Browsing by Discipline "Geography"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 121
  • Publication
    A French university in the Arab-Persian Gulf: Paris Sorbonne-Abu Dhabi: «A bridge between civilizations»
    (2007)
    Philippe Boulanger 
    l'Université sz Paris Sorbonne s'implante à Abu Dhabi : un pays en pleine expansion; des universités qui évoluent dans la mondialisation; le projet d'ouverture de l'Université Paris Sorbonne-Abu Dhabi. Un pont entre les civilisations : la Sorbonne, 750 ans d'histoire; la diversité culturelle est source de richesse pour chacun; des savoirs enseignés en français. La Sorbonne dans la mondialisation : un marché des étudiants mondialisé; des étudiants provenant du monde entier. Les enjeux de demain.
      528  230
  • Publication
    A micromorphological assessment of anthropogenic features in pre-Columbian French Guiana dark soils (FGDS): First results
    (E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 2014)
    Cammas, C.
    ;
    Eric Fouache 
    ;
    Todisco, D.
    ;
    Brancier, J.
    In order to document site formation processes at the microscale and to characterise pre-Columbian French Guiana dark soils (FGDS), micromorphology was performed at three sites. For the first time it was possible (i) to microscopically characterise pre-Columbian Anthrosols in different physical contexts and (ii), to identify anthropogenic features associated with past human occupation. Microfeatures of the Holocene alluvial terrace of the lower Maroni River witnessed (i) several episodes of clay enrichment and/or redistribution, (ii) seasonal waterlogging, and (iii), post-depositional biological activity. Clay enrichment and organic matter inputs together with biological activity processes might have alternated, probably in relation to vegetal cover and/or anthropogenic activities. On top of the alluvial terrace, bioturbated dark layers are enriched in fine brown organic matter and charcoals. Cumulic soil development was favoured when successive sediment inputs due to episodic flooding and/or overland flow was possible (Chemin Saint Louis site). On a lateritic hill, under rainforest, at the MC87 ring-ditched mountain (Montagnes Couronnées or Crowned Mountain), microscale identification of yellowish unburnt oxic B horizon aggregates together with anthropogenic features related to fire such as charcoals and burnt soil fragments (rubefied and dark brown aggregates) stress that lateritic soil acted as a support for activities in the enclosure, and as reworked material in the ditch. These components could result from clearance for settlement, agricultural management and cultivation, or domestic activities. The obtained results allow first comparisons to be drawn between pre-Columbian FGDS and Brazilian dark earths (BDE). With the exception of a similarity in colour, the former is revealed to be less rich in anthropogenic components with an absence of phosphatic elements such as bones. © 2014 Gebrüder Borntraeger Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Germany.
    Scopus© Citations 10  65
  • Publication
    A Preliminary Hazard Assessment of Kolumbo Volcano (Santorini, Greece)
    (2024)
    Katsigera, Anna
    ;
    Nomikou, Paraskevi
    ;
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    Volcanic eruptions stand as destructive threats to adjacent communities, unleashing multiple hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, pyroclastic flows, and toxic gases. The imperative for proactive management of volcanic risks and communities’ adaptation cannot be overstated, particularly in densely populated areas where the potential for widespread devastation looms large. Kolumbo, an active submarine volcano located approximately 7 km northeast of Santorini Island in Greece, serves as a pertinent case. Its historical record is characterised by an eruption in 1650 CE that produced a catastrophic tsunami. The aftermath witnessed havoc on neighbouring islands, coupled with casualties stemming from noxious gases in Santorini. Eyewitness accounts mention maximum water run-up heights of 20 m on the southern coast of Ios, inundation of an area of 240 m inland on Sikinos, and a flooding of up to 2 km2 inland on the eastern coast of Santorini. Recent studies suggest that a potential future eruption of Kolumbo poses a substantial hazard to the northern and eastern coasts of Santorini. Unfortunately, the absence of a concrete management protocol leaves these areas vulnerable to an impending threat that demands immediate attention. Therefore, it is recommended that a comprehensive approach be adopted, involving scientific research (active monitoring, hazard maps), community engagement, preparedness planning with government agencies, and the development of timely response strategies to reduce the associated risks, prevent casualties, and mitigate the potential consequences on the region’s economy and infrastructure.
