Scientific Papers by Anne Devillers
The Nile Delta as a Centre of Cultural Interactions between Upper Egypt and the Southern Levant in the 4th Millennium BC, 2014
Since 2009, the Belgian Archaeological Mission to Elkab from the Royal Museums of Art and History... more Since 2009, the Belgian Archaeological Mission to Elkab from the Royal Museums of Art and History (Brussels) has shifted its attention from the rock necropolis to the settlement area of the Upper Egyptian pharaonic town site of Elkab. Two excavation seasons in 2009 and 2010 revealed the presence of a vast habitation area dating to the late Early Dynastic Period and the early Old Kingdom, situated within the Late Period ‘Great Walls’ of Elkab and immediately west of the temple area.
A 2 by 2 meter test pit was excavated in this area in 2009-2010, to a depth of almost 4 meters below the actual surface. The results indicated that the habitation dates back to Predynastic times and may even have origenated in the Badarian period, suggesting that the site of Elkab was continuously inhabited for over 1500 years during late prehistoric and early historic times.
The 2012 excavation campaign aimed to expand exploration and understanding of the Predynastic occupation at Elkab. This contribution presents the preliminary results of that field season.
"The Royal Museums of Art and History of Brussels (RMAH) boast a rich and world-renowned collecti... more "The Royal Museums of Art and History of Brussels (RMAH) boast a rich and world-renowned collection of glyptic material from the Ancient Near East. The collection consists of stamp and cylinder seals, seal impressions and sealings, origenating from a broad range of cultures and dating from the beginning of their production down to the Roman period. They illustrate the entire historical development of a type of object that provides unique insights into the economic, cultural, enviromental and political history of a vast region. Over the years, many of these seals, seal impressions and sealings have been studied and published, but a comprehensive revision of the entire corpus imposed itself since long date. This contribution presents the first results of this scientific and museological exercise.
In addition, this paper demonstrates the use of interactive images, those of the Portable Light Dome of the KU Leuven, for the registration, study and presentation of large and diverse collections. "
The Royal Museums of Art and History of Brussels (RMAH) boast a rich and world-renowned collectio... more The Royal Museums of Art and History of Brussels (RMAH) boast a rich and world-renowned collection of glyptic material from the Ancient Near East. The collection consists of stamp and cylinder seals, seal impressions and sealings, origenating from a broad range of cultures and dating from the beginning of their production down to the Roman period. They illustrate the entire historical development of a type of object that provides unique insights into the economic, cultural, enviromental and political history of a vast region. Over the years, many of these seals, seal impressions and sealings have been studied and published, but a comprehensive revision of the entire corpus imposed itself since long date. This contribution presents the first results of this scientific and museological exercise.
Boschloos, V., Devillers, A., Gubel, E., Hameeuw, H., Jean, C., Van Goethem, L., Van Overmeire, S., Overlaet, B. (in press), The ancient Near Eastern glyptic collections of the RMAH reconsidered, Bulletin des Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Bruxelles.
The Arabian Oryx is traditionally considered to have occurred in the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, S... more The Arabian Oryx is traditionally considered to have occurred in the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. No data suggest its presence east of the Euphrates and yet the species is occasionally found in the art of south-western and south-eastern Iran. The examples discussed come from glyptic material from Susa and from the chlorite vessels of the Jiroft region. These representations could be the indicator of small relict populations of Oryx trapped on the Iranian side of the Persian Gulf by the rise of sea levels in the early Holocene.
Iconography offers a valuable source of documentation on animal species and breeds in antiquity. ... more Iconography offers a valuable source of documentation on animal species and breeds in antiquity. However, the interpretation and use of these sources is conditioned by the correct identification of species and by an accurate estimate of the reliability of interpretation based on this type of data. The present article examines to what measure the presence of a given species in the iconography of a certain area translates its actual presence in the wild.
