The goal of this bachelor thesis is to answer the research question; What is the discourse on Aztec human sacrifices from the Late Post classic period in the Valley of Mexico and does it coincide...Show moreThe goal of this bachelor thesis is to answer the research question; What is the discourse on Aztec human sacrifices from the Late Post classic period in the Valley of Mexico and does it coincide with the contemporary Aztec museum exhibitions? Sixteenth century chronicles, mainly Sahagun’s, were used and more recent literature. Three museum exhibitions were chosen; two from London and one from New York. The research showed that in time the authors of the literature became more considerate and less prejudiced towards the Aztec culture and placed the human sacrifice in more proper context, even though all sources originated from the sixteenth and seventeenth century chronicles. The three recent museum exhibitions did not display many artefacts that pertain to the sacrificial ritual but reviews concerning the show were nevertheless negative, which is the result of several factors including literature, media, education, and methods of display of the Aztec museum exhibitions. This information led to the conclusion that the discourse on Aztec human sacrifices does not entirely coincide with the chosen recent museum exhibitions.Show less
In de tweede helft van de 17e eeuw stuurde de Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie drie gezantschappen naar het Chinese hof te Peking in een poging om daar handelsbetrekkingen aan te knopen. In deze...Show moreIn de tweede helft van de 17e eeuw stuurde de Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie drie gezantschappen naar het Chinese hof te Peking in een poging om daar handelsbetrekkingen aan te knopen. In deze scriptie worden de eerste twee van die gezantschappen naast elkaar gelegd. Ook wordt er gekeken naar pogingen van andere Europese landen, in die periode, om via het Keizerlijk hof toegang tot de Chinese markt te krijgen. Er worden twee vragen gesteld;allereerst is de vraag welke tactiek de Nederlanders in China volgden. Kort door de bocht kan gesteld worden dat de VOC twee werkwijzen had in Azië. Aan de ene kant was er de agressieve aanpak die zij in de Indonesische archipel met succes gebruikten tegen staten daar en waarmee ze op veel plekken een handelsmonopolie wisten af te dwingen. Aan de andere kant was er de meegaande aanpak, in Japan, bijvoorbeeld, werden de bevelen van de Shōgun strikt opgevolgd, in de hoop niet te worden uitgezet. De vraag is dus wat zij in China deden. Vervolgens is de vraag of de twee gezantschappen van elkaar leerden en, zo ja, wat er dan aan hun aanpak veranderde.Show less
This thesis tries to account for the high amount of kantharos-shards in the archaeological context of the Greek province of Boeotia. The kantharos is a drinking cup with a distinguishable shape....Show moreThis thesis tries to account for the high amount of kantharos-shards in the archaeological context of the Greek province of Boeotia. The kantharos is a drinking cup with a distinguishable shape. High incurving handles, an upper and lower body divided by a narrow offset and a high stem and foot are some of its characteristics. There is no consensus about why this cup was so important and well used in the Archaic and Classical periods in Boeotia. This thesis tries to uncover the reasons for being used so well in this region by focusing on several viewpoints, such as the kantharos’ origin, the link to mythology and several typologies. The still largely unpublished datasets from the Boeotia survey Project are being used here for the amounts of kantharoi and their contexts. This information is ultimately compared to other surveys and excavations from several regions of Greece, to see whether Boeotia actually was unique in this respect. With these viewpoints this thesis not only tries to answer the research question, but also tries to give an overall view on the research on kantharoi in general.Show less
This study is a critical examination of four prominent Teotihuacan figures that are commonly interpreted as deities (Paulinyi 2006). This study evaluates the interpretations and shows that these...Show moreThis study is a critical examination of four prominent Teotihuacan figures that are commonly interpreted as deities (Paulinyi 2006). This study evaluates the interpretations and shows that these interpretations are not well supported. Additionally, possible alternative interpretations are proposed that show these figures might just as well be interpreted differently. It is discussed how the figures may be interpreted as rulers, ancestors or both. This discussion shows these alternative interpretations are for three of the four figures quite plausible. The outcome of this study is relevant in respect to the perception of the nature of Teotihuacan, since Teotihuacan art is generally considered as impersonal, with no depictions of individuals.