Articles (CAC)

Articles dans des revues avec comité de lecture

2022

Smelting copper in decorated pottery: communities of practice in the Niari Basin, Republic of the Congo, fifteenth-seventeenth centuries CE

This paper considers copper production in the Niari Basin, Republic of the Congo, during a period dated to the mid-fifteenth-mid-seventeenth centuries CE. Using a combination of pXRF, OM, SEM-EDS, and FTIR, it assesses the microstructure and composition of slags and technical ceramics from sites associated with two different regional pottery traditions: Moubiri-type at the site of Kingoyi near Mindouli and Kindangakanzi-type at Kindangakanzi near Boko-Songho. Both sites are characterised by the use of refractory domestic pottery as crucibles for copper smelting. Moubiri-type pottery is alumina-rich, while Kindangakanzi-type pottery is formed from a magnesia-rich clay, a crucible type unique in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarities in chaînes opératoires at Kingoyi and Kindangakanzi suggest sharing of knowledge at mining and smelting sites, interactions we reconstruct as a metallurgical constellation of practice comprised of the distinct potting communities of practice.

2021

Roger Joussaume & Jean-Paul Cros (2021) - Art rupestre dans la Corne de l'Afrique

Editorial

Population collapse in Congo rainforest from 400 CE urges reassessment of the Bantu Expansion

The present-day distribution of Bantu languages is commonly thought to reflect the early stages of the Bantu Expansion, the greatest migration event in African prehistory. Using 1149 radiocarbon dates linked to 115 pottery styles recovered from 726 sites throughout the Congo rainforest and adjacent areas, we show that this is not the case. Two periods of more intense human activity, each consisting of an expansion phase with widespread pottery styles and a regionalization phase with many more local pottery styles, are separated by a widespread population collapse between 400 and 600 CE followed by major resettlement centuries later. Coinciding with wetter climatic conditions, the collapse was possibly promoted by a prolonged epidemic. Comparison of our data with genetic and linguistic evidence further supports a spread-over-spread model for the dispersal of Bantu speakers and their languages.

The Carboneras Beach archaeological site on Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea): old data and new stories about a unique culture

Off the coast of Cameroon, Bioko Island was populated by the Bubi at an early stage of the Bantu expansion, although surprisingly they did not use iron until the arrival of the Europeans much later. Unfortunately, despite some research having been undertaken, mostly during the Spanish colonial period, the local archaeological sequence remains poorly known. On the basis of some short excavations carried out on Bioko, this paper evaluates the state of knowledge of the island's archaeology. There is a pressing need for more research on the island, in contrast to the continent, where archaeological knowledge has made significant progress in recent decades. So far there are no clear archaeological connections between the two. However, some clues suggest that the Bubi's ancestors may have inhabited the mainland in southwestern Cameroon before emigrating to the islands, perhaps 2000 years ago. In view of the rapid development of infrastructure on Bioko, as well as on the mainland of Equatorial Guinea, a major multidisciplinary research programme centred on archaeology should be launched without further delay.

Réduire la déforestation et la dégradation des forêts en République démocratique du Congo : conservation et marché du carbone dans le contexte des états fragiles

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international mechanism linked to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It has been described in the field of political ecology as the panacea of neoliberal nature conservation policies, in particular though the decreasing role of the state in the definition and implementation of forest policies in favour of market-based-mechanisms and non-governmental actors. The article explores the links between the privatisation of forest conservation and national sovereignty in the context of limited statehood through a case study in the Mai Ndombe province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It proposes an original approach combining African political anthropology with Franz Neumann's political economy analyses of the power of authoritarian states. It argues that this model of forest conservation uses carbon accounting and results-based payment, which privileges private actors for the design and implementation of REDD+ activities; it also paradoxically strengthens Congelese state legitimacy.

2020

De singuliers espaces de temps : Regards croisés sur les arts rupestres du Sahara et d'Afrique australe

Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history

Our knowledge of ancient human population structure in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly prior to the advent of food production, remains limited. Here we report genome-wide DNA data from four children—two of whom were buried approximately 8,000 years ago and two 3,000 years ago—from Shum Laka (Cameroon), one of the earliest known archaeological sites within the probable homeland of the Bantu language group1-11. One individual carried the deeply divergent Y chromosome haplogroup A00, which today is found almost exclusively in the same region12,13. However, the genome-wide ancestry profiles of all four individuals are most similar to those of present-day hunter-gatherers from western Central Africa, which implies that populations in western Cameroon today—as well as speakers of Bantu languages from across the continent—are not descended substantially from the population represented by these four people. We infer an Africa-wide phylogeny that features widespread admixture and three prominent radiations, including one that gave rise to at least four major lineages deep in the history of modern humans.

Niyanpangu-bansu: An Important Archaeological Site for the Reconstitution of the History of Caravan Trade in Northern Benin

Regarding the history of Borgu (North Benin), well-known events are the legend of Kisra, the war of Ilorin (1835-1836), and the destruction of the city named Niyanpangu. Referred to as Niyanpangu-bansu after its destruction, this archaeological site is known mostly from oral tradition and is located approximately three hundred kilometers west of Nikki (northeast Benin Republic). It has great historical significance which could contribute to our understanding of the history of caravan trade in northern Benin. This paper presents the results of the first ever archaeological research on the site in 2013 and 2014.

