Fouache, Eric

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Fouache, Eric
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info@sorbonne.ae
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6602212690

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  • Publication
    Evidence for early irrigation at Bat (Wadi Sharsah, northwestern Oman) before the advent of farming villages
    (2016)
    Wattez, Julia
    ;
    Desruelles, Stéphane
    ;
    Eddargach, Wassel
    ;
    Cable, Charlotte
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Beuzen-Waller, Tara
    ;
    Cammas, Cecilia
    ;
    Martin, Chloé
    ;
    Tengberg, Margareta
    ;
    Murray, Andrew
    ;
    Thornton, Christopher
    Decades of archaeological research in southeastern Arabia (Oman and the UAE) have provided a good understanding of the evolution of human societies in this arid region, with the transition from mobile pastoralism to settled agricultural villages occurring at the start of the Hafit period (ca. 3100–2700 BCE). The delayed adoption of farming, ceramics, mudbrick architecture, metallurgy, and other technologies until the start of the 3rd millennium BCE has been a particularly salient feature of this region relative to its neighbours in Mesopotamia, southern Iran, and northwestern South Asia. However, recent geoarchaeological research at the World Heritage Site of Bat, situated within the Wadi Sharsah valley in northwest Oman, has provided evidence of irrigation practices that have been dated to the early-mid 4th millennium BCE. While direct evidence of farming from this early period remains elusive, the presence of irrigated fields at this time raises new questions about the supposedly mobile pastoralist groups of the Arabian Neolithic and the beginning of farming practices in the region
    Scopus© Citations 15  179
  • Publication
    Geoarchaeological survey in the Wādī al-Kabīr basin, Wilāyāt Ibrī, Oman: A preliminary report (poster)
    (Archaeopress, 2014)
    Desruelles, Stéphane
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Kondo, Y.
    ;
    Beuzen-Waller, T.
    ;
    Miki, T.
    ;
    Noguchi, A.
    This paper reports on the geoarchaeological survey in the Wādī al-Kabīr basin, located in the southern piedmont of the al-Hajar mountains, to the north-east of Ibrī, Oman. The goal of the survey was to understand the spatial patterns of human occupation of the region during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, paying special attention to the development of landscape and topography. The survey comprised archaeological and geomorphological explorations. Both approaches employed satellite remote sensing and GIS-based mapping of surface features. From the geomorphological viewpoint, the survey area was an alluvial plain washed and surrounded by two major wadis - Wādī al-Kabīr and Wādī Khuwaybah. In this area, the archaeological team documented twenty-three sites and scatters. Middle to Late Palaeolithic artefacts were identified in the piedmont areas, while Holocene lithics, characterized by Fasad points, end-scrapers, and drills, were scattered on residual hills and terraces. The team identified a total of 246 cairns, most of which look like Hafit-type tombs. Some of the cairns were associated with lithic concentration. There was a Bronze Age and Islamic settlement on the terrace between the two wadis. At that site, called al-HasT, the team mapped at least five Bronze Age towers, two Umm an-Nar type graves, enclosure walls, irrigation channels with an aqueduct bridge, bunds to prevent floods, and traces of crop field boundaries and buildings. The results of systematic surface collection and soil sampling in the northern sector suggested that a Bronze Age settlement is probably present underneath the crop fields of the Islamic period.
      156
  • Publication
    Geomorphological changes in the coastal area of Farasan Al-Kabir Island (Saudi Arabia) since mid Holocene based on a multi-proxy approach
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2018)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Koukousioura, O.
    ;
    Triantaphyllou, M.
    ;
    Vandarakis, D.
    ;
    Marion de Procé, S.
    ;
    Chondraki, V.
    ;
    Kapsimalis, V.
    The geomorphological evolution of the southeastern coastal area of Farasan Al-Kabir Island (Saudi Arabia) is revealed by the mapping of modern landforms and a multi-proxy and high spatial resolution study including grain size, particulate organic carbon, mineralogy, element geochemistry, benthic foraminifera analysis and radiocarbon dating of a 3.3-m long sediment core. The modern geomorphological features comprise a variety of arid landforms, such as plateau, cliffs and pediments of Pleistocene coral limestones, playa depressions located on plateau surfaces, alluvial fans, butte and sandy beaches. The mid Holocene evolution of the borehole area is resulted from the detailed analysis of five sedimentary units detected along the core Matar-1, and includes three distinct stages: (a) from 5253 ± 223 y cal BP to 3138 ± 223 y cal BP, carbonate coarse-grained material consisting of coral fragments, molluscs, calcareous algae and benthic foraminifera are deposited on a shallow marine fringing reefal platform, which becomes progressively a nearshore backreef (around 3675 ± 215 y cal BP), and later (around 3138 ± 223 y cal BP) a reef ramp; (b) since 3040 ± 220 y cal BP the borehole area obtains the characteristics of a high-energy beach that receives increasing inputs of terrigenous material; (c) subsequently, a supratidal backshore setting is established influenced mostly by terrestrial processes and occasionally by marine processes, as it is indicated by the decreasing and sometimes sporadic presence of benthic foraminifera, and recently, a sedimentary veneer consisting of terrigenous, carbonate and evaporite material is formed by terrestrial, mainly wadi and aeolian, processes. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA
    Scopus© Citations 6  208
  • Publication
    Geomorphological evolution and paleoenveronment reconstruction in the northeastern part of lemnos Island (North Aegean Sea)
    (Universite de Liege, 2014)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Sidiropoulou, M.
