Climate north of the Atlas Mountain belt in NW Africa is dominated by extratropical disturbances. However, climatic controls to the south, where climate transitions from extratropical to tropical regimes, are poorly understood due to a paucity of both instrumental and palaeoclimate data. In this thesis past climate change between the High Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert is reconstructed using the stable isotopic composition and radiometric dating of speleothems. A high-resolution record from the mid-Holocene and a discontinuous record covering the past 400,000 years are developed. Supplemented by U-Th dating of a further four samples, these records indicate increased humidity in this area concomitant with the wider African Humid Period, and indicate a link between the West African Monsoon and humidity north of 30°N. Reconstructed glacial-interglacial scale increases in humidity overlap with "green Sahara" conditions and evidence a recurrent humid corridor connecting NW Africa and the central Sahara that is highly relevant to discussions of prehistoric human migrations. Evidence for a strong influence of high-latitude and solar forcing on decadal to millennial time- scales in this area is also presented. Further to this work, the potential of cadmium-to-calcite ratios as a novel proxy for palaeo-hydrology is confirmed using an annually-resolved trace element, stable isotope and calcite fabric dataset from a North Moroccan stalagmite. The first measurements of cadmium-to-calcite ratios in natural speleothem are here presented, and the palaeoclimatic significance and potential of this proxy for aiding the quantitative reconstruction of changes in calcite precipitation behaviour are demonstrated.

La ville antique d’Ammaedara (aujourd’hui Haïdra) est située dans le centre ouest de la Tunisie, à proximité de la frontière algérienne. Nous nous proposons d’étudier dans cette thèse l’évolution de la colonie d’Ammaedara, issue du camp de la IIIe Legio Augusta, depuis sa fondation au Ier siècle après J.-C. jusqu’à la conquête arabe à la fin du VIIe siècle, à partir des données archéologiques et historiques. L’examen de la documentation ancienne (plans, clichés aériens) et l’acquisition de nouvelles données de terrain (relevés topographiques, prospections sur le site et la campagne), nous permettrons d’étudier l’évolution de l’occupation urbaine et rurale ; l’analyse s’appuie sur un SIG (Système d’Information Géographique), qui permet le traitement et l’analyse des données spatialisées. L’évolution de la topographie urbaine (contexte de l’implantation de l’agglomération, occupation et évolution de l’espace urbain, réseau hydraulique, limites urbaines) et le rapport entre la ville et sa proche campagne (limites du territoire, occupation des faubourgs, approvisionnement) constituent nos principales thématiques d’étude. Nous livrons une synthèse sur la longue durée qui dresse l’état des connaissances sur le site et replace dans son contexte régional et historique l’évolution de la ville aux périodes romaine, vandale et byzantine. / The ancient city of Ammaedara (nowadays Haïdra) is situated in west central Tunisia, near the Algerian border. In this PhD, thanks to the archaeological and historical data, we propose to study the evolution of the colonia of Ammaedara, created from the camp of the Third Augustan Legion, from its foundation in the 1st century CE to the Arabic conquest at the end of the 7th century. The examination of the former documentation (plans, aerial photos) and the obtaining of new data (topographic plans, surveys on the site, land surveys) allow us to study the evolution of the occupation of the city and of its countryside. The analysis is based on a GIS (Geographic Information System), which permit the treatment and the analysis of spatialised data. The evolution of the urban topography (context of the city foundation, occupation and evolution of the urban space, hydraulic network, urban limits) and the relationship between the city and its countryside (limits of the territory, occupation of the suburbs, supply) constitute our main themes of study. We deliver a synthesis on the long term which offer a current state of knowledge of the site and replace the evolution of the city in the regional and historical context during the Roman, Vandal and Byzantine period.