2019

Technographies

Provenancing Central African copper croisettes: A first chemical and lead isotope characterisation of currencies in Central and Southern Africa

The Copperbelt is one of the richest copper deposits in the world and has been an important primary metal source for Central African cultures for over a millennium. The technology underlying this exploitation and the trade networks through which copper was exchanged, however, have not yet received much attention in archaeological research. This paper presents the first geochemical dataset for archaeological copper currencies in Central and Southern Africa: croisette ingots. Chemical and lead isotope analysis have been carried out for 45 precolonial copper artefacts with the aim of illuminating their provenance and production technology. The results show that highly pure copper with very low trace element content was produced, indicating the selection, beneficiation and smelting of specific Copperbelt ores. The variable croisette compositions and shapes reflected in burial assemblages support their suggested use as currencies over a large area. This study offers a highly novel contribution to provenance research in Central and Southern Africa, shedding new light on the broader trade networks associated with copper provisioning in these regions. The exploitation of a range of ore sources throughout the 2nd millennium CE has been identified, with a marked shift around the mid-15th century CE largely correlating to croisette typologies. Furthermore, these different geochemical copper signatures can be tentatively related to different Copperbelt zones. Combining these results with archaeological and historical evidence for regional copper production and consumption, this study provides a framework for the future study of copper production and exchange systems in the wider Central and Southern African region.

Agroforesterie et déforestation en République démocratique du Congo. Miracle ou mirage environnemental ?

Savanna agroforestry systems (acacia/cassava) are becoming widespread in programs aimed at tackling deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Using a case study of three villages situated in the Batéké Plateau area, this article identifies three correlative factors that influence the adoption of these systems in rural areas: the scarcity of forest resources, household dependency on agriculture for income generation, and the security of the land. It then moves on to discuss the ability of these agroforestry systems to provide a sustainable transition toward post-forest agrarian systems.

2018

Le dendi précolonial. Sites de mémoire dans les traditions des Kumate du Nord Bénin

Du bwiti en clips et en cassettes

"Notice : Peniakoff, Vladimir"

"Notice : de Heusch, Luc"

Copper Production and Trade in the Niari Basin (Republic of Congo) during the 13th to 19th Centuries CE: Chemical and Lead Isotope Characterization

In Central Africa, copper ore occurs in only a few locations and copper appears to have beena scarce commodity in the past—contrary to iron, which is attested more widely and earlier inthe sub-Saharan archaeological record. This paper presents the first detailed characterizationof an early copper-working region in Central Africa. Located along the southern border of theRepublic of the Congo, the Niari Basin has revealed several copper production sites rangingfrom the 13th to the 19th century CE. The evidence, specifically in the Mindouli, Mfouati andBoko-Songho areas, includes various production remains as well as different types of copperingots and artefacts. In the context of a broader copper technology study, the chemical andlead isotope characteristics of the ore deposits in this region are presented. The results ofthe chemical and lead isotope analyses of copper objects and production remains from archaeologicalsites are then interpreted against this geological background data, with an emphasison copper provenance features. Combining these results with archaeological and historicalevidence for regional metallurgical activity, new and significant insights are given on the productionof copper in the Niari Basin, emphasizing the potential of this research for forthcomingwork on copper use and trade in a wider Central African context.

2017

Forests and Rivers: The Archaeology of the North Eastern Congo

The Central African Rainforest was long thought to be a green desert. Intensive archaeological research during the last decades has shown the contrary. The rainforest of the Congo bassin has a long and rich history, but its heavy vegetation cover made it difficult to find evidence of human settlements. Indeed, an overview of archaeological collections held at the RMCA (Royal Museum for Central Africa), shows that, before the 1980's, very few sites were reported for the Rainforest area of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). Since then a series of river-born reconnaissance have shown that there were sites aplenty in the Inner Congo Basin. Latter surveys along the Congo River and its tributaries further East, between Bumba and Kisangani (DRC), indicate that this is also true in the North-Eastern part of the Congo River. Our results show that the region's archaeological record consists primarily of pottery finds associated with old soil horizons or pottery arranged in pit-structures, with lithic assemblages being relatively rare. This work offers a first assessment of the past 2000 years of human occupation in a region that was an archaeological terra incognita. In the process, we also confirm a powerful research strategy, combining forestry inventories with systematic archaeological sampling. Recent work in forestry showed that there was not a single primeval rainforest, but rather a patchwork of forests. This approach allowed us to access inter-fluvial portions of a dense rainforest environment and provided essential data for the regional chrono-stratigraphy.

Histoire et Archéologie du Ma- niema (RDC): Mission dans la région de Kindu et Kasongo

During the months of May and June 2016 archaeological investigations were carried out in the Maniema Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which until then constituted unexplored territory. Until now the area's history was only known as far as the 19th century, with the establishment of the slave and ivory trades by Swahili-Arabs from the East African Coast. Surveys and test-pit excavations were carried out in Kindu and Ka- songo, situated on the Lualaba River. Even though it is too early to provide any data on the region's occupational history, our first observations indicate that the Maniema Province exhibits an old, rich and varied archaeological heritage.

