The topic of this thesis revolves around the identity of the Indisch Dutch in the Dutch East Indies during the Second World War and the Bersiap period. This topic has been researched through the...Show moreThe topic of this thesis revolves around the identity of the Indisch Dutch in the Dutch East Indies during the Second World War and the Bersiap period. This topic has been researched through the perspective of societal security, as put forward by the approach of the Copenhagen School in the Critical Security Studies, combined with Rogers Brubakers’ theorization of identity. It combines ethnic identity and ‘securitization’ in such a way that there is being investigated if an identity can be shaped, or further developed, by the occupier to ‘securitize’ this group (i.e. to identify them as an existential threat to society).Show less
This account details the 17th century career of Jacques Cailhaut de La Tesserie in the service of the Dutch Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie. The writer hoped to convince his reader to procure for...Show moreThis account details the 17th century career of Jacques Cailhaut de La Tesserie in the service of the Dutch Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie. The writer hoped to convince his reader to procure for him a position in the new Compagnie française des Indes orientales. From this account, as well as sources in the colonial archives of France, Canada and the Netherlands, a picture can be formed of de La Tesserie as an all-round colonial careerist straddling early modern boundaries. In the span of thirty years he served in such far-flung places as the jungles of Formosa, the empire of Japan, the trading hub of Batavia, the coasts of Persia and India, the Canadian Shield and the Hudson and St. Lawrence river valleys. During this time he fought the Spanish, Chinese and Iroquois, participated in trading ventures across the Chinese Sea and Indian Oceans, was an associate of a pelt-trading consortium in northern Canada and member of the highest governmental organ of French North America, even serving shortly as its governor-general. It is the aim of this paper to bring into focus which factors were present in the decision-making process of de La Tesserie, and to what extent they were significant. To answer the question posed, this work will retell the three distinct phases through which the life of de La Tesserie ran. During each of these phases he attempted to carry through, a choice which would radically alter his life. The first is de La Tesserie joining the VOC, the second is him exchanging the VOC for the colony of Nouvelle- France, and the third is his attempt to join the CFIO. Every choice has been divided into three further parts, each detailing the background in which the choice was made, which factors might have contributed to it, and how the decision eventually played out. Thus a picture is painted of how a young man from France ended up in Canada, with a detour through the Far East.Show less
This thesis aimed to provide an answer to the question: “What was the Scandinavian influence on the burial rites practised in Britain between 800-1200 AD?” A background has been established by...Show moreThis thesis aimed to provide an answer to the question: “What was the Scandinavian influence on the burial rites practised in Britain between 800-1200 AD?” A background has been established by examining the situation in Anglo-Saxon Britain and Scandinavia alike. The situation was quite complex in the British Isles. The Christian Anglo-Saxons still practised funerary rites outside cemeteries and graves often still contained small amounts of grave goods. The situation in Scandinavia was also very complex because the Scandinavians themselves maintained a large scale of varied burial practices in which local variation and identity played important roles. The answer to the research question is thus not simple to give. While there are several graves in Britain that show a remarkable amount of Scandinavian influence, other graves are more ambiguous. The influence of the Scandinavians seems to be limited to first and maybe second generation of settlers in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. However, the concept of social persona can help us recognize the complex of identities represented in deviant burials and find their place in the funerary record of Britain.Show less
The interactions among two or more cultures have always had a great importance for what concerns archaeology, since the influences these have had on material culture have often triggered intrinsic...Show moreThe interactions among two or more cultures have always had a great importance for what concerns archaeology, since the influences these have had on material culture have often triggered intrinsic processes within the society. As a consequence, a new tradition would have been created where it is not possible anymore to recognise what is a foreign element and what is an autochthonous one. In the case of the Japanese archipelago, the relations between the Kyūshū island, the Chinese Han empire and the southern part of the Korean Peninsula led to a material culture which shows the different natures these relations had. Furthermore, these relations triggered some socio-political processes which led to a political hierarchy which reflected especially on the development of the mortuary architecture of the mounded tombs typical of the Kofun Period (250-710 AD). This thesis aims to analyse the nature of the interactions between Kyūshū and the Korean Kingdom of Paekche, as well as the influences these interactions had on the mortuary architecture of the Late Kofun Period (475-710 AD). The phenomenon of the decorated tombs will be taken as specific case study of a shared element between the two cultures. The discussion of the data gathered specifically for this thesis, regarding 21 sample sites from Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures, attempts to show how through the decorated tombs it is possible to gain new information regarding the Late Kofun society in Kyūshū, and how interactions not always lead to a complete adoption of foreign element. Using literary analysis and Barnes’ (2007) similar research regarding the two previous phases of the Kofun Period, preliminary results show evidence that the interactions between Ky¬ūshū and southern Korea during the late Kofun Period were not as one-sided as is often believed. The Late Kofun decorated tombs appear to be neither merely a copy of Korean examples, nor a completely indigenous innovation, but rather a combination of the two. Where the differences in decoration show a distinct separate identity base on long previous traditions, the similarities in architecture show evidence of “Peer Polity Interaction”, a theory expounded by Renfrew (1986) and evidenced for the earlier two periods in Barnes’ (2007) research.Show less