      19  4
  • Publication
    Abu Dhabi public spaces : Urban encounters, social diversity and informality
    (Motivate Publishing, 2021)
    Chaveneau, Clio 
    ;
    Dubucs, Hadrien 
    ;
    Lazaridis, Kyriazis
    Abu Dhabi Public Spaces is the result of a two-year research project on urbanity and the behavioral mapping of the inhabitants’ daily practices. Focusing on fourteen well-known public spaces – both formal and informal – throughout Abu Dhabi, the authors highlight their hidden qualities and describe how its inhabitants create an original city life for themselves. The book expertly combines sociology, urban studies and architecture to understand the city’s cultural diversity, social encounters and the interaction between formality and informality in public spaces.
      128
  • Publication
    Assessing the Use of Oil and Gas Produced Water for Soil Aquifer Treatment in Abu Dhabi
    (2022)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Alomary, Hala
    ;
    Jisha, Ali
    ;
    Arangadi, Abdulfahim
    ;
    Moraitis, Daniel
    ;
    Alhseinat, Emad
    The United Arab Emirates originally lack for sufficient natural water resources. A major source of water in the UAE is groundwater, which includes water in surface wells that are normally renewed by seasonal rains, and deep wells which are refilled via ancient geological formations. The deficit in water availability due to the increasing demand and shortage in water resources availability can be met by utilizing non-conventional sources such as desalinated water, and recycling wastewater. This paper aims to present a scientific assessment of the possibility of using treated oil and gas-produced water for recharging the underground aquifer in Abu Dhabi through Soil aquifer treatment (SAT). Core samples from the unsaturated zone layers of sand, sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerates layers from the Abu Dhabi area were collected and characterized. Adsorption experiments have been carried out to investigate the capacity of the soil samples for the removal of hazardous contaminants i.e. heavy metals and dissolved organic from synthesized oil-produced water samples. The obtained data were used to calculate the required time for the hazardous contaminants to reach the underground water.
      103  77
  • Publication
    Atlas des immigrations en France: Histoire, mémoire, héritage
    (Autrement, 2016)
    Dubucs, Hadrien 
    ;
    Pascal Blanchard
    ;
    Aurélie Boissière
    Depuis les premières invasions barbares, la France s'est construite par vagues successives qui ont, génération après génération, composé une société plurielle. L'ouvrage propose plus de 120 cartes et infographies pour comprendre l'histoire des immigrations et les visages multiples de la France contemporaine. Il dresse un portrait de la population immigrée (répartition géographique, travail, famille, mobilité sociale.) et revient sur les tensions et les enjeux soulevés par cette immigration (xénophobie, élection.).
      176
  • Publication
    Atlas of the Gulf States
    (Brill, 2013)
    Philippe Cadene 
    ;
    Dumortier, Brigitte 
    The Arab Gulf States possess more than half of the planet’s crude oil reserves, and their gas reserves are immense. The transition from being rental economies to producing economies has caused rapid and significant changes, including the influx of foreign (Arab and Asian) manual laborers, and spectacular urban development, particularly along the coast. This Atlas of the Gulf States contains more than 150 maps and graphs based on recent data. It offers a survey of the history and economic and urban development of the Gulf region. For Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Iran, this atlas offers detailed maps, plans and statistics for the relevant provinces as well as the most important cities. This Atlas is an updated translation from the French edition (2011), with a more extensive bibliography and an index.
      70
  • Publication
    Authigenic carbonate mineral formation in the Pagassitikos palaeolake during the latest Pleistocene, central Greece
    (2012)
    Karageorgis, Aristomenis P
    ;
    Kanellopoulos, Theodore D.