Gauge coupling field, currents, anomalies and N=1 super-Yang-Mills effective actions

Working with a gauge coupling field in a linear superfield, we construct effective Lagrangians for N=1 super-Yang-Mills theory fully compatible with the expected all-order behavior or physical quantities. Using the one-loop dependence on its ultraviolet cutoff and anomaly matching or cancellation of R and dilatation anomalies, we obtain the Wilsonian effective Lagrangian. With similar anomaly matching or cancellation methods, we derive the effective action for gaugino condensates, as a function of the real coupling field. Both effective actions lead to a derivation of the NSVZ β function from algebraic arguments only. The extension of results to N=2 theories or to matter systems is briefly considered. The main tool for the discussion of anomalies is a generic supercurrent structure with 16B+16F operators (the S multiplet), which we derive using superspace identities and field equations for a fully general gauge theory Lagrangian with the linear gauge coupling superfield, and with various U(1)R currents. As a byproduct, we show under which conditions the S multiplet can be improved to contain the Callan-Coleman-Jackiw energy-momentum tensor whose trace measures the breaking of scale invariance.

Copper, Trade and Polities: Exchange Networks in Southern Central Africa in the 2nd Millennium CE

A rare, scattered resource in Central Africa, copper was produced in the Copperbelt since the 4th?7th centuries CE and traded over large distances from the 9th to the 19th centuries. It was exchanged mainly in the form of cross-shaped ingots, also called croisettes, varying in form and size over time and space. In this article, we explore and compare the spatial distribution of these ingots over time. This approach offers an opportunity to study pre-colonial trade. Indeed, during the 2nd millennium CE, the use of the same type of ingots is attested in distant regions, from the Great Zimbabwe area to the Upemba depression (north Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC]). Over the centuries, changes in geographic distribution patterns and styles indicate shifts in contacts and the appearance of new boundaries. These variations reflect changes in the regional distribution networks and suggest areas of exclusive political influence. Historical information available for the 19th century shows that it is possible to link the diffusion of copper with political entities, a hypothesis supported by evidence related to other kinds of production, such as ceramics and salt. For remote periods, confrontation of the croisettes? distribution with other aspects of material culture suggests that such links between socio-political spaces and copper distribution may also have occurred in the distant past.

Les enjeux de la cartographie sonore par rapport à la frontière de la neutralité

Les cartographies sonores émergent et se développent de plus en plus depuis les années 2000. À l'origine, il ne s'agissait que d'une simple représentation sonique d'un lieu, mais progressivement ces interfaces numériques ont basculées de « cartes » à « contre-cartes » par l'engagement social, culturel ou politique de leurs créateurs. Outre des ambiances sonores, ces « contre-cartes » révèlent des points de vue particuliers sur l'environnement quotidien d'un individu, sans se soumettre à un contrôle d'une quelconque autorité. Cet article observe les enjeux de ces créations à travers plusieurs exemples et propose un modèle d'analyse des indices topographiques d'un enregistrement sonore.

2016

Bones, sex, and dolls: Solving a mystery in Central Africa and beyond

Ethnographic parallels are used to explain the presence and significance of caprine or antelope metapodial bones principally in children's graves in Iron Age contexts in the Congo. Beyond Africa, in the Neolithic in France and Italy, but also during the Bronze Age in the Levant, the same mysterious bones have often been collected in similar contexts. It is likely that the natural shape of these bones led them to be seen as human figures and to be used as dolls. This is an example of how natural objects may be construed in a similar way in various societies and which raises many issues regarding what a doll actually is, its various functions and how it blurs boundaries between play and ritual.

The settlement mound of Birnin Lafiya: New evidence from the eastern arc of the Niger River

The development of complex social organisation and trade networks during the first and second millennia AD in the Sahel region of West Africa has long been hampered by a paucity of reliable data. Investigations at Birnin Lafiya, a large settlement mound of this period on the eastern arc of the Niger River, help to fill this gap. The site can now be placed within its broader landscape, and discoveries of early mud architecture, circular structures, human burial remains, personal ornamentation and striking potsherd pavements can be contrasted with contemporary sites both within the inland Niger region and at Ife to the south.

Tea party toys? Classical kisalian grave goods from the Upemba (D.R. Congo)

The continuous Iron Age sequence that connects the 10th century Kisalian in central Africa to the present day inhabitants of the area, the Luba, provides a rare opportunity to link archaeological data to ethnographic observations. Numerous Kisalian graves reflect the elaborate rituals and beliefs and the complex socioeconomic organization of that period. One of its intriguing aspects is the extensive use of various miniature objects as grave goods, for children and adults. The widespread Luba practice of making miniature objects for their children, as well as in connection with the spiritual world, is thus likely to date back many centuries and testifies to the symbolic qualities of miniatures.

A Foodie's Guide to Kongo Language History: Early Events, North versus South, and the Innovative West

The present paper analyzes 33 series of culinary vocabulary in a representative set of Kongo languages from the point of view of language history. Even if from a culinary perspective, few series can relate to historical changes prior to 1482, many are revealing with respect to language history. The effects of historical state borders and trade routes clearly resulted in diverging and converging developments within the Kikongo Language Cluster (KLC). The paper demonstrates a dichotomy between northern and southern Kongo languages with Sundi and Manyanga shifting alliances. Moreover, relatively recent innovations differentiate part of the West Kongo languages from the remainder of the KLC.

