This article addresses the impact of extreme weather events on rock art sites located along rivers in humid tropical contexts. Drawing on archaeological and hydrogeomorphological observations made in Guadeloupe following the passage of Tropical Storm Fiona in September 2022, we provide an analysis of the modifications caused by the floods and discuss the implications for the current spatial distribution of engraved rocks in the landscape, as well as their vulnerability/stability in the face of the recurrence of such climatic hazards.The results reveal highly variable consequences depending on the sites, with their nature and extent depending on the location of the rock art sites in relation to precipitation distribution, their position within the hydrographic network (terraces, active bed, transit zone, flood zone), and the maturity of the latter. Apart from along the Petit-Carbet River, it appears that pre-Columbian engraved rocks still present today along riverbanks occupy privileged locations from a conservation standpoint and/or possess characteristics enabling them to withstand major flood events (size + nature of the support). Conversely, along the Petit-Carbet River, the displacement of several engraved rocks, some of which show obvious signs of stability since pre-Columbian times, highlights the intensity of the floods during Fiona, and a possible increase in pressure on rock art conservation.The analysis also highlights the importance of considering the impact of extreme weather events on the spatial distribution of rock art sites to address the relationship to space of past human communities. It thus demonstrates that the apparent deficit in rock art sites in northern Basse-Terre cannot be attributed to unfavorable meteorological and/or hydrogeomorphological conditions. Other cultural and/or taphonomic factors need to be considered to explain the highly contrasting spatial distribution observed between the north and south of the island.Finally, this study provides discussion points to prioritize future conservation measures based on the specific vulnerabilities of different rock art sites, thereby contributing to more effective management of archaeological heritage in humid tropical regions.

In Ancient Greece, architecture and sculpture were painted. Nevertheless, the exact appearance of the colours used to decorate buildings remains largely unknown due to lack of evidence. The Temple of Apollo at Delphi, is no exception to this process. Since its discovery in 1894, the question of polychromy has been partially studied. This situation can be explained by the difficulty of detecting colours traces directly on the ancient blocks by simple visual observation. The majority of them are imperceptible to the naked eye. This paper aims to put a exploratory methodology based on archaeometric, photogrammetric and computer analyses in order to the locate, characterize traces of polychromy that are invisible to the naked eye and to provide new data that can be used to reconstruct the architectural polychromy of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in the late classical period.

Introduction: Our knowledge of the populations of sub-Saharan Africa in the periods before European colonization is limited. Few archeological sites containing human remains have been identified, and written sources for these periods are rare. The discovery in 2018 of the Iroungou sepulchral cave (Gabon), whose use predates the arrival of the Portuguese (14th-15th centuries CE), is an exceptional source of information: at least 28 individuals associated with numerous metal artifacts were found there. The anthropobiological remains were left in situ, but the eight best preserved crania were digitized. Objectives: This study focuses on the population affinities of these crania, whose morphology was described using 237 landmarks. Materials and MethodsGeometric morphometric analyses were used to compare the eight Iroungou specimens with 154 individuals representing 12 well-defined African populations. After alignment (Generalized Procrustes Analysis), morphological affinity was assessed using Euclidean and Mahalanobis distances, and posterior probabilities of population membership (discriminant analysis). Results: Results indicate that the eight Iroungou crania have, on average, more affinity with Bayaka Pygmy, followed by Central African Bantu. Nevertheless, individually, the Iroungou specimens show an important morphological variation and the eight crania can be separated into different affinity groups: Bayaka and Central African Bantu, KhoeSan, and East-African Bantu. Finally, one individual presents strong affinity with Somalis. Conclusion: This phenetic mapping of the Iroungou sample raises questions about the profile of the individuals deposited in the cave in a geographical area known for the Loango pre-colonial kingdom, which ruling class seemed to have had privileged relationships with the Pygmy populations.

As far as we know, there are no medieval texts that tell us about the reactions of a viewer to an English alabaster. As is often the case, these can only be deduced indirectly by putting into perspective the information gathered from other sources.

The panel depicting the Assumption of the Virgin, kept in the Musée d’Aquitaine in Bordeaux, stands out from the English panels examined so far. It displays many atypical features, starting with the way in which the iconographic theme has been treated.