    ;
    Mavromatis, Vasileios
    ;
    Anagnostou, Christos L.
    ;
    Koutsopoulou, Eleni
    ;
    Schmidt, Mark
    ;
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Tripsanas, Efthymios K.
    ;
    Hallberg, Rolf O.
    The Pagassitikos Gulf in Greece is a semi-enclosed bay with a maximum depth of 102 m. According to the present-day bathymetric configuration and the sea level during the latest Pleistocene, the gulf would have been isolated from the open sea, forming a palaeolake since ~32 cal. ka b. p. Sediment core B-4 was recovered from the deepest sector of the gulf and revealed evidence of a totally different depositional environment in the lowest part of the core: this contained light grey-coloured sediments, contrasting strongly with overlying olive grey muds. Multi-proxy analyses showed the predominance of carbonate minerals (aragonite, dolomite and calcite) and gypsum in the lowest part of the core. Carbonate mineral deposition can be attributed to autochthonous precipitation that took place in a saline palaeolake with high evaporation rates during the last glacial-early deglacial period; the lowest core sample to be AMS 14C dated provided an age of 19.53 cal. ka b. p. The palaeolake was presumably reconnected to the open sea at ~13.2 cal. ka b. p. during the last sea-level rise, marking the commencement of marine sedimentation characterised by the predominance of terrigenous aluminosilicates and fairly constant depositional conditions lasting up to the present day.
    Scopus© Citations 8  22
  • Publication
    Behavioral Mapping Of Abu Dhabi's Public Spaces: Urban Research Photography And Cultural Clashes
    (Sophia Journal, 2019)
    Dubucs, Hadrien 
    ;
    Chaveneau, Clio 
    ;
    Montagne, Clémence 
    While the study of quotidian practices and daily experiences is now fully appreciated in western urbanism, it is still at an embryonic stage in the emerging new cities of the Middle East. is paper presents an ongoing research project of social-behavioral mapping of Abu Dhabi’s public spaces and its correlation with the existing urban morphology, in an attempt to shed empirical light and update the local public space design guidelines. Photography is one of the observation tools used. However, due to sociocultural conditions, special techniques had to be used. Time- lapse, high-contrasted, undirected street photography was key to visualize both formal and informal activities in the realm of the private.
      102  106
  • Publication
    Cartographie et suivi de la densité des arbres de l'arganeraie (sud-ouest du Maroc) à partir d'images de télédétection à haute résolution spatiale
    (2013)
    Ragala, Rachid 
    The study is focused on surveying and monitoring tree cover in the argan tree sparse forest of South-West Morocco. Remote sensing data are one IKONOS image from 2003 and one GeoEye image from 2011 (obtained through Google Earth); the latter image has been registered with the 1m resolution IKONOS image used as reference. An object-oriented classification approach has been used to identify tree crowns on both images. However the multi-temporal comparison of results of the two classifications appears not reliable. An alternative solution is proposed through the interactive analysis of the scattergram of 2 channels, one from IKONOS (panchromatic) and one of GeoEye image (sum of 3 bands). In the studied area, tree cover is very low (about 8%) and there are no drastic changes in tree density from 2003 to 2011, except in restricted disturbed areas.
      80
  • Publication
    Change detection using remote sensing in a reef environment of the UAE during the extreme event of El Niño 2015–2016
    (2018)
    Ben Romdhane, Haifa 
    ;
    Al-Musallami, Mohamed
    ;
    Marpu, Prashanth Reddy
    ;
    Ouarda, Taha B. M. J.