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This Research Master thesis deals with societal contacts during the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period in the southern Levant. More specifically, it focusses on Tell Deir ‘Alla, a site...Show moreThis Research Master thesis deals with societal contacts during the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period in the southern Levant. More specifically, it focusses on Tell Deir ‘Alla, a site in the middle Jordan Valley. The main question to be answered in thesis is: What is the position of Deir ‘Alla in the societal landscape of the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period? An answer was provided through the study of the ceramic material from the site. After a discussion of the stratigraphic context of the material, a typology was constructed. This was compared with typologies at other sites. Based on these typological comparisons and some observations about the general pottery development throughout the region, the majority of the studied pottery assemblage of Deir ‘Alla was tentatively dated to the MB III period. The wider societal structures can be observed through the study of pottery. It is assumed that through certain technological traits in the pottery, certain aspects of the chaine opératoire can be inferred. This is done by looking at production technology, production organization and distribution and exchange. These observations were combined with conclusions in the literature that were made based on settlement patterns. It was possible to get to a better understanding of the interactions between sites in within the Jordan Valley.Show less
The purpose of this thesis is to find out if augmented reality can improve people’s knowledge about archaeology. First of all there is some research about what augmented reality is and the...Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to find out if augmented reality can improve people’s knowledge about archaeology. First of all there is some research about what augmented reality is and the technology that can be used to create a successful augmented reality application. Augmented reality as it is often used on smartphones in the form of layar applications can be seen some sort of pseudo augmented reality, while real augmented reality applications require much more advanced technology to integrate virtual objects into real world images, and to make more precise tracking possible. Furthermore there are some projects that combine archaeology and augmented reality described in this thesis, with the purpose of finding out which techniques are used and what users think of these techniques and the augmented reality applications in general. Most augmented reality applications have been evaluated, but these evaluations were mostly technical, to find out if an application worked correctly and if there was any room for improvement. There is little information about user experiences with augmented reality applications and the techniques they use. It is only known that people like augmented reality because it is fun and new. There has also been some research into other possibilities of combining archaeology and augmented reality. There are plenty of these possibilities, since most augmented reality applications today are pseudo augmented reality applications, fast to create and cheap layar applications on smartphones. There still are a lot of possibilities in creating real augmented reality applications that integrate virtual objects instead of superimposing them on real world images. These augmented reality applications should also be more focused on archaeology instead of consisting for a large part of historical data.Show less
De meeste landen in de regio van Latijns-Amerika zijn omstreeks 1980 democratieën geworden (d’Agostino, 2005: 94-99). Theoretici als Diamond beweren dat democratie een goed iets is, doordat de...Show moreDe meeste landen in de regio van Latijns-Amerika zijn omstreeks 1980 democratieën geworden (d’Agostino, 2005: 94-99). Theoretici als Diamond beweren dat democratie een goed iets is, doordat de regering moet luisteren naar het volk om aan de macht te kunnen blijven. Zo worden de wensen van het grootste deel van de bevolking beter gerespecteerd (Diamond, 1999: 3-7). Desalniettemin kost het veel moeite om tot een goed werkende democratie te komen. Ondanks dat er vrije verkiezingen worden gehouden, blijkt er tot aan de eeuwwisseling toch veel te schorten aan de democratieën in Latijns-Amerika (Diamond, 1999: 31-34). Uit cijfers van Freedomhouse blijkt in Centraal-Amerika veelal geen verbetering of zelfs een lichte verslechtering te zijn opgetreden in het functioneren van de democratie . Diamond beweert dat vooruitgang niet goed kan worden bewerkstelligd, doordat de uitvoerende macht te sterk is in deze landen. Deze leiders zouden democratisering tegenhouden voor eigen gewin (Diamond, 1999: 32-35). Wel zijn er organisaties actief in Centraal-Amerika deze jonge democratieën te helpen bij het democratiseringsproces. Deze organisaties leveren hulp in landen die een freedomhouse score lager dan 2.5 hebben . Een ‘freedom’ waardering van 1 is het meest democratisch en een waardering van 7 is het