La maîtrise du feu est l’une des innovations majeures de l’histoire humaine et l'une des premières preuves de notre humanité. Le foyer est par excellence un lieu fédérateur. Son rôle social est évidemment essentiel au sein d’une population et a sans doute contribué au développement de la communication. Mais l’apport le plus important que procure le feu à l’être humain est la possibilité de cuire ses aliments, améliorant le menu quotidien de la famille préhistorique. Dans le cadre de cette recherche doctorale, les structures de combustion du Proche-Orient et plus précisément de la Syrie datant de la période néolithique (10000-7000 BP) font l’objet d’une analyse approfondie, réalisée sur plusieurs aspects. Notre étude s’oriente vers trois objectifs essentiels : (1) démontrer la possibilité d’une évolution morphologique et technique des structures de combustion, (2) démontrer l’importance sociale des dispositifs de combustion au sein de la communauté villageoise du Néolithique, et (3) reconstituer les modes d’utilisation possibles des structures de combustion néolithiques. Pour atteindre nos objectifs, deux méthodes d’analyse, directe et indirecte, ont été suivies. La méthode directe s’appuie sur analyser la structure de feu directement dans son contexte d’origine sur le terrain par un system de fouille fine. La méthode indirecte est menée par consultation de la documentation de terrain (rapport et cahiers de fouilles, illustrations). Notre corpus d’étude est composé de 286 structures de feu provenant de cinq sites syriens couvrant chronologiquement deux phases clés de la séquence néolithique (PPNA et PPNB). Ces sites sont répartis sur trois zones géographiques : Jerf el Ahmar, Tell ‘Abr et Tell Halula (moyen Euphrate), Wadi Tumbaq 3 (Djebel Bal’as), Tell Aswad (Damascène). L’étude de l’ensemble des échantillons recueillis a permis d’établir une typologie des structures de combustion, à partir de leurs principaux traits morphologiques et des aménagements équipant ces structures. Nous avons également pu mettre en évidence le rôle social joué par la structure de feu en étudiant sa répartition spatiale par rapport à l’habitat. Ceci nous a permis d’identifier l’utilisation collective ou individuelle (une seule famille) de ces structures. De plus, les études ethnographiques au Proche-Orient, nous ont conduit à reconstituer les différentes modes d’utilisation au cours du Néolithique. Trois champs d’utilisation sont reconnus pour les structures de combustion néolithiques ; (1) l’usage domestique, (2) l’usage rituel et (3) l’usage technique. Dans l’ensemble des échantillons étudiés, l’usage domestique, la cuisson notamment, et dans une moindre mesure, l’usage rituel, pourraient être les principaux appliqués. En effet, la rareté des matériels évoquant l’usage technique rend difficile son identification. En conséquence, trois types d’évolution caractérisent les structures de combustion : (1) une évolution à grande échelle, couvrant géographiquement tout le Levant, et chronologiquement, les phases du PPNA et PPNB, (2) une évolution régionale (inter sites), observée notamment au moyen Euphrate et (3) une évolution intra-site, observée d’une phase d’occupation à une autre. / The fire is one of the major innovations in human history and even one of the first evidence of our humanity. The fire structure is a unifying place; it plays an essential social role in the daily life of a population, it has undoubtedly contributed to the development of communication. However, its greatest role is being the main source of heat; this brought new behaviors into the alimentary system of ancient populations, they were finally able to prepare their food differently. A new cooking system has been established due to the fire installations which highly influences and improves the daily diet menu of the prehistoric families. This doctoral research is in-depth analysis of the structures of combustion in the Ancient Near East, more precisely in Syria during the Neolithic period (10000-7000 BP). Our study centers according three main objectives; the first attends to follow the morphological and technological developments of fire structures. The second attempts to demonstrate the social significance of the combustion devices within the village community from Neolithic. While the third objective aims to reconstitute the different possible modes of usage of the Neolithic fire structures. To achieve our goals, two methodological approaches have been applied; the direct analysis and the indirect one. The first consists of studying the fire place directly in its context on the field by a system of delicate excavation and direct recording. The second comprises the studying of a number of excavated fire places through the archeological archives data (day notes, drawings, plans…etc.). Our corpus composes of a total of 286 fire installations coming from five archaeological Syrian sites covering chronologically two major phases of Neolithic sequence (PPNA and PPNB). These sites are localized in three main geographical zones; Jerf el Ahmar, Tell ‘Abr and Tell Halula (Middle Euphrates), Wadi Tumbaq 3 (Djebel Bal’as) and Tell Aswad (Damascene). Finally, the analysis of the set of the collected samples allowed us to establish a typology of the studied fire structures through the analysis based on both the main morphological features and the adjustments which equip the structure. Then, we were able to highlight the social role played by the fire place via studying the spatial distribution compared to the habitat spaces. This permits us to identify if the structure has been used collectively or by a single family. In addition, the ethnographical studies allowed us to reconstitute the different modes of use of fire structures during Neolithic. In general, a fire place could be used for 1) domestic, 2) ritual or technical purpose. In our study case, the domestic role was highly detected, whereas the ritual usage was less present. Thus the technical use stays difficult to identify in such archaeological context, because of the scarcity of material referring to this purpose. Accordingly, the evolution of structures of combustion could be characterized proceeding three levels. The first is a large-scale one covering geographically the Levant, and chronologically both PPNA and PPNB. The second is a regional (inter sites) observed particularly in the Middle Euphrates. The last is intra site discusses the evolution through the several phases of occupation on the same site.