    ;
    Ghedira, Hosni
    Coral reefs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are living in the world’s hottest sea. Recently, corals harbouring Symbiodinium thermophilum, a thermotolerant microalgae, were found to be prevalent among UAE reefs and were reported to endure extreme sea-surface temperatures. Late 2015–early 2016 was marked with the strongest El Niño on record worldwide, which caused massive coral bleaching (loss of symbiotic microalgae from reef-building corals). In September 2015, the waters flanking UAE coasts were identified to be among the areas facing a thermal stress reaching its highest level liable to cause massive coral bleaching. However, the effect of this thermal stress on UAE corals remained largely unknown. Here, multi-temporal DubaiSat-2 satellite images were used to show that changes in the reef environment of Dalma Island, UAE, between 2014 and 2016, occurred in macroalgaedominant habitats, whereas live corals remained unaltered. Furthermore, extending the study to a larger area helped in discovering a continuum of live and pristine corals, which was not reported or studied before. While sea-surface temperature anomalies of 1°C were reported to significantly damage coral reefs around the world, the live coral habitat was observed to exhibit no-change despite four consecutive months of +2°C to 3°C anomalies reported during the study period. These findings point to the tolerance of UAE live corals faced with extreme climate conditions
    Scopus© Citations 9  480  124
  • Publication
    Citizen Heritage and Geoheritage : A Sampling Campaign for Cosmogenic 36Cl Surface Exposure Dating of Glacial Deposits in Mt Parnassus National Park, Greece
    (2022)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Koukis, N
    ;
    Tsalkoutis, K
    ;
    Giorgaras, M
    ;
    Leontaritis, A.D
    A sampling campaign for 36Cl dating of Quaternary moraines was conducted in June 2021 with an open call on social media for participation of citizens regardless of their background. The organization was jointly realized by geoscientists and mountain hiking professional guides. A multi-beneficial collaboration both for science and geoheritage was achieved which resulted in a very efficient sampling campaign. At the same time participants and professional guides were actively involved in scientific research thus gaining a deeper understanding of the geoheritage of Mt Parnassus National Park.
      52  14
  • Publication
    Coastal geomorphological features and geoarchaeological potential of Kavouri Bay, Attica, Greece
    (2016)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Kapsimalis, Vasilios
    ;
    Vandarakis, Dimitris
    The discovery of a paved Hellenistic road, which was ended at the shoreline of the Megalo Kavouri bay in Attica, Greece, led the archaeologists to hypothesize that an ancient harbour would be located somewhere at the adjacent submarine area. For the identification of the position of this harbour, a joint submarine and littoral geomorphological survey was carried out. The oceanographic mission was conducted in order to map the underwater landforms. A variety of geomorphological characteristics, types of substrate and habitats (i.e., rocky outcrops, boulder or gravel accumulations etc.) and anthropogenic objects (i.e., debris of recent construction material) were identified in the shallow water seabed of the Kavouri Bay. The littoral geomorphological survey was carried out to determine the natural processes affecting the continental part of the area and map the coastal landscape features. Data derived by both submarine and littoral geomorphological investigations indicate that the most probable location of the harbour could be situated in the southern part of the study area.
      497  121
  • Publication
    Comprehensive assessment of the capacity of sand and sandstone from aquifer vadose zone for the removal of heavy metals and dissolved organics
    (2023)
    Ghaleb, Hala
    ;
    Ali, Jisha
    ;
    Arangadi, Abdul
    ;
    Le, Tu Phuong Pham
    ;
    Moraetis, Daniel
    ;
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Alhseinat, Emad
    Due to the drastic effect of produced water on the environment and its large quantity produced by the oil and gas industry, produced water treatment is a significantly growing challenge that requires serious attention. Produced water can be used as unconventional source of water in arid regions for underground water aquifer recharging through soil aquifer treatment (SAT), however, this requires sophisticated studies to avoid the contamination of the underground water. The present study investigates the efficacy of sand and sandstone from aquifer vadose zone for removing heavy metals and dissolved organic that are common contaminants in oil produced water. The removal of performance of soil samples has been evaluated on the laboratory scale at neutral pH at room temperature using synthetic oil produced water which contains heavy metals (Ni and Zn) and dissolved organics (phenol). The various experimental parameters were monitored and results indicated the sandstone displayed the highest removal of 98%–99% for both heavy metals and 26% for phenol than sand. The experimental data were fitted using four isotherm models, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the Freundlich isotherm, the Temkin isotherm model and the D–R isotherm. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm fitted well in a monolayer adsorption conceptual model on sand and sandstone. Kinetic modelling and analysis indicated that both soil samples followed the pseudo-second- order kinetics for metal ions and phenol. The 2D-COS FTIR was applied to analyse the interaction mechanism between the contaminants and sand and sandstone particles. The asymmetric Si–O band in sand minerals plays the prime response in Ni and Zn removal mechanisms whereas the asymmetric CO2−3 band decides for the removal mechanisms in sandstone. In the case of phenol adsorption, the interaction between phenol and Si–O bond is the predominant mechanism. Overall, these results summarize that sand and sandstone are effective for heavy metals removal than dissolved organic compounds.