meest dictatoriaal. Alle landen die niet hoger dan 2.5 scoren en dus niet het embleem ‘Free’ krijgen, ontvangen hulp bij de democratisering. Ondanks de geleverde hulp in de landen met lagere ‘Freedom’ waardering, blijkt in vele landen geen vooruitgang te zijn geboekt en in sommige gevallen is zelfs sprake van een achteruitgang in deze waardering . Een van de landen waar de score relatief gelijk is gebleven is Guatemala. In dit paper zal ik Guatemala onderzoeken, omdat dit het grootste land in Centraal-Amerika is en omdat Guatemala samen met Honduras en Nicaragua de laagste ‘Freedom’ waardering van de regio heeft gekregen . Er is dus nog veel ruimte voor verbetering op het gebied van democratisering in dit land. Toch lijkt het land door economische voorspoed een grotere kans te hebben een democratie te blijven.Show less
After the dark Middle Ages there was an enormous increase in population in Europe and new grounds were developed. Because of its strategically profitable position, two successive castles were built...Show moreAfter the dark Middle Ages there was an enormous increase in population in Europe and new grounds were developed. Because of its strategically profitable position, two successive castles were built at Kuinre, inhabited by the Lords of Kuinre. Both castles were swallowed by the Zuiderzee. After the Noordoostpolder fell dry, the remains of the castles were multiple times archaeologically researched. The first castle was dated between the second half of the 12th and the 14th century. The second one was dated between the 14th century and 1531. Between 1531 and 1535 the second castle was pulled down and the re-usable material shipped to Genemuiden. An image of the environment is sketched in this essay. The first sample was taken from a ditch, which had been open during the last phase of the first castle and shows a variety of habitats around the first castle. On the peat grew heath, and along the coast salt marshes developed. On these salt marshes low growing species of Chenopodio-Oxalidetum fontanae (Association of the Many-seeded Goosefoot and Yellow Wood-sorrel) determined the vegetation. Closer to the castle it was Scirpetum tabernaemontani (Association of Grey Club-rush), with its communities of Rush, that defined the vegetation. It’s an indication for a brackish environment. The peat-areas around the sand dune on which the castle was situated were covered with heath. Al these species show an increase in wetness in the soil, caused by the expanding Zuiderzee. The ground salted up, en several salt-intolerant species disappeared. Camp sheeting at the moat shows some human interference. Salt marshes developed along the coast, with their own vegetation. The other samples were derived from moats around the second castle, and show the development of the vegetation around this castle through different phases. In the first phase, which took place from the end of the 14th till the beginning of the 15th century, the pioneering species Chenopodietum rubri (Association of Goose-foots and Pale persicaria) determined the vegetation. The heath consisted of Erico-Sphagnetum magellanici (Association of Cross-leaved Heath and Peat Moss). In and around the moats the species of Typho-Phragmitetum (Reed-association) were growing. It concerns here the sub-association in which Typha angustifolia dominates. The third sample, taken from moat 1b, sketches an image of the changes in the vegetation during the second and third phase. In the 15th century the species of the Reed-association kept covering the banks of the moats, protecting them as camp sheeting. Cladietum marisci (Green Fen Sedge-association) appears in the direct surroundings of the castle. The third sample was the first one with remains of Sphagnum in it, which showed changing heath vegetation caused by this area getting wetter and swampier as well. These moors were covered with Sphagno palustris-Ericetum (Marsh Heath). The brackish water environment speeded up the process. In the last sample the vegetation around the castle consisted of species of Chenopodietum rubri. The peat was covered with Marsh Heath. The plants of Scirpetum tabernaemontani determined the remaining vegetation along the moats, which were filled up during this phase. The fact that the area continuously kept getting wetter stipulated the vegetation, and caused for some species to disappear. The second was castle was built at only 800 meters away from the first one, and it didn’t take long for the expanding Zuiderzee to also threaten this castle. Is the second sample still showing a closed-off moat system, in the successive phase the area is already getting, and that the vegetation altered along in this process. There were also signs of the coast moving towards the second castle during this phase. The high number of Eriophorum vaginatum shows an increase in the formation of peat, another confirmation for these developments. At the end, the inhabitants of this castle were also forced to leave it, and loose the battle that they’ve fought for ages against the sea.Show less