Dans des contextes semi-arides et fortement anthropisés la caractérisation et la quantification des transferts de polluants dans les eaux de surface et vers la mer est importante à appréhender pour aider à une meilleure gestion de la ressource en eau dans un contexte de changements environnementaux. Sur le Nord-africain notamment la difficulté d’obtenir des données en quantité et qualité suffisante est difficile. La présente étude s’intéresse aux mécanismes de transfert des nitrates et des sédiments à l’échelle du bassin versant de la Tafna (7200 km2) et des plus grands fleuves de l'Afrique du Nord par une approche couplant les mesures in situ et le modèle SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). La partie in situ a permis de quantifier la quantité de nitrates apportée par les différents exutoires des sous bassins de la Tafna. Elle a aussi mis en évidence la contribution du bassin versant à l’eutrophisation de la Méditerranée tout en mesurant les quantités de nitrates acheminées vers les eaux marines. Les résultats ont mis en évidence les facteurs qui influent sur les flux et les concentrations en nitrates et notamment l’occupation du sol et les barrages ont une grande influence sur les flux de nitrates dans la Tafna. Les stations d’étude ont été classées selon un gradient d’eutrophisation, les stations amont présentant de fortes concentrations en nitrates, elles s’opposent aux stations avals. Les résultats de simulation sur la période 2003 à 2011 ont montré qu’une grande partie de l'eau de surface de la Tafna provient du ruissellement de surface (59%) et du flux latéral (40%), alors que la contribution des eaux souterraines est insignifiante (1%). La Tafna transfère une quantité annuelle moyenne de 2942 t.an-1 de sédiment vers la mer entre 2003 et 2011. SWAT a montré aussi que les cinq barrages de la Tafna stockent une grande quantité de sédiments, plus de 27 000 t.an-1 (90% des sédiments transportés par la Tafna). Le modèle reproduit aussi le flux de nitrates dans les stations de mesure entre 2003 et 2011. La Tafna transporte une quantité moyenne annuelle de 37 à 86 tN.an-1 jusqu'à la Méditerranée. Sur la base de ces résultats, l’approche de modélisation a pemis d’effectuer un changement d’échelle vers les grands bassins du nord-africain. La simulation a montré que les barrages de la Tafna stockent une quantité importante de nitrates [80 à 486 tN.an- 1], qui représente en moyenne 62% de la quantité totale de nitrates transportée annuellement par le fleuve. L’application du modèle sur les plus grands fleuves d'Afrique du Nord, Moulouya (55 860 km2), Tafna (7 200 km2), Chélif (44 694 km2) Oued el Kbir-Rhumel (8824 km2) et Medjerda (23 213 km2) a permis de représenter les flux d'eau, de sédiments et de nitrate. Les fleuves de cette région transportent une quantité de sédiments de 706 .103tan-1 vers la Mer ou le fleuve Oued Kbir-Rhumel qui contribue à la plus grande quantité (55%).Le flux de nitrates transportés vers la mer est de 5330 tN.an-1, le fleuve Moulouya qui contribue à la plus grande quantité (32%). Les barrages de cette région stockent une grande quantité de sédiments (98%) et de nitrates (39%) transportés par les fleuves vers la Méditerranée. / In semi-arid and highly anthropized area characterization and quantification of pollutant transfers in surface waters and to the sea is important to understand and to help better management of water resources, especially in North Africa, where the of obtaining data in quantity and sufficient quality is difficult. This study investigates mechanisms transfer of nitrate and sediment in the Tafna watershed (7200 km2) and at the biggest coastal rivers in North Africa with an approach, coupling in situ measurements and SWAT model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). The in situ part made it possible to quantify the quantity of nitrates exported by the different Tafna sub-basins. It also highlighted the contribution of the watershed to eutrophication of the Mediterranean Sea by measuring the quantities of nitrates transported to marine waters. The quantities transferred are important in the high water season while they decrease in the rivers during the dry season. The results highlighted the factors that influence the nitrates flux and nitrate concentrations; the land use has a great influence on the nitrate flux in the Tafna. The study stations were classified according to the eutrophication gradient. The upstream stations with high nitrates concentration, oppose downstream stations. Modeling results showed that Tafna's surface water comes from surface runoff (59%) and lateral flow (40%), while the contribution from groundwater was insignificant (1%). Tafna has transferred an average annual amount of 2942 t.yr-1 of sediment to the sea. SWAT has also shown that dams store a large amount of sediment, over 27 000 t.yr-1 (90% of the sediments transported by Tafna). The model also reproduced the nitrates flux at the gauging stations between 2003 and 2011. The Tafna carries 37-86 tN.yr-1 to the Mediterranean Sea and Tafna dams store a large quantity of nitrates [80 and 486 tN.yr-1], which represents an average 62% of the total amount of nitrates transported annually by the river. The application of the model at largest scale in North Africa, Moulouya (55,860 km2), Tafna (7,200 km2), Chelif (44,694 km2) Oued el Kbir-Rhumel (8,824 km2) and Medjerda (23,213 km2) showed that the rivers of this region carry 706.103t.yr-1 of sediments to the Sea. The Oued Kbir-Rhumel River contributes with the greatest quantity (55%), whereas the nitrate flows transported towards the sea is 5330 tN.yr-1 and the Medjerda River contributes with the largest amount (32%). Dams in this region store a large amount of sediment (98%) and nitrate (39%) transported by rivers to the Mediterranean.