      17  1Scopus© Citations 4
  • Publication
    Conséquences de la crue extrême du 2 octobre 2020 dans la vallée de la Roya (Alpes Maritimes) sur les réseaux de transport et de communication : leçons pour la reconstruction
    (2023)
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Marchiel, Adrien
    ;
    Rabaute, Alain
    ;
    Desruelles, Stéphane
    ;
    Gorini, Christian
    ;
    Bianchi, Nicoletta
    ;
    Kerverdo, Raphaël
    ;
    Lafuerza, Sara
    Le 2 octobre 2020, le passage de la tempête « Alex » a favorisé le déclenchement de précipitations « méditerranéennes » exceptionnellement intenses dans les vallées côtières des Alpes-Maritimes, notamment celle de la Roya. Ces pluies ont provoqué de nombreux processus hydro-géomorphologiques dévastateurs, crues glissements de terrain et éboulements principalement. Les destructions, qui ont frappé des infrastructures modernes et anciennes, ont été considérables, avec des conséquences sociales et économiques dramatiques. La majorité des ponts ont été détruits entre Tende et Breil-sur-Roya, ainsi que de grandes sections de routes et de voies ferrées. Les réseaux électriques, d’alimentation en eau et de fibre optique ont aussi été interrompus. L’isolement des villages a duré plusieurs mois et la reconstruction n’est pas achevée au 12 décembre 2022. À l’initiative d’enseignants-chercheurs de Sorbonne Université, un groupe de recherche, intitulé « Story : Risques et sociétés dans le bassin de la Roya : analyse pluridisciplinaire et multi-temporelle, des versants à la mer », s’est constitué, avec pour objectif d’associer des spécialistes des géosciences et de sciences humaines en vue (i) d’analyser la catastrophe d’octobre 2020, (ii) de restituer l’histoire des risques, de leur gestion et de leur perception et (iii) d’élaborer, avec les acteurs locaux, des recommandations pour la reconstruction de leur territoire, avec l’objectif de réduire les impacts des futurs événements extrêmes. Cet article présente les résultats préliminaires issus d’observations de terrain et d’analyses de données collectées. Le caractère exceptionnel de la crue est confirmé par la destruction d’une quantité inédite de ponts par une crue dans la vallée. Un facteur aggravant a été la construction au XXe siècle des routes en remblai dans le lit du fleuve. La voie ferrée a été plus affectée par les éboulements et les glissements de terrain induits par l’épisode hydro-climatique. La cartographie des secteurs détruits nous conduit à faire des recommandations, parfois en contradiction avec les directives retenues par les services de l’aménagement dans leur reconstruction très rapide des infrastructures. Nous discutons enfin les difficultés à concilier les perceptions des différents acteurs, le nécessaire temps de la recherche pas toujours facile à articuler avec l’urgence de la reconstruction et la nécessité vitale de désenclaver des secteurs qui sinon risquent d’être définitivement abandonnés par les populations.