Au cours de la Néolithisation au Proche-Orient, les bouleversements majeurs survenus au niveau de l’organisation socio-économique des communautés humaines (sédentarisation, agriculture et élevage) se sont accompagnés de changements dans le domaine techno-symbolique. Le présent travail a permis de caractériser l’une des principales manifestations matérielles dans ce domaine, les ornements personnels, à travers l’étude des éléments de parure de six sites syriens couvrant la période entre le 12e et le 6e millénaire avant J.-C. Dans une démarche méthodologique visant à traiter la grande diversité des objets archéologiques, du coquillage à la turquoise en passant par l’os et l’argile, plusieurs protocoles d’identification des matériaux, de classification morpho-typologique et d’analyse tracéologique ont été élaborés. L’analyse des objets de parure selon cette approche intégrative a permis de mettre en évidence l’évolution des formes recherchées et des matériaux utilisés depuis le Natoufien final jusqu’au PPNB récent, mais aussi des développements et des innovations techniques concernant notamment le traitement des roches dures comme la cornaline. Grâce à l’étude des contextes archéologiques et à la reconstitution de certaines parures, les fonctions de ces objets chez les premières sociétés néolithiques ont pu être en partie identifiées. Ainsi, durant le PPNA, les parures pouvaient marquer une appartenance identitaire, parallèlement à des parures « rituelles » qui pourraient être liées à la sphère symbolique propre à cette période. A partir du PPNB moyen les parures sont aussi associées à la mort et à des pratiques funéraires particulières. Les hypothèses proposées par cette thèse ouvrent des perspectives de recherche qui pourront être explorées en élargissant le corpus aux régions adjacentes (Anatolie, Jordanie, etc.) et à des périodes plus récentes. / During the neolithization process in the Near East, alongside the major shifts occurring in the socio-economic organization of the human communities (sedentism, agriculture and husbandry) changes also impacted the techno-symbolic world. The present work aims to characterize and understand one the main material expression in this domain, the personal adornments, by the study of bead assemblages from six Syrian sites dating from the 12th to the 6th millennium cal BC. In order to deal with the great diversity of the archaeological items, e.g. from shell to turquoise beads through bone pendants and clay objects, several methodological protocols of identification, morpho-typological classification and use-wear analysis have been elaborated. The analysis of the beads using this combination of approaches has brought to light the evolution in the conception and use of different shapes, types and materials for this purpose from the final Natufian period to the Late PPNB, as well as the technological development and improvements regarding particularly the transformation of hard stones such as the carnelian. Through the study of the archaeological contexts and the reconstitution of some ornaments, the functions of these objects have been partly addressed. Thus, during the PPNA, the ornaments expressed a social and cultural group affiliation, while from the Middle PPNB onwards they were also associated to the death and to particular funeral rituals. The hypothesis proposed by this work offers promising research perspectives which can be explored by extending the corpus to the adjacent areas (Anatolia, Jordan, etc.) and later periods.