La ricerca propone un quadro di sintesi sull'economia africana tardoantica. Si analizzano le strutture di produzione delle derrate alimentari liquide - olio, vino, garum – e le officine ceramiche funzionali alla produzione di sigillata africana e anfore quali strumenti per una migliore definizione del paesaggio economico africano. Lo studio della produzione rurale e urbana e l’esame dei percorsi delle merci permettono di comprendere così le trasformazioni economiche e sociali delle province di Zeugitana e Bizacena tra il IV e il VII secolo d.C. / The research is a synthesis of the Late Antique economy in North Africa. The analysis focus on foodstuff production – oil, wine, garum – and pottery production, especially on ARS ware and african amphorae, as tools for defining the economic landscape. The study of the rural and urban landscape and the study of the trade routes allow us to understand the economic and social transformations of the provinces of Zeugitana and Byzacena between the 4th and the 7th century AD.

No description available.

The topic of this thesis is the palaestrae of Roman Africa. Although many examples of palaestrae have been found in North Africa, there has never been a study solely focused on these facilities. They have usually been considered only in the context of Roman baths and as features of bath buildings. This thesis examines palaestrae in a new light and analyzes their role as athletic facilities within the sporting culture of Roman Africa. The Roman provinces of North Africa have yielded a particularly rich body of evidence for athletic games and festivals, making this region ideal for studying this topic. The concern of the thesis is twofold. The first issue is the design and construction of palaestrae in Roman Africa. There is discussion of their form, of construction techniques, and of their place in the overall design of baths. The second issue is how their form relates to function. There is a discussion of how palaestrae accommodated athletic activities, such as training and competition. The thesis concludes that palaestrae in Roman Africa were an important part of local athletic culture, used for training and possibly for competition. Greek and Roman models influenced their design, but climate played a significant role. Great effort was made to ensure these buildings were kept cool, not only by placing them in less exposed areas but also by insulating them from the heated rooms of the baths. Local resources and building techniques were important factors in their construction. This thesis includes a gazetteer of palaestra sites in Roman Africa and a catalogue of all inscriptions relevant to the use of palaestrae. / Classical Archaeology