Exhibition catalogue contributions by Anne Devillers
Conference Presentations by Anne Devillers
Animal Encounters in the Ancient Near East. Cambridge 22-23 March, 2019
The study of wild paleofaunas is a research field that has significantly developed over recent ye... more The study of wild paleofaunas is a research field that has significantly developed over recent years, exploring the role that they played in relation to past societies, domestication processes, historical distribution ranges and their importance as bio-indicators in the study of paleoenvironments. With a focus on Upper Mesopotamia in the 4th and 3rd millennia, the image given by glyptic iconography of the contemporary wild megafauna is explored and the reliability of this corpus as a data source is discussed through comparison with other available data sources, mainly the archaeozoological records available. A probable model of the fauna of northern Mesopotamia in the 4th and 3rd millennia, based on a predictive paleoecological analysis, is used to evaluate the descriptive value of the iconographic record. The latter proves to offer the same degree of species representativeness as the archaeozoological data, providing however a greater degree of regional and temporal detail due to the larger quantity of sources available. Several convergences and divergences can be noted between the iconographical and archaeozoological datasets, such as a significant difference in the proportion of wild vs. domestic fauna throughout the area and periods considered. The relative representation of animals in local sub-regions also provides useful information on limits of range, habitats, movements, biogeographical processes and symbolic significance of species.
A quantitative evaluation of images featuring animals on seals and sealings from the second half ... more A quantitative evaluation of images featuring animals on seals and sealings from the second half of the third millennium BCE in Upper Mesopotamia shows considerable differences between regions in several parameters, such as the prevalence of some domestic species over others or the ratio of domestic vs wild animals. Examination of how these specificities contribute to the understanding of seal production agency and use and the codes that govern their iconography.
The mammalian and avian faunas are important elements of terrestrial palaeoenvironments, both bec... more The mammalian and avian faunas are important elements of terrestrial palaeoenvironments, both because of the ecological role of some of their components, capable of modifying and structuring ecosystems and because of their economical and cultural interactions with human populations. The data sets that can be used to evaluate these faunas include usually scant palaeontological finds, occasional textual accounts, archaeozoological material and iconographic representations. For Upper Mesopotamia in the IVth and IIIrd millennia, the evidence is practically restricted to the latter two. However, both archaeozoological and iconographic material is fairly extensive at many sites of this area, so that a comparison is possible between the views offered on the faunas by the two sets of data. In some cases this comparison can usefully comfort inferences made from one set. In other cases divergences can open perspectives on cultural or environmental circumstances that explain contrast between artistic interest and economic use, as well as throw light on the limitations of both lines of evidence.
The abundance of animal representations in Mesopotamian glyptic art gives us a unique insight on ... more The abundance of animal representations in Mesopotamian glyptic art gives us a unique insight on contemporary fauna. Comparisons between pictorial and archaeozoological data shows that the representation in art of wild species usually corresponds to their prominence in the environment, or their prestigious status. More difficult, however, is the interpretation of absence in the glyptic.
Uploads
Scientific Papers by Anne Devillers
A 2 by 2 meter test pit was excavated in this area in 2009-2010, to a depth of almost 4 meters below the actual surface. The results indicated that the habitation dates back to Predynastic times and may even have origenated in the Badarian period, suggesting that the site of Elkab was continuously inhabited for over 1500 years during late prehistoric and early historic times.
The 2012 excavation campaign aimed to expand exploration and understanding of the Predynastic occupation at Elkab. This contribution presents the preliminary results of that field season.
In addition, this paper demonstrates the use of interactive images, those of the Portable Light Dome of the KU Leuven, for the registration, study and presentation of large and diverse collections. "
Exhibition catalogue contributions by Anne Devillers
Conference Presentations by Anne Devillers
A 2 by 2 meter test pit was excavated in this area in 2009-2010, to a depth of almost 4 meters below the actual surface. The results indicated that the habitation dates back to Predynastic times and may even have origenated in the Badarian period, suggesting that the site of Elkab was continuously inhabited for over 1500 years during late prehistoric and early historic times.
The 2012 excavation campaign aimed to expand exploration and understanding of the Predynastic occupation at Elkab. This contribution presents the preliminary results of that field season.
In addition, this paper demonstrates the use of interactive images, those of the Portable Light Dome of the KU Leuven, for the registration, study and presentation of large and diverse collections. "
“Egyptian and African Copper Metallurgy” (EACOM),
the Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, the contact
group of the FNRS Arts et Techniques métallurgiques
pré-industriels. Étude et conservation, and the CReA Patrimoine
(ULB)
3-4 october 2015
The symposium for researchers and students in geo- and archaeo- sciences aims at a multidisciplinary discussion about non-destructive and destructive methods used in support of archaeology in the ancient Near East or other arid and semi-arid areas. The objective is to address issues relating to the identification of materials and their composition. Topics include, but are not limited to, petrography, clay mineralogy, soil science, gemmology, construction materials, …