Georges Raepsaet
Encyclopedia
Georges Raepsaet is a Belgian
classical archaeologist and historian of antiquity
. His main research interests are the archaeology of ancient technologies, especially traction systems in Greco-Roman land transport and farming, the production and trade of ancient ceramic
s and the wider socioeconomic implications of these technologies, as well as Roman Gaul
. His methods include the use of experimentation
.
town of Oudenaarde
, Belgium, Raepsaet received his Master in Ancient History in 1969, and another one in Arts and Archaeology in 1972, both at the University of Brussels. In 1977 he completed his dissertation on the Pagus
Condrustis and the Romanization
of Northern Gaul
. In the following year, Raepsaet became senior lecturer at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
where he was appointed professor in 1992 and taught until his retirement in 2007. His courses focused, inter alia, on classical archaeology, ancient economic and social history, history of pre-industrial technologies, archaeology of Roman Gaul and excavation techniques. He founded and directed the university research units Laboratoire d’Archéologie classique and Centre de Recherches archéologiques.
From 1997 to 1999 Raepsaet co-directed a research programme on the process of technological innovation in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Currently, he works as an expert for the European Science Foundation
and chairs the scientific committee of the Museum of Mariemont. Since 1970 Raepsaet has been on the editorial board of the Belgian journal L’Antiquité Classique for which he has been reviewing each year about thirty books on classic archaeology, economic history and ancient technology.
Since 1970 Raepsaet has participated in and directed several archaeological excavations and fieldworks in Western Europe and the eastern Mediterranean basin. These include underwater excavations at Martigues
, France, and Amathus
on Cyprus
, as well as fieldwork at the site of the Diolkos
on the Isthmus
and Styra
on Euboea
(1984–88). He also took part in excavations in Apamea
, Syria (1978–79) and in numerous archaeological projects on the Roman period in his native Belgium (since 1968). At Brussels he was in charge of temporary exhibitions of Ancient Greek
marbles (Marbres helléniques, 1987–88) and of Thracian gold (Europalia Bulgarie, 2002).
From 1997 to 2007 Raepsaet conducted a number of tests in experimental archaeology
on ancient agricultural techniques, in particular on the efficiency of Gallo-Roman harnesses
, drawbar
s and the reaper
(vallus). Over the years Raepsaet has also been active in the study of the technology and trade of Roman ceramics
, its distribution and transport network in the Roman province
s and commercial and legal aspects related to it.
. Raepsaet criticized the "epistemological prejudice" particularly prevalent in studies of the 1960s and 1970s: these analyzed the classical world in terms of stagnation and technological blockage, effectively preventing scholarship from approaching the sizable corpus of evidence to the contrary from an unbiased perspective.
Raepsaet focused on the key role of traction systems in land transport and plough
ing, a field then dominated by strong primitivist views. He demonstrated that ancient transport capacities were in fact largely identical to and as developed and efficient as those of later periods up until the 19th century, but with the Romans enjoying the additional advantage of having a superior road network at their disposal. Through his study of Gallo-Roman harnesses, Raepsaet came to reject the early, but influential theory of Richard Lefebvre des Noëttes
about the inefficiency of the Roman horse collar
. In reality, draught animals in antiquity were able to move heavy loads of several dozens tons overland evident, for example, in the frequent transport of ancient monoliths or the regular use of the Diolkos ship trackway.
Raepsaet′s reappraisal of the technological level of ancient traction systems has been echoed and paralled by a generation of classical scholars and historians of technology pursuing studies in diverse fields of ancient technology. From their collaborative effort to move beyond a sterile dichotomy of primitivism and modernism sprang, for example, Brill
′s series on Technology and Change in History and the Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World which received the 2009 book award of the Society for the History of Technology
. The increasingly positive perception of ancient technological developments and their economic impact has also contributed to a reevaluation of the performance of the ancient economy as a whole.
Economic history, land transport and agricultural technology
Greco-Roman history and archaeology
Belgians
Belgians are people originating from the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe.-Etymology:Belgians are a relatively "new" people...
classical archaeologist and historian of antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. His main research interests are the archaeology of ancient technologies, especially traction systems in Greco-Roman land transport and farming, the production and trade of ancient ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s and the wider socioeconomic implications of these technologies, as well as Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for less than 500 years....
. His methods include the use of experimentation
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
.
Career
Born in 1947 in the Eastern FlemishEast Flanders
East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
town of Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Welden, Volkegem and a part of Ooike.From the 15th to the 18th...
, Belgium, Raepsaet received his Master in Ancient History in 1969, and another one in Arts and Archaeology in 1972, both at the University of Brussels. In 1977 he completed his dissertation on the Pagus
Pagus
In the later Western Roman Empire, following the reorganization of Diocletian, a pagus became the smallest administrative district of a province....