This thesis is based on primary field work that has been conducted on the Island of Saba in the Lesser Antilles. The physical construction of the first modern exhibition on Saba’s history was...Show moreThis thesis is based on primary field work that has been conducted on the Island of Saba in the Lesser Antilles. The physical construction of the first modern exhibition on Saba’s history was carried out on the island in January 2013. This exhibition has been brought into fruition through co-operation between the author and a team from the Archaeology Faculty at Leiden University. The exhibition attempted to raise an awareness of the history of the island and recent archaeological research within the local community and tourists alike. The outcome of the field work has resulted in documentation of the project and the process of putting the exhibition together within this study. Further primary research took an interview-based approach in an attempt to understand the local community’s connection with the exhibition’s content, their interest in the island’s past and if they feel a need for it to be displayed on the island. It forms an initial analysis of the community’s opinion on these issues and an understanding of present community identity and their identification with the island’s history. This author’s research is supported and built upon through secondary sources that explore the concepts of identity and the community within the museum world. The aim of this study is to form an understanding of the past and present museum work on Saba, the need for further museum projects on the island and the community’s interest, involvement and identification with the history and archaeology of their island.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
In this thesis a systematic comparison between the writings of two prominent English polemicists is made, both of whom were active in the period 1618 and 1628: the Catholic Richard Verstegan and...Show moreIn this thesis a systematic comparison between the writings of two prominent English polemicists is made, both of whom were active in the period 1618 and 1628: the Catholic Richard Verstegan and the Puritan Thomas Scott, both of whom were in a religiously-tinted exile in the Low Countries in this period – the former in Antwerp, and the later in Utrecht. While of different generations and religious orientations, both urgently wanted to influence English public opinion on the continental conflicts of this period. Their polemics, such as Vox Populi and Londons Looking-glasse, are subjected to a comparative analysis. The goals and expectations of these polemicists in regards to the religious upheaval in Europe – such as the renewed conflict between Spain and the United Provinces and the escalating Bohemian crisis – are explored, as well as their subsequent appeals for war or peace.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
2015-01-19T00:00:00Z
Until recently ‘The archaeology of Judaism’ actually meant the archaeology of Judaism for no later than Late Antiquity. Recently, only the archaeology of Judaism for the medieval period in Europe...Show moreUntil recently ‘The archaeology of Judaism’ actually meant the archaeology of Judaism for no later than Late Antiquity. Recently, only the archaeology of Judaism for the medieval period in Europe has been developing, but almost no attention has been paid yet to the archaeology of Judaism in the Islamic World. Although much seems to be known about Judaism in the Islamic World, when taking a closer look, actually all this knowledge is based on textual sources such as the rabbinic literature and the documents from the Cairo Genizah. Apart from that, there have been specialist studies, focussing on specific objects, or architectural features from more recent times, mainly from an art historical approach. This thesis for the first time aims to give a general overview of all the available material and architectural features that could be associated with Judaism in the Islamic World and the wider diaspora and reconsiders the grounds on which the association of this material with Judaism has been made. It examines what contribution archaeology could make to the knowledge of Judaism, thereby paying attention to some issues related to the social responsibility archaeologists have towards society and presenting the most promising fields for future research.Show less
Since the turn of the century, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of depictions and exhibitions featuring Japanese prehistoric figurines, better known as dogū. These artefacts from...Show moreSince the turn of the century, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of depictions and exhibitions featuring Japanese prehistoric figurines, better known as dogū. These artefacts from the Jōmon Period (about 15.600 to 3200 years BP) with a supposed ritual purpose increasingly show up in and outside of archaeology. In this paper I look for a possible explanation for this recently heightened interest. This is done by asking two questions: 1. Where are dogū present, and 2. how can this be explained? Going from Japan’s identity and the nature of their connection with the past, in this paper I look for the ulterior motives and goals behind the presence of dogū where they are most often seen: museums, art, popular culture/media. The first part, an analysis of dogū in Japan, shows that Japan’s view of its Jōmon past has changed since World War II. Out of nationalism a link is created with a past in which Japan was supposedly still unique and pure. Dogū reflect this and have thus come to represent Jōmon heritage. Good characteristics and aspects are selectively emphasized. In this way a generalizing story is created, that unfortunately negatively impacts the diversity that existed in the past. On the other hand, the mysticism and mysterious nature of dogū are a source of inspiration for artists and popular media such as anime, manga and videogames. The second half investigates the presence of dogū in the West, which can be largely attributed to several researchers who publicize across country borders and have brought dogū to Western museums. A case study of the ‘Power of Dogū’ and ‘Unearthed’ exhibitions offers insight into the goals behind this kind of exhibition. The Jōmon period and its dogū are used to represent the cultural traditions of Japan. In the debate on world heritage too dogū are used to promote the Jōmon period, as evidenced by my case study of a debate on Jōmon heritage in Paris.Show less
