Precolonization: a word to say the archaeology of the first contacts?/LA PRECOLONISATION: UN MOT POUR DIRE L'ARCHEOLOGIE DES PREMIERS CONTACTS?

This paper proposes to reassess the idea of "pre-colonization", a founding notion of the archaeological literature on Greek colonization. It discusses its theoretical interpretation and the difficulties associated with it. A concept ideologically instigating, especially in the perspective of postcolonial studies, initially illustrating the emulation and rivalry between the supporters of the Phoenician thalassocracy and the advocates of the primacy of the Greeks as civilizers of the West, the notion of pre-colonization remains, in our viewpoint, relevant as well as that of colonization. Both illustrate two historically and functionally different phenomena, despite the idea of contiguity implicitly induced by the prefix "pre-". This paper aims to go beyond this idea, by pointing out the relational changes between Greeks and Natives imposed by the foundation of colonies and the resulting potential conflicts for the control of the land. Keywords: Pre-colonization; Colonization; Mediterraneanization; Globalization; Hinterland. Cet article propose de revenir sur la precolonisation, une notion fondatrice de la litterature archeologique sur la colonisation grecque. On y aborde son interpretation theorique et les difficultes qui y sont liees. Concept ideologiquement tres charge, en particulier dans le cadre de la tradition d'etudes postcoloniales, illustrant initialement l'emulation et la rivalite entre les partisans de la thalassocratie phenicienne et les tenants de la primaute des Grecs comme civilisateurs de l'Occident, la notion de precolonisation demeure a notre sens pertinente au meme titre que celle de colonisation. Les deux illustrent deux phenomenes historiquement et fonctionnellement differents, malgre l'idee de contiguite implicitement induite par le prefixe . Cet article vise a depasser cette idee en pointant les changements relationnels entre Grecs et autochtones imposes par la fondation des colonies et les potentiels conflits qui en resultent pour le controle de la terre. Mots-cles: Precolonisation; colonization; mediterraneisation; globalisation; territoire. Este artigo propoe reavaliar a ideia de "pre-colonizacao", uma nocao fundadora da literatura arqueologica sobre a colonizacao grega. Discutimos aqui a sua interpretacao teorica e as dificuldades associadas a ela. Conceito ideologicamente carregado, especialmente na perspectiva dos estudos poscoloniais, que inicialmente ilustra a emulacao e a rivalidade entre os defensores da talassocracia fenic