Condrustis and the Romanization
Romanization (cultural)
Romanization or latinization indicate different historical processes, such as acculturation, integration and assimilation of newly incorporated and peripheral populations by the Roman Republic and the later Roman Empire...
of Northern Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. In the following year, Raepsaet became senior lecturer at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
Université Libre de Bruxelles
The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...
where he was appointed professor in 1992 and taught until his retirement in 2007. His courses focused, inter alia, on classical archaeology, ancient economic and social history, history of pre-industrial technologies, archaeology of Roman Gaul and excavation techniques. He founded and directed the university research units Laboratoire d’Archéologie classique and Centre de Recherches archéologiques.
From 1997 to 1999 Raepsaet co-directed a research programme on the process of technological innovation in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Currently, he works as an expert for the European Science Foundation
European Science Foundation
The European Science Foundation is an association of 78 member organisations devoted to scientific research in 30 European countries. It is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that facilitates cooperation and collaboration in European research and development, European...
and chairs the scientific committee of the Museum of Mariemont. Since 1970 Raepsaet has been on the editorial board of the Belgian journal L’Antiquité Classique for which he has been reviewing each year about thirty books on classic archaeology, economic history and ancient technology.
Martigues
Martigues is a commune northwest of Marseille. It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte....
, France, and Amathus
Amathus
Amathus was one of the most ancient royal cities of Cyprus, on the southern coast in front of Agios Tychonas, about 24 miles west of Larnaca and 6 miles east of Limassol...
on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, as well as fieldwork at the site of the Diolkos
Diolkos
The Diolkos was a paved trackway near Corinth in Ancient Greece which enabled boats to be moved overland across the Isthmus of Corinth. The shortcut allowed ancient vessels to avoid the dangerous circumnavigation of the Peloponnese peninsula...
on the Isthmus
Isthmus of Corinth
The Isthmus of Corinth is the narrow land bridge which connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the rest of the mainland of Greece, near the city of Corinth. The word "isthmus" comes from the Ancient Greek word for "neck" and refers to the narrowness of the land. The Isthmus was known in the ancient...
and Styra
Styra
Styra is a village and a former municipality on the island Euboea, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Karystos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located in the southern part of Euboea, facing the eastern shore of Attica across the South Euboean Gulf...
on Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
(1984–88). He also took part in excavations in Apamea
Apamea (Syria)
Apamea was a treasure city and stud-depot of the Seleucid kings, was capital of Apamene, on the right bank of the Orontes River. . Its site is found about to the northwest of Hama, Syria, overlooking the Ghab valley...
, Syria (1978–79) and in numerous archaeological projects on the Roman period in his native Belgium (since 1968). At Brussels he was in charge of temporary exhibitions of Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
marbles (Marbres helléniques, 1987–88) and of Thracian gold (Europalia Bulgarie, 2002).
From 1997 to 2007 Raepsaet conducted a number of tests in experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology
Experimental archaeology employs a number of different methods, techniques, analyses, and approaches in order to generate and test hypotheses, based upon archaeological source material, like ancient structures or artifacts. It should not be confused with primitive technology which is not concerned...
on ancient agricultural techniques, in particular on the efficiency of Gallo-Roman harnesses
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
, drawbar
Drawbar
Drawbar may refer to:*Drawbar , a device for coupling a hauling vehicle to a load. This usage may be road, agriculture or rail.*Drawbar organ*Drawbar , a device for changing tools on milling machines...
s and the reaper
Reaper
A reaper is a person or machine that reaps crops at harvest, when they are ripe.-Hand reaping:Hand reaping is done by various means, including plucking the ears of grains directly by hand, cutting the grain stalks with a sickle, cutting them with a scythe, or with a later type of scythe called a...
(vallus). Over the years Raepsaet has also been active in the study of the technology and trade of Roman ceramics
Ancient Roman pottery
Pottery was produced in enormous quantities in ancient Rome, mostly for utilitarian purposes. It is found all over the former Roman Empire and beyond...
, its distribution and transport network in the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
s and commercial and legal aspects related to it.
Ancient technology and productivity
Much of Raepsaet′s research since the 1970s has addressed and challenged the idea, still dominant at the time, of a lack of productivity of the Roman economyRoman economy
The history of the Roman economy covers the period of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.Recent research has led to a positive reevaluation of the size and sophistication of the Roman economy within the constraints generally imposed on agricultural societies in the preindustrial age.- Gross...
. Raepsaet criticized the "epistemological prejudice" particularly prevalent in studies of the 1960s and 1970s: these analyzed the classical world in terms of stagnation and technological blockage, effectively preventing scholarship from approaching the sizable corpus of evidence to the contrary from an unbiased perspective.