Dit onderzoek ging over het geweld en de intimidatie van de Democratische partij ten opzichte van de Afro-Amerikanen en de Republikeinen in de Reconstructieperiode. De stelling van dit werkstuk is...Show moreDit onderzoek ging over het geweld en de intimidatie van de Democratische partij ten opzichte van de Afro-Amerikanen en de Republikeinen in de Reconstructieperiode. De stelling van dit werkstuk is dat vanaf 1868 de Reconstructie gedoemd was om te mislukken.Show less
Marineofficieren Pieter van Hoogwerff en Jacob Andries van den Velden ondernamen in 1768-1770 en 1770-1771 reizen naar West-Afrika. Deze scriptie beschrijft hun werkzaamheden daar en hun houding...Show moreMarineofficieren Pieter van Hoogwerff en Jacob Andries van den Velden ondernamen in 1768-1770 en 1770-1771 reizen naar West-Afrika. Deze scriptie beschrijft hun werkzaamheden daar en hun houding ten opzichte van Afrikanen.Show less
Kinderen met een kindpsychiatrische ontwikkelingsstoornis zoals een autisme spectrum stoornis (ASS) of een aandachtstekortstoornis (ADHD) kunnen als gevolg van de stoornis leerproblemen ervaren....Show moreKinderen met een kindpsychiatrische ontwikkelingsstoornis zoals een autisme spectrum stoornis (ASS) of een aandachtstekortstoornis (ADHD) kunnen als gevolg van de stoornis leerproblemen ervaren. Het leren wordt vaak bemoeilijkt door een slechte concentratie, hyperactiviteit of rigiditeit in het denken. Dit onderzoek beoogt een bijdrage te leveren aan het inzicht op dit gebied door na te gaan in welke mate kinderen en jeugdigen met een kindpsychiatrische ontwikkelingsstoornis als ASS en/of ADHD, te kampen hebben met leerproblemen op het gebied van taal en rekenen, en in hoeverre deze leerproblematiek samenhangt met algemene leervoorwaarden zoals concentratie en werkhouding, alsmede met niet-stoornis specifieke gedragsproblematiek. Voor dit onderzoek is gebruik gemaakt van twee vragenlijsten, de Sociaal Emotionele Vragenlijst en de vragenlijst Onderzoek Adaptieve Vaardigheden Jeugdigen. Daarnaast werden demografische gegevens en informatie over de leerprestatie verzameld. Voor 445 kinderen en jeugdigen, variërend in de leeftijdsgroep van 4 tot en met 18 jaar, werden de vragen via het internet beantwoord door de ouders. De verwachting dat kinderen en jeugdigen met ASS en/of ADHD grotere taal- en/of rekenachterstanden hebben, wordt gedeeltelijk bevestigd. Verder blijkt de factor “concentratieproblemen” de belangrijkste statistische verklaring te geven voor de aanwezigheid van leerachterstanden bij kinderen met ADHD. Bij ASS vallen de taal- en/of rekenproblemen niet te verklaren uit de factoren “werkhoudingsproblemen” en “niet-stoornis specifiek probleemgedrag”, en slechts in lichte mate door de factor “concentratieproblemen”. In dit onderzoek biedt het hebben van de diagnose ASS de belangrijkste verklaring voor de aanwezigheid van de leerachterstanden.Show less
This research focuses on the German tactical defensive doctrine and its application within the defensive systems used in the Maas-Rurstellung during the Second World War. The Maas-Rurstellung is a...Show moreThis research focuses on the German tactical defensive doctrine and its application within the defensive systems used in the Maas-Rurstellung during the Second World War. The Maas-Rurstellung is a expansion of the Westwall, Germany’s main defensive line at the Western Front and is build at the end of 1944. In the research a map is drawn which shows the locations that are likely to have been used within the German defensive system, and thus the locations that can contain remains from this period. The map is based on both the height and relief of the landscape, as well as local infrastructure and the general German tactical doctrine. After this the locations chosen for the map were visited in the field to confirm or reject the presence of defensive structures, such as trenches or dugouts. The results show us that the expectations were correct in most cases and thus it is plausible and very effective to combine landscape and theory to form a predictive model for defensive structures from World War Two.Show less
Ritual speech is one of the most complex forms of language. It is full of metaphors and complicated phases, in most cases possible to use and understand only by insiders. Moreover, the relevant...Show moreRitual speech is one of the most complex forms of language. It is full of metaphors and complicated phases, in most cases possible to use and understand only by insiders. Moreover, the relevant context, usually of ritual performance has to be provided in order for the incantations to be effective. This paper analysis the context and metaphors in the religious language used by the ritual specialists in 17th century Mesoamerica based on the Treatise by Hernando Ruiz de Alarcón. The complexity of the metaphors used in the spells allows only for one group to be examined. Therefore, the metaphors recognised as calendrical names are examined through systematic analysis. Furthermore, the comparison with the day signs, plates 9-13 of the Borgia Codex, is made in order to investigate the extend of parallel meaning. As a result, the analysis enhances better understanding of the ritual speech-nahuallatolli as well as religious world view of the 17th century Mesoamerican people.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
