Éthnoarchéologie et sédentarisation : évolution de l'architecture domestique à Mleiha (Sharjah, E.A.U.)
Résumé
In order to understand the formation of the site of Mleiha in Eastern Arabia (Sharjah Emirate), which was occupied from the 3rd century BC, we have tried to define the origins of its population mainly through the study of the evolution of the dwellings. According to the comparative approach peculiar to ethno-archaeology, we have been able to recognise in that evolution the settling process of a population which most probably had a nomadic origin. This actually attests a step in the history of this community which dates back from before the occupation of the site and for which no archaeological data is available. From a theoretical point of view, and specially concerning the nomadic world, which is very difficult to define from a strictly archaeological perspective, such a study seems to confirm the value of ethno-archaeology.