Raepsaet focused on the key role of traction systems in land transport and plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
ing, a field then dominated by strong primitivist views. He demonstrated that ancient transport capacities were in fact largely identical to and as developed and efficient as those of later periods up until the 19th century, but with the Romans enjoying the additional advantage of having a superior road network at their disposal. Through his study of Gallo-Roman harnesses, Raepsaet came to reject the early, but influential theory of Richard Lefebvre des Noëttes
Richard Lefebvre des Noëttes
Richard Lefebvre des Noëttes was a French officer and early historian of technology.After his early retirement from the French army in 1901, Lefebvre devoted his time to technological studies, then quite a new field, becoming a main proponent of the negative impact of slavery on technological...
about the inefficiency of the Roman horse collar
Horse collar
A horse collar is a part of a horse harness device used to distribute load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plow. The collar often supports and pads a pair of curved metal or wood pieces, called hames, to which the traces of the harness are attached...
. In reality, draught animals in antiquity were able to move heavy loads of several dozens tons overland evident, for example, in the frequent transport of ancient monoliths or the regular use of the Diolkos ship trackway.
Raepsaet′s reappraisal of the technological level of ancient traction systems has been echoed and paralled by a generation of classical scholars and historians of technology pursuing studies in diverse fields of ancient technology. From their collaborative effort to move beyond a sterile dichotomy of primitivism and modernism sprang, for example, Brill
Brill Publishers
Brill is an international academic publisher founded in 1683 in Leiden, the Netherlands. With offices in Leiden and Boston, Brill today publishes more than 134 journals and around 600 new books and reference works each year...
′s series on Technology and Change in History and the Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World which received the 2009 book award of the Society for the History of Technology
Society for the History of Technology
The Society for the History of Technology, or SHOT, is the primary professional society for historians of technology. Founded in 1958, its flagship publication is the journal Technology and Culture...
. The increasingly positive perception of ancient technological developments and their economic impact has also contributed to a reevaluation of the performance of the ancient economy as a whole.
Selected works
Ceramics and archaeology of the Roman provinces- La céramique en terre sigillée de la villa belgo-romaine de Robelmont. Campagnes 1968–1971, Brussels: Editions de l’Université, 1974, ISBN 2-8004-0412-4
- Gallia Belgica et Germania inferior. Vingt-cinq années de recherches historiques et archéologiques, in Temporini, H. (ed.), Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen WeltAufstieg und Niedergang der römischen WeltAufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt, commonly referred to by its German acronym, ANRW, or in English as Rise and Decline of the Roman World, is an extensive collection of books dealing with the history and culture of ancient Rome...
, II.4, Berlin and New York: W. de Gruyter, 1975, pp. 3–299 (co-author), ISBN 3-11-004570-2
Economic history, land transport and agricultural technology
- Attelages et techniques de transport dans le monde gréco-romain, Brussels: Livre Timperman, 2002, ISBN 90-71868-62-1
- Brancards et transport attelé entre Seine et Rhin de l’Antiquité au Moyen âge, Treignes: Ecomusée, 1995 (co-editor and co-author)
- Le sol et l’araire dans l’Antiquité, Actes du Colloque de Jemelle 26 April 1997, Brussels: Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1998 (co-editor and co-author)
- La moissonneuse gallo-romaine, Actes de la Journée d’études de Bruxelles 24 April 1999, Brussels: Université Libre de Bruxelles, 2000 (co-editor and co-author)
- Landtransport, Part 2: Riding, Harnesses, and Vehicles, in Oleson, John PeterJohn Peter OlesonJohn Peter Oleson is a Canadian classical archaeologist and historian of ancient technology. His main interests are the Roman Near East, maritime archaeology , and ancient technology, especially hydraulic technology, water-lifting devices, and Roman concrete construction.- Life :Born in 1946 in...
(ed.), Handbook of Engineering and Technology in the Classical World, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 580–605, ISBN 978-0-19-518731-1 - "Esel", "Landtransport", "Maultier", "Pferd", "Rind", in Der Neue Pauly, Stuttgart: Metzler, 1997–
Greco-Roman history and archaeology
- Rayonnement grec. Hommages à Charles Delvoye, Brussels: Editions de l’Université, 1982 (co-editor and co-author), ISBN 2-8004-0776-X
- L’or des Thraces. Trésors de Bulgarie. Catalogue de l’exposition Europalia, Brussels, 2002 (editor and co-author), ISBN 90-5349-401-4
External Links
- Personal website at Université Libre de Bruxelles
- Judith A. Weller: Roman traction systems — reevaluation of the efficiency of ancient harnesses drawing on Raepsaet's work