The purpose of this thesis was to identify the different patterns of food consumption across space and time at Liangchengzhen, a Longshan (ca. 2600-1900 B.C.) site located in Shandong Province, China. The primary hypothesis of the research contended that evidence of increasing social inequality with respect to food consumption would be found from early to late phases at Liangchengzhen. In addition, rice and meat from mammals, especially pigs, were hypothesized as the most likely types of prestigious foods for daily and ritual activities. Fish and marine foods in general were hypothesized to be foods that average households could obtain since Liangchengzhen was close to the sea and would not have as high a value as mammal meat. Pottery was sampled from Early Phase storage/trash and ritual pits as well as Late Phase storage/trash and ritual pits located in Excavation Area One. Pottery types included ding and guan, hypothesized for cooking meat, and yan, hypothesized for steaming vegetables and grains. Lipid residue analysis was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) to quantify the amount of C15 and C17 alkane peaks in the pottery and compare these quantities to the amount of C15 and C17 alkane peaks in terrestrial and marine food reference sources. Results indicated that socially valued food consumption transitioned from marine food sources in the early phase ritual pits to rice and pig in the late phase ritual pits. Millet and plant residues were consistently present in storage/trash pits from both early and late phases. Findings also indicated that the use of pottery types for cooking were not limited to one source, i.e., marine, rice, millet and plant residues were found in all pottery types while pig residues were found in ding and yan pottery. Results of the lipid residue analysis provide partial support of increasing social inequality with respect to food consumption from early to late phases at Liangchengzhen, The findings from the lipid residue analysis in this thesis more closely resemble the distribution of integrative, communal consumption pattern in the early phase and a hierarchical consumption pattern during the late phase. Fish, more abundant in the early phase, was almost non-existent by the late phase. Pig and rice, hypothesized as preferred foods, were found only during the late phase, primarily in the ritual pit, H31. Millet and plant were conspicuously present during both phases, but had greater separation from ritual pits during the late phase. However, these findings are surprising since it does not match the material remains of rice and pig found in early phase pits or late phase storage/trash pits from Excavation Area One. It can be concluded that patterns of consumption at Liangchengzhen changed substantially from the early phase to the late phase with regards to food residues found in hypothesized ritual pits. Considering these data with the understanding that food in China has historically been used as a tool to wield influence and power, it can be hypothesized that a social hierarchy may have developed by the late phase that was not present during the early phase. However, participation in the activities held in late phase ritual pits may have been inclusive for all Liangchangzhen residents rather than exclusive for higher status individuals. The current research provides a starting point for further investigation into the foodways at Liangchengzhen. This thesis is the first systematic study of food residues from the interior of Neolithic vessels from ancient China that relates the results of the residue analysis to patterns of food consumption and social change.

Over 22,000 sherds of pottery were recovered during the excavation of the small islet of Eilean Dòmhnuill in North Uist in the late 1980s. Analysis of the assemblage has demonstrated that all of the main vessel forms and decorative motifs recognised at the site were already in place when settlement began in the earlier 4th millennium BC and continued to be deposited at the site until its abandonment over 800 years later. Statistically significant stylistic variation is limited to slow drifts in the relative proportions of certain rim forms. Across the Outer Hebrides, decorative elaboration and the presence of large numbers of distinctive vessel forms would appear to mark out certain assemblages seemingly associated with communal gathering and feasting events at key locales within which a distinctive Hebridean Neolithic identity was forged. Throughout, this study takes a relational approach to the issue of variation in material culture, viewing all archaeological entities as dynamic assemblages that themselves form attributes of higher-level assemblages. It is argued that the various constraints and affordances that arise within such assemblages constitute significant structuring principles that give rise to commonly held expectations and dispositions, resulting in the kind of constrained temporal and spatial variation that we observe in the archaeological record and which in turn gives rise to the concept of the archaeological culture.

Megalithic tombs that originally date back to the early to mid-neolithic are the oldest preserved monument that can be found in Scandinavia. The act of raising big stone structures for the dead shows that the monuments where build to last through time. Prehistoric people from different time periods have reused these monuments on different locations all over Europe. This paper focuses on the monuments in Sweden and it shows that the reuse of megalithic monuments appears in all regions where these monuments can be found. The different reasons to why people wanted to reuse these monuments are also discussed. The paper proposes that the reasons are religious and political. Political the monuments can give inheritance rights which granted land rights among other things.

