The Prehistoric rock art of Morocco.

This study aims to examine all aspects of Moroccan rock art and place it in an archaeological and environmental context. Almost 300 sites are now known but few have been studied fully. This work is the first overall analysis to be attempted. Data on climatic changes during the Holocene period, together with archaeological and faunal reports, provided the necessary background to the rock art. The distribution of engraved and painted sites in Morocco is very uneven. Animals were the most frequent themes, but a review of all the sites revealed great site and subject diversity. Four main types of engravings were Identified, their Characteristics described and their distribution plotted. Climatic fluctuations, new animal species, the introduction of meth weapons, the chariot and writing established a chronological framework. A critical appraisal of these events led to a tentative chronology for Moroccan rock art, thought here to have started around 2500 be. The situation of rock art sites showed that they were chosen for very specific reasons, some of them by nomadic pastoralists. Viewing rock art as a medium of communication, it was proposed that the images were messages defining territories, proclaiming ownership or commemorating heroes or battles. The images may have two levels of meaning: one easily understood by members of the group and by outsiders, the second, symbolic, less obviously comprehensible. Moroccan rock art was not an isolated phenomenon in north Africa. The rock art of Algeria, Libya and Mauritania showed both similarities and differences, IrnpMng a cultural link, albeit tenuous, between these countries. Available archaeological, environmental and rock art data revealed striking differences In information-availability between north and south Morocco. Archaeological research has established a chronologicaal nd cultural framework, in northern Morocco,to which rock art adds nothing. On the other hand, rock engravings of metal weapons are almost the only evidence of a Moroccan Bronze Age. In southern Morocco, the distribution of rock art sites reveals intensive human activity in an area little known from excavation. Rock art, archaeology and environment are thus related in this study to producea comprehensive picture of the past

Explanatory pluralism in the medical sciences: theory and practice

Explanatory pluralism is the view that the best form and level of explanation depends on the kind of question one seeks to answer by the explanation, and that in order to answer all questions in the best way possible, we need more than one form and level of explanation. In the first part of this article, we argue that explanatory pluralism holds for the medical sciences, at least in theory. However, in the second part of the article we show that medical research and practice is actually not fully and truly explanatory pluralist yet. Although the literature demonstrates a slowly growing interest in non-reductive explanations in medicine, the dominant approach in medicine is still methodologically reductionist. This implies that non-reductive explanations often do not get the attention they deserve. We argue that the field of medicine could benefit greatly by reconsidering its reductive tendencies and becoming fully and truly explanatory pluralist. Nonetheless, trying to achieve the right balance in the search for and application of reductive and non-reductive explanations will in any case be a difficult exercise

Sites with Paintings in Morocco and the Atlantic Sahara

This article lists the rock art sites in Morocco with painted images so far published. It updates and includes the inventory of such sites published over 15 years ago. Short descriptions of the situation and contents of both new and old sites are given

Morocco’s Rock Art: Age and Meaning

The general distribution of the rock art sites in Morocco is indicated in this report. The vast majority are situated in southern Morocco, in the region of the River Draa and further south. One important exception is the High Atlas mountain range. The location of these sites is shown to be fairly standardised. Four different groups of engravings are identified, based on technique and theme. In the absence of any direct dating of the engravings, these groups can only be placed in a relative chronological order, using dates known for climatic conditions and the introduction of animals or objects. A problem concerns the reliability of these ‘known’ dates, often based on extrapolation from dated information from neighbouring countries. Two recent excavations close to rock art sites have yielded C14 dates for population presence in the area without advancing knowledge on the date of the rock art. The reason for sites’ geographical situation in the landscape can probably be surmised reasonably accurately, but the interpretation of this art remains largely a matter of speculation and intelligent guesswork. Current projects aimed to advance knowledge of the age of the art are described

Les signes gravés à Issamadanen (Mali) et à Imaoun (Maroc), au regard de l’art abstrait ibérique

