Michael Decker, Tilling the Hateful Earth. Agricultural Production and Trade in the Late Antique East

C’est devenu, dans la littérature scientifique portant sur l’archéologie de la Syrie-Palestine romaine et protobyzantine, une coutume agaçante et peu constructive de se plaindre de l’état de notre connaissance du monde rural et, plus particulièrement, de l’agriculture antique. Mais ce qui était tout à fait admissible du temps de G. Tchalenko et de ses successeurs est-il valable aujourd’hui ? M. Decker, professeur à l’Université de South Florida et membre de l’équipe de M. Mundell Mango à And..

Switching from electron to hole transport in solution-processed organic blend field-effect transistors

Organic electronics became an attractive alternative for practical applications in complementary logic circuits due to the unique features of organic semiconductors such as solution processability and ease of large-area manufacturing. Bulk heterojunctions (BHJ), consisting of a blend of two organic semiconductors of different electronic affinities, allow fabrication of a broad range of devices such as light-emitting transistors, light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics, photodetectors, ambipolar transistors and sensors. In this work, the charge carrier transport of BHJ films in field-effect transistors is switched from electron to hole domination upon processing and post-treatment. Low molecular weight n-type N,N′-bis(n-octyl)-(1,7&1,6)-dicyanoperylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI8-CN2) was blended with p-type poly[2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene] (PBTTT-C14) and deposited by spin-coating to form BHJ films. Systematic investigation of the role of rotation speed, solution temperature, and thermal annealing on thin film morphology was performed using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. It has been determined that upon thermal annealing the BHJ morphology is modified from small interconnected PDI8-CN2 crystals uniformly distributed in the polymer fraction to large planar PDI8-CN2 crystal domains on top of the blend film, leading to the switch from electron to hole transport in field-effect transistors

Stable population structure in Europe since the Iron Age, despite high mobility

Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000–3000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed from the historical period onward (3000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia and France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. At least 7% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring geography. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empire’s mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history

Du temple païen à la basilique chrétienne à Chhîm (Liban Sud) Évolution tardive du sanctuaire (fin IIIe – VIIIe siècles apr. J.-C.)

Waliszewski Tomasz. Du temple païen à la basilique chrétienne à Chhîm (Liban Sud) Évolution tardive du sanctuaire (fin IIIe – VIIIe siècles apr. J.-C.) . In: Topoi, volume 16/1, 2009. pp. 93-106

Découvertes récentes sur le sanctuaire romain de Chhîm (Liban du Sud)

Waliszewski Tomasz. Découvertes récentes sur le sanctuaire romain de Chhîm (Liban du Sud). In: Topoi, volume 9/2, 1999. pp. 595-606

Unearthing Houses in Porphyreon and Chhim. Structure, Spatial Development, and Decoration of Domestic Spaces in Late Antique Phoenicia

Porphyreon (Jiyeh/Nebi Younis) and Chhim were large rural settlements situated on the coast of modernday Lebanon, north of the Phoenician city of Sidon. As attested by the remains of residential architecture, they were thriving during the Roman Period and late Antiquity (1st–7th centuries AD). This article presents the preliminary observations on the domestic architecture uncovered at both sites, their spatial and social structure, as well as their furnishing and decoration, based on the fieldwork carried out in recent years by the joint PolishLebanese research team. The focus will be put on the wall painting fragments found in considerable numbers in Porphyreon. The iconographical and functional study of the paintings betrays to what extent the inhabitants of rural settlements in the coastal zone of the Levant were inclined to imitate the decoration of the urban houses known to them from the nearby towns, such as Berytus, but also from religious contexts represented by churches

Jiyeh (Porphyreon). Nouvelles découvertes sur le territoire de Sidon à l’époque hellénistique

Waliszewski Tomasz, Wicenciak Urszula. Jiyeh (Porphyreon). Nouvelles découvertes sur le territoire de Sidon à l’époque hellénistique. In: Topoi. Orient-Occident. Supplément 13, 2015. La Phénicie hellénistique. Actes du colloque international de Toulouse (18-20 février 2013

Variété: Umm Al-Rasas

Sartre Maurice, Waliszewski Tomasz. Variété: Umm Al-Rasas. In: Syria. Tome 72 fascicule 3-4, 1995. pp. 427-433

Une église byzantine découverte à Anâne (Liban Sud)

In 1995, the remaining mosaic pavements of a Byzantine church were discovered in Anane (occupied southern Lebanon), now fortunately preserved in Saida's Greek- Catholic cathedral. We can guess through their study, along with some photographs taken on the site itself, that this church was a quite typical basilica, with a narthex leading to the three naves building. A dedicatory inscription gives the names of John, a priest and Damianos, a deacon — while their bishop's is missing; the year is 651 [AD 541]. By the main threshold, a monogram-cross reads Light, Life. The mosaics show mostly geometrical patterns and motives, but in the central nave birds, fruits, ducks and jars alternate on the carpet. Parallels are to be found in the area, especially along the Phoenician coast (Zahrani, Khalde-Shuefat, Khan Khalde).Alpi Frédéric, Kowalski Slawomir, Waliszewski Tomasz. Une église byzantine découverte à Anâne (Liban Sud). In: Syria. Tome 75, 1998. pp. 231-243

Prospections non invasives sur le site de Mustis/Musti (El Krib) en Tunisie

The objective of the first step of the non-invasive survey carried out on the Mustis site described herein was to verify the possibility of locating archaeological remains and to detect the location of the supposed remains by geophysical measurements (magnetic and electric methods). Magnetic measurements were made with Geometrics G-858 Cesium magnetometer with two probes located on the same horizontal level at 0.5 m distance or on the same vertical level at 0.5 m and 0.75 m above the ground level. The instrument recorded the values of the total vector of the magnetic field strength and made it possible to calculate the pseudo-gradient of its components (horizontal or vertical). Electric measurements were made by means of axial dipole-dipole electrode configurations (parallel) with AB current electrodes with spacing of one metre and electrodes of potential MN (identical spacing) at equal distance D at 4 and 6 metres, which made it possible to record values of apparent resistivity of the subsoil, with the penetration depth of the current of c. 2.0 and 3.5 m, respectively, below the current ground level. At the time of the data interpretation, the suspected locations of the remains causing the anomalies were indicated by means of dashes of different colours and thicknesses (depending on the assumed depth of the structures). These indications, transferred on maps, can serve as a starting point for extensive analyses of the entire site and its surrounding area. The first non-invasive surveys carried out in Mustis have demonstrated the usefulness of magnetic and electric methods in mapping the preserved remains both inside and around the city. The obtained results enabled elaborating a strategy for the work to come. It is quite probable that the magnetic method will prove capable of indicating places where vestiges of constructions are preserved, while the electric method will determine the depth and conditions of deposition of localised structures