      20Scopus© Citations 2
  • Publication
    Coral Reefs of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Analysis of Management Approaches in Light of International Best Practices and a Changing Climate
    (2020)
    Ben Romdhane, Haifa 
    ;
    Perry, Richard John Obrien
    ;
    Al Blooshi, Ayesha Yousef
    ;
    Ghedira, Hosni
    ;
    Jabado, Rima W.
    ;
    Marpu, Prashanth Reddy
    ;
    Ouarda, Taha B. M. J.
    ;
    Grandcourt, Edwin Mark
    The coasts and islands that flank Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s largest emirate, host the country’s most significant coastal and marine habitats including coral reefs. These reefs, although subject to a variety of pressures from urban and industrial encroachment and climate change, exhibit the highest thresholds for coral bleaching and mortality in the world. By reviewing and benchmarking global, regional and local coral reef conservation efforts, this study highlights the ecological importance and economic uniqueness of the UAE corals in light of the changing climate. The analysis provides a set of recommendations for coral reef management that includes an adapted institutional framework bringing together stakeholders, scientists, and managers. These recommendations are provided to guide coral reef conservation efforts regionally and in jurisdictions with comparable environmental challenges.
      811  106Scopus© Citations 7
  • Publication
    Detecting and Predicting Archaeological Sites Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning—Application to the Saruq Al-Hadid Site, Dubai, UAE
    (2023)
    Ben Romdhane, Haifa 
    ;
    Francis, Diana
    ;
    Cherif, Charfeddine
    ;
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Ghedira, Hosni
    ;
    Griffiths, Steven
    In this paper, the feasibility of satellite remote sensing in detecting and predicting locations of buried objects in the archaeological site of Saruq Al-Hadid, United Arab Emirates (UAE) was investigated. Satellite-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is proposed as the main technology for this initial investigation. In fact, SAR is the only satellite-based technology able to detect buried artefacts from space, and it is expected that fine-resolution images of ALOS/PALSAR-2 (L-band SAR) would be able to detect large features (>1 m) that might be buried in the subsurface (<2 m) under optimum conditions, i.e., dry and bare soil. SAR data were complemented with very high-resolution Worldview-3 multispectral images (0.31 m panchromatic, 1.24 m VNIR) to obtain a visual assessment of the study area and its land cover features. An integrated approach, featuring the application of advanced image processing techniques and geospatial analysis using machine learning, was adopted to characterise the site while automating the process and investigating its applicability. Results from SAR feature extraction and geospatial analyses showed detection of the areas on the site that were already under excavation and predicted new, hitherto unexplored archaeological areas. The validation of these results was performed using previous archaeological works as well as geological and geomorphological field surveys. The modelling and prediction accuracies are expected to improve with the insertion of a neural network and backpropagation algorithms based on the performed cluster groups following more recent field surveys. The validated results can provide guidance for future on-site archaeological work. The pilot process developed in this work can therefore be applied to similar arid environments for the detection of archaeological features and guidance of on-site investigations.
