Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities

This paper compares two fields of analysis: on the one hand, hydrosociology, theorized by geographers and anthropologists, which conceptualizes the uses and landscapes of water as a reflection of the social organization of the group; on the other hand, hydraulic archaeology, developed by archaeologi...

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Main Author: Chloé Capel
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Institut des Mondes Africains 2024-01-01
Series:Afriques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4395
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author Chloé Capel
author_facet Chloé Capel
author_sort Chloé Capel
collection DOAJ
description This paper compares two fields of analysis: on the one hand, hydrosociology, theorized by geographers and anthropologists, which conceptualizes the uses and landscapes of water as a reflection of the social organization of the group; on the other hand, hydraulic archaeology, developed by archaeologists and historians, which has demonstrated the permanence of ancient hydraulic structures in contemporary landscapes. The aim of this cross-disciplinary approach is to produce a social interpretation of the ancient irrigation systems fossilized in current agricultural plots, in order to produce a diachronic analysis of social organizations that have disappeared. The case study of this contribution deals with the medieval city of Sijilmasa (Morocco) and the Saharan oasis of Tafilalt that still surrounds the archaeological site today. This study of sub-contemporary oasis hydraulics has made it possible to historicize its development over the long term and to highlight a clear correlation between the successive implementations of different irrigation practices and the evolution of the socio-political organization of the Tafilalt population over the centuries. Corroborated by textual sources, this model could be applied in the future to other medieval Saharan oases for which no written or archaeological record remains and whose social organization is otherwise unknown.
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spelling doaj-art-5eab613d696f4a7d8b564929f5a502fd2025-01-09T13:02:37ZdeuInstitut des Mondes AfricainsAfriques2108-67962024-01-011410.4000/afriques.4395Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan citiesChloé CapelThis paper compares two fields of analysis: on the one hand, hydrosociology, theorized by geographers and anthropologists, which conceptualizes the uses and landscapes of water as a reflection of the social organization of the group; on the other hand, hydraulic archaeology, developed by archaeologists and historians, which has demonstrated the permanence of ancient hydraulic structures in contemporary landscapes. The aim of this cross-disciplinary approach is to produce a social interpretation of the ancient irrigation systems fossilized in current agricultural plots, in order to produce a diachronic analysis of social organizations that have disappeared. The case study of this contribution deals with the medieval city of Sijilmasa (Morocco) and the Saharan oasis of Tafilalt that still surrounds the archaeological site today. This study of sub-contemporary oasis hydraulics has made it possible to historicize its development over the long term and to highlight a clear correlation between the successive implementations of different irrigation practices and the evolution of the socio-political organization of the Tafilalt population over the centuries. Corroborated by textual sources, this model could be applied in the future to other medieval Saharan oases for which no written or archaeological record remains and whose social organization is otherwise unknown.https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4395archaeologySaharahydrosociologyhydraulicspopulationirrigation
spellingShingle Chloé Capel
Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
Afriques
archaeology
Sahara
hydrosociology
hydraulics
population
irrigation
title Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
title_full Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
title_fullStr Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
title_full_unstemmed Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
title_short Contemporary oasis hydraulics: An open window on the sociology of the population of medieval Saharan cities
title_sort contemporary oasis hydraulics an open window on the sociology of the population of medieval saharan cities
topic archaeology
Sahara
hydrosociology
hydraulics
population
irrigation
url https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4395
work_keys_str_mv AT chloecapel contemporaryoasishydraulicsanopenwindowonthesociologyofthepopulationofmedievalsaharancities