Résumé
Ce texte décrit et analyse les premières étapes de construction d’un dialogue interdisciplinaire entre une anthropologue et des hydrologues, à partir d’une recherche sur des documents d’archives. Outre leur intérêt pour une anthropologie des usages de l’eau, les archives se constituent en objets « passeurs de frontières » entre deux mondes disciplinaires. D’une part, en tant qu’objets (cartes et rapports anciens), les documents d’archives viennent s’insérer dans la pratique quotidienne de l’interdisciplinarité, initiant ainsi des discussions puis une production de connaissances partagées. D’autre part, les archives permettent d’engager la construction d’un regard sociohydrologique sur un lieu d’étude commun (Tunisie centrale), à travers une progression de la réflexion par « frottement disciplinaire » autour d’informations contenues dans ces documents.
This paper describes and analyzes the development of an interdisciplinary dialogue between hydrologists and an anthropologist on a case study: the Merguellil Wadi basin (Tunisia). The aim of this interdisciplinary research was to exploit socio-historical and hydrological parameters of water management. The understanding of current water management issues began with a socio-historical survey based on archives from the French protectorate. Initially, linking the two disciplines through this approach appeared problematic. However, these archives proved to be unexpected allies. Two stages of the interdisciplinary process are discussed here. First, the archives including old maps, statistics and reports were analyzed. This served to initiate interactions between social and environmental scientists. For example, hydrologists helped identify spatial location of information from the past and present. Collaboration started with the insertion of this historical dimension in a GIS. Second, hydrologists and the anthropologist shared knowledge and hypotheses about the history of the Merguellil basin during analysis of the archives. Socio-historical knowledge of the basin was shaped during and by these interactions. Collectively-devised socio-hydrological research questions resulted from the archives analysis. The archives, as “cross-boundary objects” between different scientific approaches, therefore helped promote interdisciplinarity.