This dissertation explores the diverging social spending patterns in labour-abundant regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It is motivated by two main research questions: 1. Why have social spending levels and social policy trajectories writ large diverged so drastically across labour-abundant MENA regimes? 2. How can we explain the market persistence of spending levels after divergence? To answer the first question, this study develops a theory about the emergence of authoritarian welfare states. It argues that autocratic leaders need both the incentives and the abilities to distribute welfare for authoritarian welfare states to emerge. The former are shaped by coalition building dynamics at the onset of regime formation while the latter are conditioned by the external environment. At the level of incentives, broad coalitions emerge in the presence of intra-elite conflict and the absence of salient communal cleavages and, if present jointly, provide a strong incentive for welfare provision. Conversely, a cohesive elite or salient communal division entail small coalitions with few incentives to distribute welfare broadly. At the level of abilities, a strong external threat to regime survival is expected to undermine the ability to provide social welfare in broad coalitions. Facing a 'butter or guns' trade-off, elites shift priority to security expenditures and the population accepts that because no alternative regime could credibly commit to neglecting external defence in the presence of external threats. Only an abundant resource endowment can provide the necessary resources to avert this trade-off. To answer the second question, I rely on two important mechanisms in the welfare state literature to explain path dependance. The first one can broadly be summarised as 'constituency politics' in that beneficiaries of social policies succesfully avert deviations from the spending path in the form of systemic reforms or large-scale spending cuts. Mobilisation of these constituencies should be particularly vigourous if initial advantages conferred to these groups habe been reinforced over time, for instance, because these groups grew in size or got entrenched in the state administration. The second mechanisms are spill-over effects to unintended beneficiaries who can over time become important gatekeepers against path divergence. Methodologically, the study is characterised by a mixed-methods approach which combines quantitative tests with the analysis of qualitative evidence in the form of arhcival material, newspapers, and field interviews. Moreover, the study also follows a multi-level approach in that the viability of the argument is tested comparatively at the cross-country level and process-traced at the micro-level in two in-depth case studies of Tunisia and Egypt.

La présente étude a pour but d'analyser le discours féminin francophone dans les textes d'Assia Dejbar,de Calixthe Beyala, d'Aminata Sow Fall et de Nedjma. L'intitulé de la recherche rend compte de deux concepts majeurs: l'interlangue et la radicalisation. Nous fondons notre réflexion en trois grandes paries, la première, définit l'interlangue et interroge l'existence ou non d'objectifs communs à son utilisation par les femmes romancières. La deuxième partie, analyse à travers de nouvelles approches théoriques et critiques sur la langue, les romans Nulle part dans la maison de mon père, Femme nue, femme noire, La Grève des bàttu et L'Amande. La troisième partie quant à elle, traite de la notion de radicalisation par la mise en évidence de la langue du corps, reflétée dans l'ensemble de l'écriture. La lecture des textes littéraires a permis de les scinder en deux catégories. D'une part, il y a les romans qui fustigent et luttent au moyen d'une langue pudique et réservée, et, d'autre part, ceux qui dénoncent et s'affirment, à travers une langue extrêmement transgressive et violente. / The present study aims at analyzing the female speech in the texts of Assia Dejbar, Calixthe Beyala, Aminata Sow Fall and Nedjma. The title of the research accounts for two major concepts: interlanguage and radicalization. We base our reflection on three main bets, the first one, defines the interlanguage and questions the existence or not of objectives common to its use by women novelists. The second part, analyzes through new theoretical and critical approaches on language, novels Nowhere in my father's house, Naked woman, black woman, The strike of the battu and the almond. The third part deals with the notion of radicalization by emphasizing the language of the body, reflected in the whole of writing. The reading of the literary texts allowed to divide them into two categories. On the one hand, there are novels that lash and fight by means of a modest and reserved language, and, on the other hand, those who denounce and affirm themselves, through an extremely transgressive and violent language.