To Hell with Ethnoarchaeology!

This paper is a charge against ethnoarchaeology. Deliberately provocative, it aims at highlighting the flaws and ideological pitfalls of a sub-discipline whose actual contribution to archaeology remains hardly decipherable. Beside a methodological deficiency and the frequent narrow-mindedness of the research agenda, ethnoarchaeology suffers from two major problems. First, it carries implicitly an old evolutionary - and racist - ideology that divides the world between modern Western societies (inappropriate for ethnoarchaeological research) and premodern exotic societies (well fitted for ethnoarchaeological research). Second, the quest for universal models of interpretation leads ethnoarchaeologists to play down historical contingency and cultural specificities, which not only deprive them of a good understanding of the ethnographical contexts, but also contribute to restricting ethnoarchaeological applications to a mere quest for similarities (or dissimilarities) in the material record. The problems are too profound to justify an umpteenth salvage of the sub-discipline. Rather, the proposition is to get rid of ethnoarchaeology once and for all, and join forces with other, more serious, disciplines.

Les fantômes du Dendi.

Une vieille navette couverte de purin, un sachet plastique troué contenant quelques fuseaux, un morceau de pagnes ayant servi d'épouvantail, des cendres, des fragments de parois en ciment… Autant d'éléments matériels associés à une ancienne filière technique dans le Dendi (Nord Bénin) : filage du coton, tissage et teinture à l'indigo. C'est à partir d'eux que nous nous efforçons, depuis 2011, d'approcher des techniques aujourd'hui disparues. Quoique celles-ci aient occupé une place économique et sociale de première importance jusqu'au milieu du 20ème siècle, elles ont graduellement perdu en visibilité, jusqu'à ne plus exister qu'à l'état de restes. Dans cet article, nous examinerons les différents statuts des éléments évoqués et les potentialités qu'ils offrent pour appréhender et reconstituer le monde social des acteurs techniques. Nous insisterons tout particulièrement sur les bricolages méthodologiques que nécessite l'exploration d'activités « fantômes » et la façon dont ceux-ci ouvrent la voie à de nouveaux champs de réflexion en anthropologie et en histoire.

La promenade sensorielle comme outil pédagogique

2015

The Delphi technique in ecology and biological conservation: Applications and guidelines

Many areas of science, including conservation and environmental management, regularly require engaging stakeholders or experts to produce consensus or technical inputs. The Delphi technique is an iterative and anonymous participatory method used for gathering and evaluating such expert-based knowledge. We outline the methodology of the Delphi technique and provide a taxonomy of its main variants. In addition, we refine the technique by providing suggestions to address common limitations (e.g. time consumption, attrition rate) in order to make the method more suitable for application in ecology and conservation. A comprehensive search for studies that have applied the Delphi technique in conservation and environmental management resulted in 36 papers. The Delphi technique has been applied to a range of issues, including developing decision support systems and predicting ecological impacts of climate change. The papers reviewed suggest that the Delphi technique is an efficient, inclusive, systematic and structured approach that can be used to address complex issues. A major strength compared to other group-based techniques is the reduced influence of social pressures among respondents. The Delphi technique is relatively little used and seems undervalued. Given its wide range of possible applications, it could be applied more widely in evaluating evidence and providing expert judgments.

The Baka symbolic landscape as a memory process.

2014

La gestion participative des forêts en Afrique centrale : Logique développementiste, gourvenance antiparticipative et stratégies d'acteurs.

La gestion participative des forêts est expérimentée dans le Bassin congolais depuis une trentaine d'années. Mais, ses résultats sont mitigés. Cette préoccupation constitue la base de cette réflexion. Les auteurs soulignent la complexité des mécanismes sous-jacents aux difficultés identifiées et entreprennent leur analyse d'un triple point de vue : celui du fonctionnement développementiste, celui du contexte socio-politique et celui des rapports de force en présence. S'ancrant dans une démarche à la fois historique et ethnographique, ils discutent la performance de quatre filières de financement « participatives » (fiscalité décentralisée, secteur privé, entreprenariat communautaire local, secteur classique de l'aide au développement) et de cinq mécanismes participatifs (rente forestière annuelle communautaire, rente de superficie, forêt communautaire, zone d'intérêt cynégétique à gestion communautaire, activités de conservation et de développement intégrées). A partir d'une analyse comparative trans-sectorielle, ils mettent en évidence que cette politique relève globalement d'une gouvernance pratique antiparticipative qui n'invalide pas le modèle participatif en soi, mais remet en cause la manière dont il est mis en œuvre. L'article se termine sur l'impératif d'une bonne connaissance préalable des contextes de réalisation des approches participatives et du monitoring des pratiques empiriques de la gestion participative et du développement rural effectif.

