Les terres cuites architecturales des églises du haut Moyen Age du NW de la France et du SE de l’Angleterre. Application de la datation par luminescence à l’archéologie du bâti

Book published by Archaeopress (2011)

Until the 1960s, early medieval religious architecture suffered from a general lack of interest by the field of archaeology resulting in a real need for the improvement in knowledge of this often ... [more ▼]

Until the 1960s, early medieval religious architecture suffered from a general lack of interest by the field of archaeology resulting in a real need for the improvement in knowledge of this often-misinterpreted art. Initially considered as outmoded or backward, early medieval architecture is actually dynamic, particularly the transition period between the 9th and the 11th centuries marked by its themes of transference and novelty. One of the features of this architecture is the use of ceramic building materials in the masonry, a technique from the Antiquity that can be observed continuing into the 11th and 12th centuries. This architectural characteristic is visible in areas touched by Roman traditions and particularly in north-western France and south-eastern England, which also benefit from a substantial concentration of early medieval buildings. One of the aims of this work is, therefore, to identify similar architectural tendencies and examine the technological choices made in the construction of the buildings under analysis. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to accurately position key-buildings in the architectural chronology. Amongst methods for this, luminescence dating applied to ceramic building materials is particularly attractive. Not only does it contribute to building archaeology through more precise dating, but its use in this specific aim also presents an opportunity to thoroughly test the method and essentially improve its potential. The first part of the study examines aspects of the political and religious contexts of the period between the 9th and the 11th century, as well as the associated architecture and its components. The second part is devoted to the presentation and the definition of the luminescence dating method. Bringing together these elements enables the twelve case studies from French and English sites selected for this chronology research work to be addressed in detail. Finally, a detailed study of the mode of use of ceramic building materials is presented and an interpretation of this architectural choice will be attempted. [less ▲]

Terrestrialization and evolutionary radiation of basal embryophytes on the Gondwana

Doctoral thesis (2012)

The conquest of land is one of the most important evolutionary steps in embryophyte evolution. It allowed plants to reach an outstanding level of diversity, conquer a variety of new ecological niches and ... [more ▼]

The conquest of land is one of the most important evolutionary steps in embryophyte evolution. It allowed plants to reach an outstanding level of diversity, conquer a variety of new ecological niches and dominate almost all terrestrial ecosystems. The early floras of Laurussia are well studied. Numerous localities have been known and studied for about two centuries; the scientific literature about those is abundant. On the contrary, the early floras from Gondwana are poorly known, even though this continent gathers the two thirds of the emerged lands in the Pridoli-Lochkovian ages. This work attempts to demonstrate the relevance of the study of Gondwanan early floras for understanding the terrestrialization processes and adaptive radiation of the embryophytes during the Pridoli-Lochkovian. Firstly, we describe two assemblages from South Africa and Brazil. These localities are located on the western margin of Gondwana during the Pridoli-Lochkovian. Six new taxa are described from the Brazilian locality. The latter assemblage demonstrates a diversity equivalent to that of the most diverse assemblage from the Lochkovian of Wales, which was part of Laurussia. Some of the morphological characters described from the latter assemblages allow inferring phylogenetical hypotheses. All these hypotheses are confirmed by a cladistic analysis. Hence the study of Gondwanan early floras also permits to decipher the affinities of some plants of rhyniophytoid architectures The Gondwanan floras also allow drawing some hypothesis about the ecology of rhyniophytoid polysporangiophytes. On the basis of architectural characters (long proximal axes and non-isotomous branchings), we postulate that the early land plants of rhyniophytoid architecture were in competition with each other for sunlight collection and spore dispersal. This implies that the rhyniophytoid communities formed rather dense vegetal mats. It is therefore likely that they were structured as a minute canopy: the long proximal axes are analogous to the tree trunk stratum and the branching crowns are analogous to the canopy. Finally, the study of the oldest South China block plant assemblage demonstrates that the flora from the equatorial belt of Gondwana is radically different from that of its western edge. Contrarily, the study of the Brazilian locality confirms the floral similarities between western Gondwanan and South Laurussian floras. This suggests… [less ▲]

La terreur sublime. Erotique, esthétique et politique chez Sade

in Art&Fact (1988)

Le territoire comme miroir de la société

in Politique : Revue de Débats (2008), 55

Le territoire témoigne des valeurs d’une société et matérialise dans l’espace les liens qui unissent les individus. Force est de constater que le territoire atteste aujourd’hui d’une société qui exclut ... [more ▼]

Le territoire témoigne des valeurs d’une société et matérialise dans l’espace les liens qui unissent les individus. Force est de constater que le territoire atteste aujourd’hui d’une société qui exclut. Les lotissements qui, depuis les années 1970, mitent nos paysages, consommant l’espace à un rythme effréné, en disent long sur les rapports sociaux. Ils portent les stigmates d’une société qui exclut tout comme l’hyper développement commercial que nous connaissons aujourd'hui. [less ▲]

Territoire en mutation

Article for general public (2008)

Le territoire politico-religieux de la RDC face à la politisation des pasteurs de la diaspora

Conference (2011, April 21)

En novembre 2011 auront lieu les prochaines élections présidentielles en République démocratique du Congo (RDC). Pour la première fois dans l’histoire du pays, le mode de scrutin présidentiel sera à un ... [more ▼]

En novembre 2011 auront lieu les prochaines élections présidentielles en République démocratique du Congo (RDC). Pour la première fois dans l’histoire du pays, le mode de scrutin présidentiel sera à un seul tour. La raison invoquée par les autorités, l’Assemblée nationale et le Sénat qui votèrent cet article: rompre avec la tutelle internationale. Cependant, pour l’ « opposition », cette révision constitutionnelle vise surtout à renforcer le pouvoir du chef de l’État, candidat à sa propre succession. Dans le cadre de cette communication, nous voudrions examiner la plurilocalisation du débat politique congolais en lien avec la grille de lecture politico-religieuse qui quadrilla les Présidentielles de 2006. L’origine supposée rwandaise du chef de l’Etat congolais fut, en effet, non seulement le thème majeur de cette campagne mais un extraordinaire agent de fédération, idéologique, de l’« opposition ». S’il est aujourd’hui peu probable que la force de cette accusation suffise à rallier l’ « opposition », désormais contrainte de faire politiquement alliance, sa mise à jour pourrait par contre éclairer la réorganisation du champ politique à venir. Non seulement parce que ce soupçon accusateur a réitéré les logiques d’influence réciproque entre politique et religieux, du Réveil, mais parce qu’il souligne les formes de continuité entre différentes transitions politiques, en lien avec les logiques de conversion et de reconversion des acteurs politico-religieux. [less ▲]

Le territoire wallon et sa surabondance foncière : pourquoi et comment gérer l’offre de manière parcimonieuse

Conference (2002, November 14)

Territoires : nouvelles gouvernances, quelles conséquences ?

Conference given outside the academic context (2011)

Presentation of the Belgian case in terms of infra-national governements, ie Regions and Communities on the one hand, local governments on the other hand. The point of rationalizing structures between ... [more ▼]

Presentation of the Belgian case in terms of infra-national governements, ie Regions and Communities on the one hand, local governments on the other hand. The point of rationalizing structures between local and regional levels has been illustrated with the example of the Belgian region. [less ▲]

Territoires et développement durable

Conference (2005, November 18)

Les Territoires Méconnus de la Pharmacognosie

Article for general public (1991)