Ancêtre du rebec médiéval, emblème de la musique arabo-andalouse ou encore instrument favori des bédouins arabes pour l’accompagnement de leurs récits et de leurs poèmes, le rebab, sous ses différentes variantes joue encore plusieurs fonctions et rôles qui diffèrent d’un peuple à l’autre et d’une région à une autre. Cette thèse a pour but l’étude approfondie des rebabs de l’Afrique du nord et du Moyen-Orient. Chaque variante de cet instrument est étudiée sur plus d’un plan : historique, organologique, musical et même acoustique. La classification et la muséologie de cet instrument, avec ses différentes variantes, sont aussi abordées dans ce travail. L’intérêt de cette thèse, réside dans l’étude approfondie des différents types de cet instrument, ainsi qu’aux liens existants entre eux, car nous pensons qu’aujourd’hui, tout comme pour le sujet du ‘ūd ou tout autre instrument, il faudrait avoir une approche scientifique globale sur le sujet du rebab. / Ancestor of the medieval rebec, the emblem of the Arab-Andalusian music or the favorite instrument of the Arabics Bedouins for the accompaniment of their narratives and their poems, the rebab, under its various variants, still plays several roles and functions which differ from each people and each region. This thesis aims at the in-depth study of the rebabs of North Africa and the Middle East. Every variant of this instrument is studied on more than a plan: history, organology, musical and even acoustic. The classification and the museology of this instrument, with its various variants, are also approached on this work. The interest of this thesis, lives in the in-depth study of the various types of this instrument, as well as in the existing links between them, because we think that today, as for the 'ud or any other instrument, it would be necessary to have a global scientific approach about the rebab.

Yersinia pestis, agent causal de la peste, persiste dans la nature maintenu par un cycle enzootique dans des foyers conduisant à la réémergence de la maladie. En Afrique du Nord, où une réémergence a eu lieu après des années de ‘silence’, nous avons répertorié les différents épisodes ainsi que le nombre de cas en sur six pays à compter de 1940 en mettant en évidence l’importation de la maladie et un mode de contamination négligé, la transmission par voie orale. Une étude en Algérie sur 237 micromammifères confirme deux foyers et en revèle trois nouveaux porteurs d’un nouveau génotype (MST) de biotype Orientalis. Apodemus sylvaticus est par la même ajouté à la liste des rongeurs pestiférés. La projection des foyers de peste ainsi actualisés sur une carte géographique et écologique met en évidence la proximité des foyers de peste aux points d’eau saumâtre. Une étude statistique a confirmé une corrélation significative entre foyer de peste/eau salée à une proximité minimale <3 km en comparaison à des zones d’eau douce. Des échantillons environnementaux salés ont permis l’isolement d’une souche Y. pestis Algeria 3. Cette découverte confortée par l’observation expérimentale de la résistance de Y. pestis à un milieu hyper salé à 150g/L NaCl se traduisant par un protéome spécifique en réponse à ce stress avec une forme d’adaptation de type forme L de la bactérie dans ce type d’environnement. Notre travail éclaire de façon originale un facteur méconnu de persistance tellurique de Y. pestis, conditionnant la réémergence de la peste dans des foyers séculaires au Maghreb contrairement aux rivages Nord de la Méditerranée où la peste autochtone a disparu depuis un siècle. / Yersinia pestis, the causal agent of plague, persists in nature maintained by an enzootic cycle in foci leading to the re-emergence of the disease. In North Africa, where re-emergence took place after years of 'silence', we have listed the various episodes and the number of cases in six countries from 1940 onwards, highlighting the importation of the disease and A method of neglected contamination, oral transmission. A study in Algeria on 237 micromammals confirms two foci and reveals three new carriers of a new genotype (MST) of orientalis biotype. Apodemus sylvaticus is by the same added to the list of plague rodents. The projection of the plague foci thus updated on a geographical and ecological map highlights the proximity of plague foci to brackish water points. A statistical study confirmed a significant correlation between plague / salt water at a minimal proximity <3 km compared to freshwater areas. Saline environmental samples allowed the isolation of a Y. pestis Algeria 3 strain. This discovery was confirmed by the experimental observation of the resistance of Y. pestis to a hyper-saline medium at 150 g / L NaCl resulting in a specific proteome In response to this stress with an adaptation form of form L of the bacterium in this type of environment. Our work illuminates in an original way an unknown factor of telluric persistence of Y. pestis, conditioning the re-emergence of the plague in secular centers in the Maghreb unlike the northern shores of the Mediterranean where the indigenous plague has disappeared for a century.