Cette thèse a pour objet l’étude technologique de plusieurs ensembles d’outillage lithique provenant de sites néolithiques du bassin du Gobaad en République de Djibouti. Ces séries inédites proviennent de travaux récents de prospection et de fouilles réalisées dans le cadre d’un programme de recherche franco-djiboutien intitulé « premières sociétés de production dans la Corne de l’Afrique ». Pendant de nombreuses années, la Préhistoire récente de la Corne de l’Afrique n’a été documentée qu’à partir de ramassages de surface et de fouilles sommaires livrant de l’industrie lithique et parfois de rares tessons de poterie modelée. J.D. Clark en 1954 a regroupé ces séries provenant principalement de l’ancien protectorat britannique du Somaliland sous l’appellation de Somaliland Wilton. Jusqu’en 1984, aucune recherche n’avait été entreprise à Djibouti et ce n’est que depuis une trentaine d’années que la question de l’émergence des premières sociétés de production peut être abordée sur la base d’une documentation matérielle provenant de contextes datés. Dans le bassin du Gobaad, l’identification des faciès culturels du Néolithique a été réalisée à partir de l’analyse d’importantes séries céramiques et l’économie des populations qui les ont produites a pu être définie à partir de la fouille de deux sites d’habitat, Asa Koma et Wakrita qui ont livré de nombreuses informations, notamment la présence des plus anciens restes osseux d’animaux domestiques actuellement connus dans la Corne de l’Afrique, restes datés du milieu du 3e millénaire BCE. Dans ce contexte, l’étude des assemblages lithiques présents au sein des sites d’habitat du bassin du Gobaad a pour ambition de contribuer à la caractérisation chrono-culturelle de ces premières sociétés de producteurs mais aussi de tenter de déceler les rapports existant entre les comportements techniques des tailleurs et les pratiques économiques révélées par les fouilles. / This dissertation is focused of the technological analysis of several lithic assemblages from the Neolithic sites of the Gobaad basin, Republic of Djibouti. These ensembles were collected during recent surveys and excavations conducted within the framework of a French-Djiboutian project entitled “premières sociétés de production dans la Corne de l’Afrique” (first food-producing societies in the Horn of Africa). For many years, the late Prehistory of the Horn of Africa was only documented through surface collections and limited excavations that provided lithics and sometimes few hand-formed potsherds. In 1954, J.D. Clark grouped such materials from the former British Somaliland protectorate under the term Somaliland Wilton. No research has been conducted in Djibouti until 1984 and it is only since thirty years that emergence of food-producing societies can be addressed on the basis of material culture from dated contexts. In the Gobaad basin, Neolithic facies were identified based on important ceramic collections, the subsistence strategies of their makers were defined from two habitation sites, Asa Koma and Wakrita, which provided a wealth of data, including the earliest domestic animals bone remains known to this day in the Horn of Africa, dated to the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE. In this context, analysis of lithic collections from the Gobaad basin habitation sites is aimed to contribute to the characterization of the culture history of first food-producing societies but also to address the links between the technical behaviors of the knappers and the economic practices revealed by excavations.

Le changement climatique au cours de l’Holocène est un événement majeur, qui a bien influencé sur le développement d’activité de subsistance. Cette interaction entre l’Homme et son environnement a pu être aperçu par l’analyse de la faune de quatre gisements étendus chronologiquement du Capsien au Néolithique. Les gisements BH et SHM1, reflètent une vie fondée sur la chasse, la pêche et la collecte des escargots terrestres. Les gisements les plus récents sont ceux K.Ag et DK, traduisent le passage à une activité de production manifesté par l’élevage des ovicaprins, sans exclure l’apport de la chasse et de la pêche dans l’alimentation des occupants. Les bovidés ont été toujours la source principale dans leur apport alimentaire, mais avec une dominance de mouflon à manchettes à BH, de l’antilope bubale à SHM1 et des Caprini domestiques dans les deux gisements néolithiques (K.Ag et DK). La présence des Caprini domestiques était antérieure à celle des bovins. La fréquence du mouton par rapport à la chèvre était observée dans les deux sites néolithiques.L’étude archéozoologique illustre une faible présence des parties squelettiques les plus nutritives suite à une forte intensité anthropique, dans tous les sites. La richesse spécifique ainsi que la variabilité spécifique est à l’origine de la nature du climat ainsi qu’à la position géographique du site. / Climate change during the Holocene is a major event. It had a great influence on the development of the movement of subsistence. This interaction between human being and his environment may be seen by the analysis of faunal remains of four deposits chronologically extended from Caspian to Neolithic.Both BH and SHM1 deposits, reflect a way of life based on hunting, fishing and the collection of land snails. The most recent deposits, are of K.Ag and DK, translates the move to an activity of production shown by the goat breeding, without excluding the contribution of hunting and fishing of the occupants’ food supply.The Bovids has been always the main source of their own food intake, but with the dominance of the barbary sheep in BH, the hartebeest to SHM1 and domestic goats within the two Neolithic deposits (K.Ag and DK).The presence of the local ovicaprids preceded the cattle. The frequency of sheep versus goats was observed within the two Neolithic sites.The Archeozoologic study illustrates a weak presence of the most nutritious skeletal elements after a strong intensive anthropic in all sites. The Specific richness as well as the specific variable is the origin of the climatic nature even the geographic position of the site.