2013

The KongoKing project: 2013 Fieldwork report from the Lower Congo Province (DRC)

Sustainable development and diversity: reflections on knowledge, cultural diversity and environmental sustainability from a transdisciplinary perspective

In our rapidly globalizing world, continuous readjustment of the scientific basis of sustainable developmennt (SD) is a prerequisite for sustainability. We shed light on the shift in international discourse concerning culural diversity and SD. We analyse worldviews as a constitutive element of SD, proposing to re-interpret SD as a joint worldview-construct in progress, embracing a multiplicity of visions and knowledges. Through critical literature review, we identified transdisciplinarity, cocreation of knowledge and inra-/inter-cultural dialogue as a necessity for SD to retain its ‚universal‘ appeal. Transversal thinking, biocultural diversity and trends within SD research act as a guide throughout our reflection on knowledge-creation for and interpretation of SD, starting from a worldviews perspective and interdisciplinarity.

Knowledge for sustainable development: A worldviews perspective

A huge tension exists between recognizing sustainable development (SD) as a meta-discourse and accepting a limitless interpretational width. We analyse the impacts of diversity of worldviews on the interpretation of SD-as a knowledge-based concept-through a critical literature review, resulting in recommendations on the topic. We apply a social-constructionist approach, appreciating the complex socio-ecological interactions at the heart of SD. Only recently worldviews are recognized as constitutive elements of SD. Little attention has been given to the impacts on generated knowledge for SD. Variety of worldviews induces a variety of knowledge claims and needs. To retain SD's 'universal' appeal as practical decision-guiding strategy for policy and action, we propose an integrative approach towards knowledge for SD-entailing an explicit pluralization of knowledge. SD should be re-interpreted as a joint worldviews construct, embracing a diversity of views in collaborative research and co-production of knowledge. Interpreting SD as a joint endeavour is necessary to overcome historical obstacles like cultural hegemony and a hierarchy of knowledge systems. We identified the following requirements for an inclusive knowledge for SD paradigm: re-interpretation of SD as a worldview constructs in progress; interpretative flexibility; co-production of knowledge; subjectivity awareness and self-reflexivity; respect for a diversity of worldviews/knowledges; identifying shared goals; collaborative research; a systems approach; transdisciplinarity; and recognition of contextuality. Further research-concerning potential methodologies and typologies-to reconcile variety of worldviews and knowledge systems in a joint SD worldviews construct is urgently needed. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

2012

From kinship to kingship : an African journey into complexity

In Africa, where kinship provided the underlying structure of society, social networks and ritual power appear to be at the core of the notion of power and the emergence of political complexity. In studying those developments, and how African political systems challenged simplistic neo-evolutionary models as they kept moving back and forth from lineage to kingdom, it may be useful to focus first on understanding how egalitarian societies became centralised states with a king. Although many famous kingdoms of the continent have flourished in the past, little is known about their origins. In order to use archaeology to study those processes, we need a better understanding of the nature of kingship, and thus to find ways to identify the sacred dimension of power in the African archaeological record. In that perspective, we should focus on the remains of palaces and precolonial cities, as well as on burial centres and regalia.En Afrique, où la parenté fournit la structure de base de la société, les réseaux sociaux et le pouvoir rituel semblent être au coeur de la notion de pouvoir et de l'émergence de la complexité politique. En étudiant ces développements et la façon dont les systèmes politiques africains contredisent les modèles néo-évolutionnistes simplistes par des allers-retours entre le lignage et le royaume, il peut être utile de s'attacher d'abord à comprendre comment des sociétés égalitaires sont devenues des états centralisés avec un roi. Bien que beaucoup de royaumes célèbres aient fleuri dans le passé du continent, on connaît peu de choses sur leurs origines. Si l'on veut utiliser l'archéologie pour éclairer celles-ci, nous devons mieux comprendre la nature de la royauté et donc trouver des façons d'identifier la dimension sacrée du pouvoir dans les vestiges archéologiques en Afrique. Dans cette perspective, on doit s'intéresser particulièrement aux restes des palais et des cités précoloniales, comme aux tombeaux et aux regalia.

Comment on "Intensifying Weathering and Land use in Iron Age Central Africa"

Bayon et al. (Reports, 9 March 2012, p. 1219) interpreted unusually high aluminum-potassium ratio values in an Atlantic sediment core as indicating anthropogenic deforestation around 2500 years before the present (B.P.). We argue that there is no terrestrial evidence for forest destruction by humans and that the third millennium B.P. rainforest crisis can be clearly attributed mostly to climatic change.

L'heuristique de la littérature grise sur le développement participatif dans le Bassin congolais

2011

Survey Along the Niger River Valley at the Bénin-Niger Border, Winter 2011

Slow Science - La désexcellence

L'implantation, dans l'univers académique, de politiques de recherche placées sous le signe de « l'excellence » et centrées sur la compétitivité et la productivité a entraîné une série de réactions, qui appellent à une « Slow Science ». Leurs auteurs y soulignent qu'en matière de recherche, la constance et la lenteur l'emportent sur la vitesse et la versatilité. Refusant de continuer à être les acteurs de leur propre destruction, par l'adoption de critères d'évaluation issus de l'économétrie, ils s'attachent à retrouver le plaisir et la créativité propres au travail scientifique bien fait. Dans cette perspective, la figure de l'artisan peut servir de référence. Par ailleurs, si la recherche d'une forme stable de résistance aux dérives managériales doit s'incarner dans une « Slow Science », celle-ci devrait se concevoir dans la perspective d'un logiciel libre, fruit d'un travail collectif et collaboratif.