Étude comparée de plusieurs centaines de gravures réalisées sur des éperons rocheux de bordure de vallées à Issamadanen, dans le nord du Mali, et à Imaoun, dans le sud du Maroc. Les expressions en ces lieux se singularisent par une proportion élevée de motifs abstraits alors que les figurations animalières dominent sur les stations d’art rupestre voisines. À Issamadanen comme à Imaoun, les représentations non figuratives se concentrent sur les dalles des replats. De plus, elles suivent un éventail de motifs abstraits comparables associant des formes géométriques simples à des formes complexes. Ces affinités iconographiques ajoutées aux repères chronologiques concordants que fournissent certaines figurations intégrées dans cet art abstrait (chars et entrelacs dans l’Adrar des Iforas, hallebardes et poignards dans le Haut Atlas marocain), engagent à rapprocher, sur un plan culturel, Issamadanen d’Imaoun malgré les 1500 kilomètres qui les séparent. Quelques publications permettent de soupçonner l’existence, dans d’autres régions du Sahara, de stations de gravures rupestres semblables. À pousser plus loin l’investigation, la plupart des figures curvilignes rassemblées à Issamadanen et à Imaoun se retrouvent dans le répertoire non figuratif de l’art rupestre ibérique du Chalcolithique et de l’Âge du Bronze dont les cercles, les spirales, les lignes ondulées et les cruciformes constituent les motifs de base. Ces similitudes suggèrent que l’art abstrait des régions les plus occidentales des continents européen et africain participe du même horizon chrono-culturelEstudi comparat de centenars de gravats realitzats en uns esperons rocallosos que vorejen les valls de Issamadanen, al nord de Mali, i a Imaoun, al sud del Maroc. Els gravats d’aquests llocs es singularitzen per una proporció elevada de motius abstractes mentre que les representations d’animals són les que dominen en els emplacements rupestres circumdants. Tan a Ismassadanen, corn a Imaoun, les representations no figuratives es concentren en la llosa de replans. A més, ofreixen tota la gamma de motius abstractes comparables que associen formes geomètriques senzilles amb representations més complexes. Aquestes afinitats iconogràfiques associades a les referències cronològiques que proporcionen algunes de les representations que figuren en aquest art abstracte (carros i entrellaçats a l’Adrar de les Iforas, alabardes ipunyals en l’Ait Atles marroquí) ens porten a pensar que tot i essent separades per més de 1500 kilometres, Ismassaden i Imaoun s’essemblen molt en l’aspecte cultural. Algunes publicacions permeten sospitar que existeixen, en altres regions del Sàhara, conjunts de gravats rupestres semblants. Si portem més endavant aquesta investigació ens adonem que la majoria de les representations curvilínies aplegades a Ismassaden i a Imaoun es troben ihualment en el repertori no figuratiu de l’art rupestre ibèric del Calcolític i de l’Edat del bronze on els motius de base son esl cercles, les espirals, les Unies ondulades i cruciformes. Aquestes similituds suggereixen que l’art abstracte de les regions més occidentals dels continents europeu i africà comparteixen el mateix horitzó cronoculturalA comparative study of several hundreds of engravings done on rocky outcrops along valley edges at Issamadanen, in northern Mali, and at Imaoun, in southern Morocco. The rock engravings present in these places are conspicious for their high proportion of abstract motifi compared to the surrounding sites where animal representations are dominant. At Issamadanen, as at Imaoun, the non-figurative representations are concentrated on the slabs on the upper part of the outcrops and show a range of comparable forms integrating simple motifi and complex geometrical figures. These iconographical affinities and the corroborating chronological indicators supplied by certain representations associated with this abstract art (chariots and interlacings in the Adrar des IIforas, halberds and daggers in the Moroccan High Atlas) encourage the linking, on a cultural level, of Issamadanen to Imaoun, in spite of the 1500 kilometers which separate them. Certains publications lead to the suspicion of the existence, in other regions of the Sahara, of comparable rock engraving sites. Pushing investigations further, the majority of the curvilinear figures present at Issamadanen and at Imaoun can be found in the non-figurative repertory of the Iberian rock art of the Copper and Bronze Age, in which circles, spirals, undulating lines and cruciforms make up the basic elements. These similarities suggest that the abstract art of the most western regions of the European and African continents share the same chrono-cultural horizo

“Hey, I Can Do This!” The Benefits of Conducting Undergraduate Psychology Research for Young Adult Development

Many undergraduate programs require students to complete an independent research project in their major field prior to graduation. These projects are typically described as opportunities for integration of coursework and a direct application of the methods of inquiry specific to a particular discipline. Evaluations of curricular projects have usually found that they positively impact students’ knowledge and skills in that discipline. However, little attention has been devoted to the impact that these projects have on broader aspects of psychosocial development. The current study describes the results of a focus group conducted with students who had recently completed their senior research project in psychology. Results of the focus group interview were transcribed and coded according to grounded theory principles. Five developmentally-specific categories emerged from the analysis. These included a greater sense of competence attributed to completing a large-scale project, an experience of being in a professional role relative to research participants as well as to the audience presented with their study results, and a sense of ownership and pride in completing their project. Universities that either require or are contemplating requiring senior projects should consider these broader benefits to young adult development