- Jalès, Rhône-Alpes, France
Olivier Barge
Université Lyon, Geography, Department Member
The survey carried out in the ‘arid margins of northern Syria’, a region with great climatic and edaphic constraints, covered nearly 7000 km2. The large number of sites discovered, the repetitiveness of the types of situations and the... more
The survey carried out in the ‘arid margins of northern Syria’, a region with great climatic and edaphic constraints, covered nearly 7000 km2. The large number of sites discovered, the repetitiveness of the types of situations and the analysis of the environments enables us to address the problems concerning the occupation of the land and human exploitation, in time and space. The Bronze Age, which had phases of high prosperity and of marked decline, pro- vides a very good example. During this period, the fluctuations in population were particularly marked and reveal very different strategies of exploitation. A stable political situation could have contributed to a development of the occupation of the region at the end of the Early Bronze Age: sedentary settlements were numerous and occupied a territory which was probably defined to the east by a wall 200 km long. At the beginning of the second millennium (Middle Bronze Age) however, conditions changed: permanent habitation shrunk t...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In the last few years, the number of inventoried kites has increased fivefold, and the known distribution zone has been greatly extended across the Near East, Arabia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. High-resolution satellite images provide... more
In the last few years, the number of inventoried kites has increased fivefold, and the known distribution zone has been greatly extended across the Near East, Arabia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. High-resolution satellite images provide substantial amounts of data that can be subjected to geomatics analysis. The resulting spatial data is used to identify regional differences.We present here a study of these kite structures at the global, regional and local scales, carried out by means of GIS. The recognition of a number of morphological characteristics, without any subjective attribute, leads to a geographically referenced inventory that clearly distinguishes five main regions. This paper suggests a method to define the morphology of the kites, which will be further augmented with cross-variables including the surrounding environment, settlement distribution, animal exploitation and ethology, providing a base for future studies.
Research Interests:
Desert kites are found across a vast region. This paper presents a detailed description of kites from the Harrat al-Shaam region (Jordan) and proposes a comparative study, as well as an analysis of the morphology and organisation of kites... more
Desert kites are found across a vast region. This paper presents a detailed description of kites from the Harrat al-Shaam region (Jordan) and proposes a comparative study, as well as an analysis of the morphology and organisation of kites known from Mount Aragats (Armenia) and the Ustyurt Plateau (Kazakhstan). A complete inventory of the structures in each region highlights their architectural characteristics and their spatial distribution in the landscape. Some preliminary results were obtained by comparing both regions: the core area in eastern Jordan, and peripheries—sometimes very distant— such as in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Chronological data were also compared, when available. All these different and complementary aspects were finally combined with satellite imagery analyses. The interactive process between satellite images and fieldwork observations has enriched both approaches, while yielding preliminary key elements of interpretation for a better understanding of the kite phenomenon on a global scale.
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Typology, Landscape Archaeology, and 13 moreGeostatistics, Desert Ecology, Desertification, Anthropology of Hunting, Archaeology of Hunting, History of Kazakhstan, Armenia, Spatial Analysis with GIS and Geostatistical Methods, Kazakhstan, Hunting, Archaeology of Jordan, Desert kites, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
""Many desert kites have recently (2010) been discovered on the basaltic slopes of Mount Aragats in Armenia. The implementation of various complementary techniques (geomatics, statistical analyses, geoarchaeology, malacology, radiocarbon... more
""Many desert kites have recently (2010) been discovered on the basaltic slopes of Mount Aragats in Armenia. The implementation of various complementary techniques (geomatics, statistical analyses, geoarchaeology, malacology, radiocarbon analysis) has enabled definition of their specificities. Isolated from the classic Syro-Jordanian zone, they are characterised by a certain simplicity, great morphological homogeneity, strongly related locations to the morphological characteristics of the mountain
massif, and dated between the Bronze Age and beginning of the Common Era.""
massif, and dated between the Bronze Age and beginning of the Common Era.""
Research Interests:
The Aralo-Caspian region includes a ninth of the total number of 'desert kites'. These are located at a considerable distance from the large concentrations of the Near East and the Levant. A combined fieldwork and satellite image... more
The Aralo-Caspian region includes a ninth of the total number of 'desert kites'. These are located at a considerable distance from the large concentrations of the Near East and the Levant. A combined fieldwork and satellite image analysis, undertaken in September 2013 on the southwestern fringe of the Ustyurt plateau, allowed us to record and describe 143 kites of different morphological types and to obtain new chronological data. Within the framework of the Globalkites research project, set up at the scale of the whole distribution area of kites, a GIS database was constructed using a methodology successfully tested in other regions (Armenia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia). This paper is a detailed description of the kites of this region, focusing on location in the landscape, morphology, architecture and chronology. Despite the lack of accurate information about their use, relationships with animal migration routes can sometimes be suggested. Our chronological data show that the southwestern Ustyurt kites have a long history of use and were abandoned only very recently. Some architectural details and morphological features, commonly observed on Near Eastern kites, lead to the conclusion that Ustyurt kites belong to a single phenomenon.