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This thesis compares two historical debates, the debate around the New Historians on the war of 1948 since the 1980s and the debate around the Cold War Revisionists in the US during the 1960s and...Show moreThis thesis compares two historical debates, the debate around the New Historians on the war of 1948 since the 1980s and the debate around the Cold War Revisionists in the US during the 1960s and 1970s. It links these debates to Raymond Martin’s thesis on progress in history that states that during historical debates historical interpretations will eventually become more comprehensive, better balanced and more justified, and that historiographical debates tend to converge after a brief period of interpretational divergence. The thesis argues that there is a difference between the historiographical trajectories in these two countries based on the respective socio-political circumstances. In both cases revisionist historians, claiming to pursue a more advanced historical narrative, challenged the prevailing mythical patriotic narrative. The revisionists –who themselves started out firmly on the political left- were in both instances aided by the changing socio-political realities of their day, such as loss of legitimacy of political establishments because of unpopular wars (Vietnam and Lebanon), changes in the international political context and generational shifts. While in the US the trajectory of the debate on Cold War historiography seems to confirm Raymond Martin’s thesis, the trajectory in the Israeli debate has not seen any convergence on the 1948 War. The thesis argues that this lack of convergence in the is linked to the socio-political circumstances in Israel.Show less
Dit onderzoek gaat over de invloed van een uithuisplaatsing op de ontwikkeling van een kind tussen de 0 en 18 jaar. Er zijn 73 dossiers van pleegkinderen uit Midden-Brabant geanalyseerd. Uit de...Show moreDit onderzoek gaat over de invloed van een uithuisplaatsing op de ontwikkeling van een kind tussen de 0 en 18 jaar. Er zijn 73 dossiers van pleegkinderen uit Midden-Brabant geanalyseerd. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat kinderen op lichamelijk, motorisch, sociaal en emotioneel gebied en op het gebied van taal in ontwikkeling vooruit gaan tussen het moment van uithuisplaatsing en in 2010. Wanneer er gekeken wordt naar de verschillen tussen jongens en meisjes is alleen op sociaal gebied het verschil significant gebleken. Ook tussen kinderen geplaatst in een netwerkpleeggezin of kinderen geplaatst in een bestandspleeggezin is het verschil op sociaal gebied significant gebleken. Verder is tussen kinderen van 0 tot en met 11 jaar en kinderen van 12 tot en met 18 jaar ook op sociaal gebied het verschil significant gebleken. Het aantal jaren dat het pleegkind uit huis is geplaatst bleek geen rol te spelen in de ontwikkeling van het pleegkind.Show less
Early Medieval exchange and surplus production of animals and animal products has received little attention in the archaeological literature. In order to create a picture of exchange and surplus...Show moreEarly Medieval exchange and surplus production of animals and animal products has received little attention in the archaeological literature. In order to create a picture of exchange and surplus production of animals and animal products in the Early Medieval period, the animal remains from the Merovingian settlement of Oegstgeest were analysed to determine whether exchange and surplus production took place at this settlement. A theoretical framework was set up in order to determine how exchange and surplus production can be recognised in the archaeozoological record. A number of aspects were deemed important in establishing whether exchange and surplus production took place in the past, including age and sex distributions, metrical- and non-metrical variation, skeletal element abundance and also stable isotope and aDNA analysis. Several of these aspects of the Oegstgeest faunal assemblage were researched. Results show that there was no large scale exchange and surplus production of animals and animal products at Oegstgeest. Results do, however, indicate that pork, beef and sea fish may have been brought into the settlement from elsewhere.Show less
In this thesis I've done a research about the Chinese in The United States and the way that The New York Times wrote about them from their arrival (1850) until the Chinese Exclusion Act. Did the...Show moreIn this thesis I've done a research about the Chinese in The United States and the way that The New York Times wrote about them from their arrival (1850) until the Chinese Exclusion Act. Did the Times stay true to its own values of being an independent newspaper or did it give in to political influence or the wishes of the people, and what caused them to do so?Show less