Multidisciplinary perspectives on banana (Musa spp.) domestication

Original multidisciplinary research hereby clarifies the complex geodomestication pathways that generated the vast range of banana cultivars (cvs). Genetic analyses identify the wild ancestors of modern-day cvs and elucidate several key stages of domestication for different cv groups. Archaeology and linguistics shed light on the historical roles of people in the movement and cultivation of bananas from New Guinea to West Africa during the Holocene. The historical reconstruction of domestication processes is essential for breeding programs seeking to diversify and improve banana cvs for the future.

Pourquoi le décorer ?

Depuis le fameux ‘Why pots are decorated' (David et al. 1988), le décor céramique est passé à l'arrière plan des préoccupations des archéologues africanistes, au profit d'autres aspects comme les techniques de fabrication ou les modes de consommation. A l'époque, l'article sonnait le glas d'un interminable débat sur le style dominé par la question du marquage des frontières sociales. En illustrant la dimension religieuse des pratiques ornementales, David et al. (1988) n'ouvraient pas seulement de nouvelles pistes d'interprétation: ils ramenaient également le décor parmi les autres éléments de la chaîne opératoire, dont les dimensions symboliques commençaient alors à être mises en avant par un nombre croissant d'anthropologues. Cette théorie semble aujourd'hui aussi problématique que celle qu'elle visait à remplacer. Le temps est venu de remettre le décor sur la sellette, mais dans une perspective plus large que par le passé. C'est ce que vise cet article, basé sur des observations ethnographiques effectuées à travers le continent. Dans un premier temps, quelques aspects classiques de l'analyse des décors sont évoqués, afin d'illustrer la complexité des pratiques ornementales et les dangers d'interprétations trop univoques. Dans un second temps, de nouvelles perspectives d'interprétation sont illustrées, liées à la spatialisation et aux dynamiques de constitution des mondes sociaux.

Stirring Up the Porridge

A dynamic culture: Ritual and musical creation in the Baka context

The Baka's ritual expressions take place within a system based on fluidity, flexibility and malleability. In spite of certain common cultural resources throughout the Baka territory, one may observe an important variability on a regional level due to different modalities of innovation. This leads to regional variants of the rituals, but also to a fragmentation of the patrimony through the creation of new local associations or the borrowing from the non-Baka neighbours. Such diversification processes of the Baka's ritual system have been described in the domain of religious anthropology (Joiris 1996, 1997-98; Tsuru 1998, 2001). Our paper will focus on the musical aspects of ritual creation and situate this type of innovation in the Baka's ritual and musical patrimony as a whole. It has been proven that all innovation processes converge on a system which is characterised by a patchwork of stable elements. In the musical field, the polyrhythmic formulæ which characterise the ritual associations are composed with a very reduced stock of basic rhythms, whereas the songs make use of general, widespread features of Baka singing.

Comment on "Captives and culture change"

2010

« Retour sur “Tendance et analyse des documents matériels”

Ethnographie comparée des trousses à outils de potiers au sud du Niger

2009

The challenge of participatory natural resource management with mobile herders at the scale of a Sub-Saharan African protected area

Search for point sources of high energy neutrinos with final data from AMANDA-II

Why Bananas Matter: An introduction to the history of banana domestication

Les tribulations d'une casserole chinoise au Niger

Des babioles, des bricoles et quelques considérations plus sérieuses

Casseroles, légumes et Halloween

2008

Resolving phonological variability in Bantu lexical reconstructions

2007

La gestion des ressources naturelles dans les zones périurbaines d'Afrique centrale

Règles d'accès et gestion des ressources pour les acteurs des périphéries d'aires protégées

2006

Remote control research in Central Africa

This article explains how a project being implemented in peri-urban areas central Africa is coordinated from an office in Brussels. After an overview that addresses the conceptual challenges of defining 'peri-urban' and the question of why these social spaces are important from a development perspective, the article outlines 'remote control research' step-by-step: i) conceptualization, ii) identification and recruitment of local experts, iii) selection of research sites, iv) the process of formulating a locally appropriate and detailed research protocol, v) implementation and vi) analysis of findings and presentation of results. The conclusion argues that research in central Africa will increasingly be influenced by donor priorities and will consequently need to respect the guidelines dictated by project cycle management strategies currently in vogue. The steps in the project cycle reflect the nature of the relationship between donors, researchers in the field and the intermediary project managers that link the two extremes. Accommodating the worldviews, expectations and constraints of these actors is something that, although not always easy, is possible when the right blend of conditions is respected.

Prévoir

2005

La médecine et les médias

Lettre ouverte des Recteurs de l'U.L.B. et de la V.U.B.

L'oryctérope, un animal "bon à penser" pour les Africains, est-il à l'origine du dieu égyptien Seth?