    ;
    Triantaphyllou, M.
    ;
    Vouvalidis, K.
    ;
    Syrides, G.
    ;
    Greco, E.
    The area where the study was made is located in the northeastern coast of Lemnos Island (Greece- North Aegean Sea). This area covers the archaeological settlement of Hephestia which is located in the north part of Purnia Gulf and the coastal area of Alyki Lagoon, which is located in the southeast part of Lemnos coast. The archaeological importance of this area is pointed out not only by its archaeological remains but also by its significant location. The most important site which has been discovered close Hephestia is Poliochni. This is an ancient city considered to have the same date with Troy. The excavations of archaeological site of Hephestia indicate continuous human presence from Late Bronze Age till Byzantine time. The study of the eustatic sea level oscillation in correlation with the neotectonic regimes and die geomorphological observadons, and also the analyses of the deposed sediments, helps us to make a palaeogeographycal reconstruction of the landscape and its impotence to human societies. Therefore, detailed geomorphological mapping, micromorphological, sedimentological and micropaleontological studies of the Holocene coastal deposits have been accomplished. Six boreholes at Alyki lagoon were drilled at selected locations, the deepest one reaches a depth of 11m, and two other boreholes were drilled in Hephestia. The stratigraphy of the late Holocene sediments was studied in detail and samples collected from selected sedimentary layers, were analysed by using micropaleontological techniques. The calculated age from the boreholes gives dates between 5100 B.C. till 820 A.D. Twenty samples of shells and roots were dated using the AMS radiocarbon method in Lyon C14 Laboratory. Geomorphological mapping was carried out using topographic maps at scale of 1:50.000, geological map at a scale of 1:50.000 and observations on the field. Landforms of the coastal alluvial plain, in die shoreline and in die inland were marked and recorded at a scale of 1:50.000. Sea level rise along the interaction of landscape evolution and the impact of human civilization were concluded.
      506
  • Publication
    Holocene lithostratigraphy and its implementation in the geoarchaeological research of the Athenian Basin, Greece
    (Springer Verlag, 2016)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Vandarakis, D.
    ;
    Vouvalidis, K.
    The Athenian Basin is a very interesting area from an archaeological point of view, since it is inhabited from Neolithic time. The human impact on the landscape is shown by the ancient constructions such as the Long Walls and the canalization of the rivers in the area of the Athenian Basin and Piraeus. The aim of the study is to detect the paleogeographical evolution of this area. In order to manipulate all the available information obtained from literature review (topographic maps, geological maps, ancient maps and references) and the stratigraphic data from 227 boreholes from the Athenian Basin, a GIS database was established. After the interpretation of the stratigraphy from the boreholes, six lithostratigraphic units were defined. Maps and 3D models were designed to represent the succession of the lithostratigraphy of each period. Paleogeographic maps were created in order to represent the landscape for each lithostratigraphic unit of the Athenian basin, and extract results for the temporal and spatial changes of the paleo-landscape and the involvement of the human impact on the depositional process in the Athenian Basin during Holocene. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
    Scopus© Citations 1  159
  • Publication
    Holocene relative sea-level variations and archeological implications, Abu Dhabi western region, United Arab Emirates
    (2020)
    Pavlopoulos, Kosmas 
    ;
    Fouache, Eric 
    ;
    Damien, Arhan
    New results from fieldwork in the western region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi showed meaningful differences in relative sea-level variations during Holocene and recorded unknown late marine highstands. These dynamics may have induced important environmental changes and affected human settlement. Surveys have been carried out in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in order to construct local sea-level variations. These results rely on identifying, characterizing, and dating sea-level indicators and particularly beachrocks. Two main areas were studied: Ghagha island and Ras Khumays peninsula. Data obtained from our surveys highlight significant differences and suggest local processes that need to be understood. From an archeological perspective, this work helps to better understand human settlement dynamic through the Holocene.
    Scopus© Citations 7  239  41