The bashful and the boastful : prestigious leaders and social change in Mesolithic Societies

The creation and maintenance of influential leaders and authorities is one of the key themes of archaeological and historical enquiry. However the social dynamics of authorities and leaders in the Mesolithic remains a largely unexplored area of study. The role and influence of authorities can be remarkably different in different situations yet they exist in all societies and in almost all social contexts from playgrounds to parliaments. Here we explore the literature on the dynamics of authority creation, maintenance and contestation in egalitarian societies, and discuss the implications for our interpretation and understanding of the formation of authorities and leaders and changing social relationships within the Mesolithic

Beyond the merchant and the clergyman: assessing moral claims about development cooperation

This article proposes to move beyond the categories of altruism and self-interest in the analyses of the motives for development cooperation. This opposition ignores the inherently moral nature of development policy. The article illustrates the shortcomings of such a perspective by tracing the metaphor of the merchant and the clergyman as archetypical figures shaping Dutch development policy. Through these images the suggestion of an opposition between moral and amoral motives in the history of development has gained a strong foothold within the interplay of scholars, policy makers and public opinion. We go on to assess claims about economy, security, solidarity, prestige and guilt, and ecology, which have been brought forward to legitimise Dutch foreign aid. This analysis calls for research on the dynamics of the transnational exchanges of ideas, interests and expectations, especially during episodes when the moral validity of policy has been explicitly contested

Les restes humains mésolithiques de l'abri Cornille, Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône)

Three skeletons were found in the « abri Cornille », near Istres (Bouches- du-Rhône) in three graves. They proceed, by datation and associated industry, from 7e millenary B.C. Description and mensurations of : a woman of more than 40 years old, a man about 35 years old, and an old one from unknown sex, are given.L'abri Cornille, à Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône). a livré les restes de trois squelettes humains en autant de sépultures. Les datations et l'industrie associée situent ces restes dans le 7 e millénaire avant notre ère. Il s'agit de : une femme d'au moins 40 ans, un homme d'environ 35 ans, enfin d'un individu âgé de sexe inconnu. Tous ces restes sont décrits en détail et leurs mensurations ont été relevées.Bouville C., Constandse-Westermann T. S., Newell R.R. Les restes humains mésolithiques de l'abri Cornille, Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône). In: Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'anthropologie de Paris, XIII° Série. Tome 10 fascicule 1, 1983. pp. 89-110

Long bone length and stature in the Western European Mesolithic. I. Methodological problems and solutions

Stature estimations have been made from a sample of long bones from Western European Mesolithic skeletons. A systematic difference is observed between the stature estimations from the distal parts of the extremities and those from the proximal parts. In this paper this methodological problem is discussed and a solution for this specific sample is proposed. In a second article, to be published at a later date, the proposed method is used to analyse the chronological and geographical variability of stature in the Western European Mesolithic