The initial History of Bananas in Africa. A reply to Jan Vansina, Azania 2003

2004

Croire

Yes, there were bananas in Cameroon more than 2000 years ago

Editorial : devoir

Remise des insignes de Docteur Honoris Causa à Mr Philippe Busquin, commissaire européen

Développement et conservation de la nature

2003

Promouvoir

The Framework of Central African Hunter-Gatherers and Neighbouring Societies

Mini-livestock breeding with indigenous species in the tropics

Mini-livestock encompasses small indigenous vertebrates and invertebrates which can be produced on a sustainable basis for food, animal feed and as a source of income. It includes bush rodents, guinea-pigs, frogs, giant snails, manure worms, insects and many other small species. Mini-livestock production is suitable for backyard family production and can contribute to increased food security. Extension and research are still lacking in many countries due to a traditional emphasis on large domestic animals and a lack of related training and education. However, whilst promoting mini-livestock it should be noted that some of these small animals can represent a serious threat as crop pests. Any zoonotic implications also need to be identified. Mini-livestock development is associated with the desirable long-term preservation of biodiversity. Given the need, awareness and increasing information now available on mini-livestock species it is time for increased investment in this form of sustainable production.

2001

First archaeological evidence of banana cultivation in central Africa during the third millennium before present

Phytoliths recovered from refuse pits excavated in central Cameroon and dated to ca 2500 B.P. have been positively identified for the first time in Africa as derived from Musa the cultivated banana, after a comparative study of Musa and Ensete phytoliths. This discovery provides archaeologists with unequivocal proof of early agriculture in central Africa. Furthermore, the presence of banana in Cameroon much earlier than previously assumed could explain how agriculture spread through the rain forest. Lastly, as Musa is of Asian origin, this study provides the first concrete evidence of contacts across the Indian Ocean a millennium earlier than currently accepted.

Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of cyclosporine microemulsion in heart transplant recipients: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind comparison with the oil-based formulation of cyclosporine - Results at 24 months after transplantation

2000

Processing clay for pottery in northern cameroon: Social and technical requirements

For several decades, interpreting technical variations in the physical characteristics of pottery has followed two major trends: the 'cultural' approach and the 'behavioural' or 'techno-functionalist' approach. Using data collected during extensive ethnographic fieldwork, I will consider the relative importance of social and technical requirements in the field of clay processing techniques in the Faro area (northern Cameroon). I will show that environmental and techno-functional constraints cannot explain technical variations, while cultural factors appear determinant. However, taking the discussion one step further, I will show the complexity of the social/cultural mechanism involved in the regional distribution of these techniques.

Materializing Identities

La poterie en Pays mambila (Cameroun)

1999

Safety, tolerability and efficacy of cyclosporine microemulsion in heart transplant recipients: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind comparison with the oil based formulation of cyclosporine - Results at six months after transplantation

De l'observation participante à la gestion des conflits

In Pots We trust

Previous studies have illustrated the symbolic prominence of pottery making in sub-Saharan Africa. In many parts of the continent, the craft is explicitly connected to a series of other production activities and parts of the technical process often serve as a metaphor for explaining aspects of the human experience and to structure certain rituals. Barley goes as far as to speak of a 'potting model', one of many ways available to a culture to think about itself. It remains to be known, however, why African people specifically chose pottery making as a way to act upon/explain the world and why the activity is connected to specific realms of the human experience throughout the continent. Also, one may wonder whether potters' behaviour could in turn be influenced by metaphors, with steps of the chaîne opératoire becoming the locus of a symbolic discourse. In an effort to answer these questions, I attempted a systematic comparison of prohibitions and rituals connected to pottery in 102 sub-Saharan societies.

Poterie, société et histoire chez les Koma Ndera du Cameroun

Une étude du système de production de poterie en Pays ndera permet de jeter un regard nouveau sur le statut et l'histoire de cet art du feu dans la région du Faro, Nord-Cameroun. Alors que les traits les plus saillants de l'activité suggèrent l'existence d'une grande homogénéité au sein des groupes qui peuplent les deux rives du fleuve, une analyse plus détaillée montre tout ce que cette « image lisse » a de superficiel. Comme bien d'autres éléments de la culture matérielle et de la pratique sociale, en effet, la poterie porte inscrite en elle le témoignage de multiples facettes de l'ethnicité et d'incessantes interactions entre les groupements humains. Quoique l'article se focalise sur la comparaison de données limitées dans l'espace et le temps, l'objectif est de montrer, de façon plus générale, que la technologie constitue un excellent outil pour qui cherche à reconstituer l'histoire d'une société ou à mieux cerner l'identité de ses membres.

1997

Style, Individuality and Taxonomy among the Bafia Potters of Cameroon

1996

Les restes humains de Shum Laka (Cameroun, LSA-Age du fer)

1995

Plant Constituents Involved in Coating Practices among Traditional African Potters

1994

Elements of techno-economic changes among the sedentarised bagyeli pygmies (south-west Cameroon)

1993

An interview with Luc de Heusch

Baka Pygmy hunting Rituals in Southern Cameroon

1992

Bonfire of the Enquiries. Pottery Firing Temperature in Archaeology

Technology and Style

Style, individualité et taxonomie chez les potières Bafia du Cameroun

1990

L'humérus pathologique de Malemba-Nkulu (Zaïre)

1985

Recent archaeological research and dates from central Africa

1980

Ceux qui jouent avec le feu: la place du forgeron en Afrique centrale.