      13  1Scopus© Citations 4
  • Publication
    Diversité culturelle dans le paysage alimentaire
    (2017)
    Dubucs, Hadrien 
    Les commerces liés à une minorité culturelle sont incontournables dans la consommation alimentaire urbaine. Leur étude permet de comprendre des dynamiques commerciales complexes. Le « paysage alimentaire » (foodscape) des grandes villes se caractérise par la diversité des produits et des pra­tiques de consommation. Cette caractéristique tient à la diversité sociale des citadins mais aussi à la diversité culturelle constitutive d’une histoire migratoire intimement liée au processus d’urbanisation. Ces commerces (restaurants, cafés, épiceries, superettes dites exotiques, etc.) sont l’une des contributions les plus visibles des populations immigrées, et plus largement des minorités culturelles, à l’économie urbaine et à la production de la ville. Mais ils peuvent faire l’objet de jugements contradictoires : tantôt pris comme le signe d’un cosmopolitisme valorisant pour des quartiers en gentrification ou pour des campagnes de marketing urbain (« See the world, visit London », disait le slogan de la ville olympique en 2012) ; tantôt ciblés par des politiques de « diversification commerciale » de quartiers qui polarisent des clientèles immigrées. Depuis les travaux pionniers de I. Light/1 sur l’ethnic business, le lien entre commerce, migration et minorités culturelles dans les espaces urbains a fait l’objet d’une abondante production scientifique/2. Dans le même temps, les « centralités minoritaires » (Little India, Petite Asie et autres Chinatown) sont devenues des quartiers pleinement intégrés au reste de la ville, l’ethnic food s’est largement diffusée dans les pratiques de consommation ordinaires, et l’altérité culturelle a fait l’objet d’une marchan­disation, particulièrement dans les quartiers centraux des métropoles/3. Ces évolutions conjointes rendent difficile la description, la mesure et la compréhension du phénomène : l’offre alimentaire culturellement minoritaire constitue-t-elle une « niche » commerciale distincte ? Comment évolue-t-elle d’un point de vue spatial, économique et social au sein d’espaces urbains en transformation ? Quels sont ses effets, tant sur la fabrication des quartiers que sur les pratiques citadines ?
      235  68
  • Publication
    Dynamics of human settlements ensuing from river transformation and changes in commercial behaviour: The birth of the “North-eastern Silk Road”
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2016)
    Rante, Rocco
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Mizaakhmedov, Djamel
    This article focuses on the causes and dynamics of the origin of the caravan path linking Iranian cities to those of Central Asia from the northeast, to be more precise linking Nishapur and Merv to Bukhara and further to Samarkand, and thus overall linking Iran to China. It proposes to elucidate the causes and effects, which occurred after the appearance of what we could call the main arm of the Silk Road. After an analysis of the historical sources mentioning caravan routes crossing eastern Iran, Merv and Central Asia, this article presents the recent geo-archaeological results of the Archaeological Mission of the Bukhara Oasis (MAFOUB). Recent geomorphological discoveries have brought to light important morphological changes of the Zerafšan delta, to which are imputed major changes in human settlements and behaviours. By the 4th century BCE a huge human occupation of the oasis took place, which slightly later engendered a dynamic of massive urbanisation, rendering possible the connections between China and the Mediterranean Sea directly crossing the Bukhara Oasis. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd
    Scopus© Citations 4  175
  • Publication
    Early oleiculture or native wild Olea in eastern Maghreb: New pollen data from the sebkhalagoon Halk el Menjel (Hergla, Central Tunisia)
    (Maney Publishing, 2015)
    Lebreton, V.
    ;
    Jaouadi, S.
    ;
    Mulazzani, S.
    ;
    Boujelben, A.
    ;
    Belhouchet, L.
    ;
    Gammar, A.M.
    ;
    Combourieu-Nebout, N.
    ;
    Saliège, J.-F.
    ;
    Karray, M.R.
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    Pollen analyses from the sebkha-lagoon Halk El Menjel document the vegetation history in Central Tunisia, linked to climate change since the Middle Holocene. Steppes are the main biomes developed under semi-arid conditions between 4965 ± 35 and 3410 ± 40 BP. At 4365 ± 50 BP Pistacia is replaced by Olea and high representation of Olea pollen grains are reported between 4365 ± 50 and 3410 ± 40 BP, illustrating a humid episode at the Mid-to-Late Holocene transition. Thus, the semi-arid area of Central Tunisia could correspond to the native biome for oleasters at the beginning of the Late Holocene. Early olive cultivation is not yet evidenced in the Neolithic sites of the eastern Maghreb, and the Phoenicians are assumed to have introduced olive cultivars in Tunisia. However, an early cultivation of Olea from local native oleaster and dissemination of native cultivars in Central Tunisia can be hypothesised even if it has to be still demonstrated with further archaeological and archaeobotanical evidences. © 2015 Association for Environmental Archaeology.
    Scopus© Citations 14  212