Part importante de l’armement préhistorique pour les périodes récentes (quantitativement et qualitativement), l’archerie représente un objet d’étude riche en développements problématiques. A l’aube de l’introduction progressive de la métallurgie dans les usages techniques, il est intéressant de saisir le ou les processus de transferts mis en œuvre. Transition chronologique (Néolithique/Age du bronze), transition matérielle (types de pièces produites et types de matériaux employés) et transition comportementale sont ainsi envisagées pour parvenir à préciser le statut de cet armement dans les sociétés concernées. En nous basant sur la caractérisation de la panoplie de l’archer, sur l’identification des contextes de fabrication, sur la reconnaissance des champs fonctionnels (utilisations et usagers) et sur l’analyse archéo-balistique des vestiges de traumatismes par flèches dans le cadre de violences interhumaines, il en résulte un ensemble exhaustif qui renouvelle sensiblement la perception de cet armement dans le temps et dans les usages. / For recent prehistory, the archery represents one of the main components of weaponry and, for this reason, it is interesting to examine its impact on societies. At the dawn of the progressive introduction of the metal industry in the technical uses, understanding the process of transfer or implemented is of major interest. Transition time period (Neolithic / Bronze Age), material transition (types of parts produced and types of materials used) and behavioral transition are thus considered for specifying the weapons status in the concerned societies. Here based on the characterization of the archer display, the identification of manufacturing contexts, the recognition of functional fields (uses and users) and the analysis of archaeological remains of ballistic arrow trauma in interpersonal violence contexts, we propose a new recovery of this research field, improving significantly our knowledge and apprehension of these weapons in both time and uses.

This thesis is dedicated to an archaeogenetic study of five prehistoric individuals. The sample material comes from central Yakutia, also called Sakha Republic, in the north-eastern part of Russia. The main focus of this study has been the analysis of five mitochondrial genomes, retrieved from osteological material (human bones and teeth), having an estimated age of 6845 BP to 2490 BP. The dates fall within Neolithic, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. A brief presentation for each individual’s archaeological profile and interpretation of the burial will be provided. While a series of interpretive tests with the mitochondrial DNA material were performed and the results are presented. The neolitization of the north-eastern Eurasia will also be discussed. The correlation between the Neolithic Age, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age populations will be proposed, as well as their connections to modern populations.

This essay is focused on two coastal cairn areas located at the Gulf of Bothnia just south of Umeå in Västerbotten County. Located between 30 – 50 m above sea level today they are thus removed several km from the shoreline due to land uplift and isostatic processes stemming from the last Ice Age. The cairns have been dated to approximately 1700 – 1500 BC at the beginning of the older Scandinaviean Bronze Age, but several strong evidence that are presented in this study is indicating that many of them are older than that dating to the late Neolithic instead – such as a round morphological shape surrounded by a brim of stones and large cists in the middle. Furthermore, the cairns are situated in an environment that mostly are inhabited by a sub-boreal milieu consisting of deciduous forest with some elements of coniferous forest and surrounded by raised shingle beaches. In trying to grasp after ancient settlement indications this paper thesis also analyzes traits after their whereabouts in the past in relationship to the existing cairns along the VästerbottenCounty’s shoreline. In doing this a GIS-analysis is applied in a Deulauney-cluster comparison. Two of the cairns, one located highest above all other cairns in Norrmjöle is being scrutinized as a “mother cairn” and the other cairn is long, almost formed as a ship and discussed in its symbolic meaning. By doing so, the cairns are also seen in a possible way of being ancient territory land-areas, marking to outsiders to keep out, and may also have been an intricate signal-system, to i.e., be lit in times of harmful situations coming from the sea or by land. The cairns are thus mitigated and seen in relationship with otherplaces in Sweden, namely Tjust area in Bohuslän county, and the resemblances of cairns at Gotland and Öland Islands. Finally, the Finnish Kiukais-axe (Eastern Karelien crossedged chisel) found in close terrain, as well as other findings from Bronze-age to a cluster of cairns dated to 2000 BC, is being investigated as a possibility of an alien southeastern affect in the area in late Neolithic times from Southern Sweden and Österbotten County in Fennoscandia, hence making the territory evaluated in many directions. The paper therefore tries to set the ancient landscape in a context in between these factors and give aholistic overview to interpreted cairn and its ancient meaning patterns in the region, seen in these regional circumstances to unlock its potential settlements hiding. Hence, getting a political, cosmologic and a maritime understanding and whereabouts in relationship to Late-Neolithic times in the area.