Recently, there has been an increased concern for iron technology in Africa, particularly in smelting, but except for West Africa, little is known about the social, economic and symbolic aspects of metallurgy. This article shows the variability in attitudes towards metalworking in central African societies. This is of interest to the archaeological interpretation of protohistoric metalworking in general. The access to the craft, the forms of apprenticeship, the purpose of the craft guilds where they exist, the absence of castes, the political significance of metallurgy, are discussed. In West Central Africa the smith holds a high status position and is often identified with the chief or even the king. Considerable variations in the organization of the production can be found. As elsewhere in Africa, the smiths held a prominent symbolic role. Among the Bantu-speaking people, it is suggested that his role within the culture is the same as that played by woman in nature. This may help to explain some of the rituals and prohibitions surrounding iron working. The relationship of fertility and metallurgy accounts for the importance held by the craft among most of the sacred kingships in the area. -English summary

Les trop fameux pots à fossette basale du Kasai

Vestiges de l'âge du fer dans les environs de Lubumbashi

Articles dans des revues sans comité de lecture

2022

Mission 2022 du projet BANTURIVERS dans la province de la Tshopo (RDC) : Ubundu, Wanye-Rukula et Kisangani

2015

Recherches géo-archéologiques dans les zones cuprifères du bassin du Niari en République du Congo

Archaeological fieldwork has been conducted since three years around the copper deposits of the Niari Basin, in the Republic of the Congo. In the 2015 fieldwork season, a geological survey has focused on the formation of the copper-(lead-zinc) deposits, and on the accessibility of the carbonate ore used to produce copper. Preliminary results suggest that the mineralogy of the exploited deposits influenced the procurement strategy and the ore processing. The archaeological survey confirms that most geological showings have been exploited in the precolonial period, at Boko-Songho, Mfouati and Mindouli. In the latter area, three main production periods have been identified, ranging from the 13th to the 19th centuries AD. Early copper production peaks might coincide with the rise of local kingdoms (e.g. Kongo Kingdom).

Project Gallery : Archaeological research on the Kongo kingdom in the Lower Congo region of Central Africa

2014

Fouilles, prospections, et prélèvements archéobotaniques dans les zones cuprifères de Mindouli et Boko-Songho en République du Congo

As part of our PhD projects, we conducted two months of archaeological fieldwork in the south of the Republic of Congo. The research focused on two areas known for their past metallurgical activities: Mindouli in the Pool province and Boko-Songho in the Bouenza province. In addition to pedestrian surveys, 9 sites have been test excavated, providing new data on copper metallurgy in the area. Several archaeobotanical samples have also been taken in order to study the food history in the area.

Le projet KongoKing: Les prospections et fouilles menées en 2014 à Misenga, Sumbi et Ngongo Mbata (Province du Bas-Congo, RDC)

2013

Projet KongoKing. Prospections en République du Congo (Brazzaville): le cuivre et l'origine des anciens royaumes Kongo et Teke

In order to understand the links between copper exploitation and the origins of the Kongo and Teke kingdoms, the areas around Mindouli andMbé in the Republic of Congo have been surveyed. Several sites with remains of copper metallurgy have been found in the vicinity of Mindouli. Two of them have been test excavated. These results and the preliminary contact and surveys in the Mbé area are promising for future archaeological research in the country.

Villers-la-Ville/Tilly : sondage en bordure d'un tumulus arasé à la drève du Tumulus

Nivelles/Nivelles : sondage dans la station du Pécrot, rue de l'Escavée

Nivelles/Thines : phase II de l'évaluation sur le site de la "Vieille Cour"

Braine-l'Alleud/Braine-l'Alleud : découverte fortuite d'un cimetière médiéval au square Ravel

1996

Preliminary results of fieldwork done by the “Ceramic and Society Project” in Cameroon, December 1995 - March 1996

Ethno-Marketing of Pottery

1993

From Clay to Pottery, with Style: 1990-1992 Fieldwork in Cameroon

1992

Stylistic and Archaeometrical Approaches to Present Pottery Technology

1990

Technologie céramique et ethno-archéométrie

1989

Sakuzi: fouille d'un premier village du néolithique à l'âge des métaux au Zaïre

Activités de vulgarisation

2020

S'engager dans la désexcellence

L'extraordinaire univers symbolique des Bantous

Cameroun. Quatre squelettes d'Homo sapiens surprenants

Tervuren, quel musée pour quel futur?

2019

Aux sources de la diplomatie africaine. Le royaume de Kongo

2016

Het koper van Niari, een eeuwenlang gegeerde natuurlijke rijkdom

Le cuivre du Niari, une ressource ancienne et prisée

2014

S'engager dans la désexcellence

2012

Pour une désexcellence des universités

carte blanche parue dans La Libre Belgique, 24 mars 2012 URL: www.lalibre.be/debats/opinions/article/728010/pour-une-desexcellence-des-universites.html

2007

Mais qui se soucie encore de l'histoire de la colonisation ?

2006

Famine, routine et journalisme

2003

Du mauvais usage de l'exotisme

1999

Des gouvernements de pygmées ?

1993

Pygmées d'Afrique Centrale

1991

Protection de la forêt et développement