enquanto mediadores e transformadores das relações sociais. Uma incursão exploratória na etnologia de rituais funerários, em particular nas implicações do perspectivismo ameríndio sobre as concepções de humanidade, ancestralidade, morte, corpo e alma na Amazônia, somada a um breve panorama da variabilidade estilística das urnas antropomorfas das diferentes tradições e fases cerâmicas arqueológicas, propomos alguns parâmetros comparativos para a correlação entre estilos funerários e formas de reprodução social. Os parâmetros propostos são então verificados para o caso particular de um conjunto de urnas funerárias da fase marajoara. Concluímos que a cerâmica ritual e, em particular a funerária, apresenta um enorme potencial analítico para resolvermos algumas incongruências epistemológicas que tem se apresentado entre a arqueologia e a etnologia da Amazônia, notadamente sobre os diferentes princípios de organização social das sociedades do passado e do presente. / This dissertation proposes a focus on the art and style of archeological funerary vessels from Amazonia to improve understanding of patterns of social organization and pre-colonial change in the human occupation of the region. Drawing from concepts about style and agency in social anthropology and the anthropology of art, we analyze objects in funerary rituals as mediators and transformers of social relations. An exploratory incursion into the ethnology of funerary rituals, especially the implications of Amerindian perspectivist conceptions of humanity, ancestry, death and soul in Amazonia, and a summary comparative panorama of the stylistic variation of anthropomorphic urns from different archaeological ceramic traditions and phases, we propose some comparative parameters for correlations between funerary styles and forms of social reproduction. These parameters are then examined for the particular case of funerary vessels from the Marajoara phase. We conclude that ritual ceramics, especially funerary ceramics, presents an enormous analytical potential for resolving epistemological incongruences that have appeared in Amazonian archaeology and ethnology, notably that of different principles of social organization in the past and present.