Les données générées par les différentes disciplines à l'œuvre dans l'étude et la conservation des milieux ornés sont difficilement exploitables dans leur globalité de par leur hétérogénéité, mais aussi de par les difficultés d'appréhension de leur organisation spatiale. Nous avons développé un logiciel permettant de placer des points sur des maillages issus de numérisation 3D et de les consulter avec des outils de filtres et de recherches. Ils contiennent toutes les données des chercheurs relatives à des observations ou des analyses. La spatialisation des données permet une nouvelle approche dans leur analyse. En effet, de façon analogue aux systèmes d'information géographique (SIG) classiques, les positions 3D des enregistrements peuvent révéler des alignements, des regroupements, ou encore des manques selon des critères de filtrage et d'affichage des données.

come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers.L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire

The site of Lalibela is the result of Tertiary volcanic activity which led to the formation of a vast outcrop of basaltic slag from which churches were carved. This reddish rock which is particularly suitable for carving, is extremely interactive with water. It was beneficial for the impressive excavation phases, but is now problematic for conservation purposes. Digging meant either the penetration of water into the massif and its erosion, but also the protection of the monuments from water stagnation. This is a very paradoxical situation in which water plays an alternately positive and negative role. Due to its sacred dimension, any intervention on the rock must be discussed and validated by the community. 3D technologies were used to carry out an assessment of the state of the site, to create a virtual 3D model that can be accessed and consulted remotely by all the specialists faced to the conservation problem; to trace the historical evolution of the site.

Une fois rappelés les résultats étonnants accordant aux constructions de la grotte de Bruniquel (Tarn-et-Garonne) un âge Paléolithique moyen ancien, donc néandertalien (MIS 6), nous résumons d'un point de vue patrimonial, archéologique ou méthodologique nos interventions pluri- ou interdisciplinaires sur ce site désormais classé au titre des monuments historiques. La contrainte d'accès au site, les paramètres taphonomiques et l'originalité du matériau de construction sollicité (la calcite) ajoutent à la complexité méthodologique de l'opération d'étude qui est toujours en cours.

Is the polychromy of the Libourne panel representative of other English panels, or is this one a case apart? Are the choices of colour and aesthetic choices common or unusual? An examination of the other English alabasters in the Aquitaine corpus will provide answers to these questions.

Is the polychromy of the Libourne panel representative of other English panels, or is this one a case apart? Are the choices of colour and aesthetic choices common or unusual? An examination of the other English alabasters in the Aquitaine corpus will provide answers to these questions.

The earliest monumentality in Western Europe is associated with megalithic structures, but where did the builders of these monuments live? Here, the authors focus on west-central France, one of the earliest centres of megalithic building in Atlantic Europe, commencing in the mid fifth millennium BC. They report on an enclosure at Le Peu (Charente), dated to the Middle Neolithic ( c . 4400 BC), and defined by a ditch with two ‘crab claw’ entrances and a double timber palisade flanked by two timber structures—possibly defensive bastions. Inside, timber buildings—currently the earliest known in the region—were possibly home to the builders of the nearby Tusson long mounds.

The life-sized, naturalistic reliefs at the Camel Site in northern Arabia have been severely damaged by erosion. This, coupled with substantial destruction of the surrounding archaeological landscape, has made a chronological assessment of the site difficult. To overcome these problems, we combined results from a wide range of methods, including analysis of surviving tool marks, assessment of weathering and erosion patterns, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and luminescence dating of fallen fragments. In addition, test excavations identified a homogenous lithic assemblage and faunal remains that were sampled for radiocarbon dating. Our results show that the reliefs were carved with stone tools and that the creation of the reliefs, as well as the main period of activity at the site, date to the Neolithic. Neolithic arrowheads and radiocarbon dates attest occupation between 5200 and 5600 BCE. This is consistent with measurements of the areal density of manganese and iron in the rock varnish. The site was likely in use over a longer period and reliefs were re-worked when erosion began to obscure detailed features. By 1000 BCE, erosion was advanced enough to cause first panels to fall, in a process that continues until today. The Camel Site is likely home to the oldest surviving large-scale (naturalistic) animal reliefs in the world.