Research Interests: Desert kites and Ustyurt
The desert-kites have seen their spatial distribution onsiderably expanded in recent years, thanks to new discoveries. This spatial distribution shows some areas of high density, while the presence of hiatuses exists. Therefore, among... more
The desert-kites have seen their spatial distribution onsiderably expanded in recent years, thanks to new discoveries. This spatial distribution shows some areas of high density, while the presence of hiatuses exists. Therefore, among these new discoveries, the Aragats kites in Armenia form an isolated aggregate. The comparison of their morphology and their integration in the landscape with other kites, and in particular with those of the Ustyurt Plateau, shows similarities between these two sets. They can clearly be discriminated from those of the whole area of distribution, which, besides, presents a high variability of their morphological characters. From this evidence, the question which arises is that of the existence of a cultural diffusion phenomenon.
Research Interests:
This paper argues that the wide geographical distribution of desert kites, which are huge archaeological structures of stone visible from satellite images, must be more broadly acknowledged as a momentous factor in the study of their... more
This paper argues that the wide geographical distribution of desert kites, which are huge archaeological structures of stone visible from satellite images, must be more broadly acknowledged as a momentous factor in the study of their variability and function. This is important so that researchers can more accurately understand and interpret their impact on biodiversity, landscapes and subsistence patterns. The first results and perspectives of the Globalkites research project are discussed and presented. Often considered as hunting traps, the kites could have also been used for animal husbandry. In a broader archaeological context, where kites seem to have been oper-ating from the Neolithic to recent historical times, we propose an interdisciplinary approach at the crossroads of anthropology (archaeology and ethnology), geomatics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geostatistics, mathematics and computer-ized data processing and geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological sciences (isotope studies, paleoclimatology, archaeozoology…). The principal aims of the project are to clearly articulate the variability of the structures and their relationship with the function and chronology of the kites. It is also crucial to discuss the wide distribution of these structures across the Middle East and Central Asia as a global phenomenon and the ideas that explain the dispersal and movements of people and/or traditions must be addressed.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper argues that the wide geographical distribution of desert kites, which are huge archaeological structures of stone visible from satellite images, must be more broadly acknowledged as a momentous factor in the study of their... more
This paper argues that the wide geographical distribution of desert kites, which are huge archaeological structures of stone visible from satellite images, must be more broadly acknowledged as a momentous factor in the study of their variability and function. This is important so that researchers can more accurately understand and interpret their impact on biodiversity, landscapes and subsistence patterns. The first results and perspectives of the Globalkites research project are discussed and presented. Often considered as hunting traps, the kites could have also been used for animal husbandry. In a broader archaeological context, where kites seem to have been operating from the Neolithic to recent historical times, we propose an interdisciplinary approach at the crossroads of anthropology (archaeology and ethnology), geomatics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geostatistics, mathematics and computerized data processing and geoarchaeological and bioarchaeological sciences (isotope studies, paleoclimatology, archaeozoology…). The principal aims of the project are to clearly articulate the variability of the structures and their relationship with the function and chronology of the kites. It is also crucial to discuss the wide distribution of these structures across the Middle East and Central Asia as a global phenomenon and the ideas that explain the dispersal and movements of people and/or traditions must be addressed.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Geoarchaeology, Interdisciplinarity, GeoArcheology, Arid environments, and 8 moreArchaeological GIS, Remote sensing and GIS applications in Landscape Research, Interdisciplinary Studies, Anthropology of Hunting, Archaeology of Hunting, Pastoralism (Archaeology), Desert kites, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Kites are remnants of long stone walls that outline the shape of a child’s kite. But the kites are huge, their big size makes them often clearly visible on high-resolution satellite images. Identified at first in the Near East, their... more
Kites are remnants of long stone walls that outline the shape
of a child’s kite. But the kites are huge, their big size makes them often clearly visible on high-resolution satellite images. Identified at first in the Near East, their area of distribution is getting larger and larger. This wide distribution gives new dimensions in the interpretation of these structures. Consequently, a large scale recognition of kites will help archeologists to understand the functionality of these enigmatic constructions.
In this paper, we investigate how the satellite imagery can be exploited in this purpose using a graph representation of the kites. We propose a similarity measure and a kite identification process that can highlights the preservation state of the kites. We also construct from real images a benchmark of kite graphs that can be used by other researchers.
of a child’s kite. But the kites are huge, their big size makes them often clearly visible on high-resolution satellite images. Identified at first in the Near East, their area of distribution is getting larger and larger. This wide distribution gives new dimensions in the interpretation of these structures. Consequently, a large scale recognition of kites will help archeologists to understand the functionality of these enigmatic constructions.
In this paper, we investigate how the satellite imagery can be exploited in this purpose using a graph representation of the kites. We propose a similarity measure and a kite identification process that can highlights the preservation state of the kites. We also construct from real images a benchmark of kite graphs that can be used by other researchers.
Research Interests:
Les circulations de matériaux gagnent à être étudiées à l'aide des Systèmes d'Information Géographique (SIC), outils qui permettent de réaliser des cartographies multiples et d'étudier les répartitions. Diverses... more
Les circulations de matériaux gagnent à être étudiées à l'aide des Systèmes d'Information Géographique (SIC), outils qui permettent de réaliser des cartographies multiples et d'étudier les répartitions. Diverses fonctions d'analyse spatiale fournissent des éléments d'explication ...
The French Water Law has established tools for the planning and management of water resources with the aim of creating a long-term balance between satisfying different demands and the preservation of natural environments. These tools are... more
The French Water Law has established tools for the planning and management of water resources with the aim of creating a long-term balance between satisfying different demands and the preservation of natural environments. These tools are innovative in seeking to take account, in the ...