This thesis examines a new way of tracing individual life histories in the context of slavery in the Caribbean during the colonial period. The carbon stable isotopes in bioapatite were compared to...Show moreThis thesis examines a new way of tracing individual life histories in the context of slavery in the Caribbean during the colonial period. The carbon stable isotopes in bioapatite were compared to carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in collagen of serial dentine samples in the case study of an enslaved African found on the island of Saba. Five dental elements were found out of anatomical context in a lockbox at Spring Bay Flat plantation. The use of bioapatite and collagen in tandem has been proved to provide extra valuable information in dietary studies and doing so in dentine increments yields an individual and high temporal resolution new to bioarchaeology. The individual studied here forcibly migrated from the African Sahel during the formation of the first molar, suffering from a period of nutritional stress before experiencing a dramatic dietary change. Multi-isotope analysis of both organic and inorganic matrixes in dentine increments is proven to be a valuable and innovative method of reconstructing individual life histories in unprecedented detail. The production of osteobiographies such as this one helps us to understand individual experiences during periods of slavery, captivity, and exploitation on a level that we can empathise with and therefore offers important and profound contributions to discussions on slavery and colonialism in a broader sense.Show less
This thesis aims to assess the risks of the consequences of climate change for the preservation of the archaeological remains of Roman maritime villas (ca. 200 BC-500 AD) on the coast of South...Show moreThis thesis aims to assess the risks of the consequences of climate change for the preservation of the archaeological remains of Roman maritime villas (ca. 200 BC-500 AD) on the coast of South-Latium, Italy and the surrounding cultural landscape. This will be done using the relatively new methodology “Cultural Vulnerability Index”(CVI) tool for heritage which is a valuesbased, rapid risk-assessment methodology developed for cultural and natural world-heritage (Day et al., 2019, p. 5). The CVI assessment first evaluates which key values are relevant forthe heritage, and after, how these values will be affected by different climate hazards. After which, the adaptive capacity of the community is taken into account, to better assess, what the impact on the community will be. The final outcome is a three point scale judgement of the vulnerability of the heritage values to the relevant climate hazards. The main advantages of the CVI methodology is that it balancesscience and practice into one structured and rapid methodology. The methodology is adjusted to fit the current study which assesses non-world heritage sites. Moreover, the current study is performed fully remotely using a spatial, GIS-based risk-assessment model as input for the CVI assessment. The model operates for different climate hazards, on different scales, for a rapid assessment. Because of its layered character, it can be easily adjusted to fit additional climate hazards or wider scales and other research areas. The model is constructed using only open data and open software. The risk-assessment model shows that even in a low-impact future climate scenarios, different climate hazards pose a serious threat to the Roman maritime villas. The CVI assessment shows that the key values of the heritage are highly vulnerable for climate hazards that are relevant for the study area. This study has shown that the CVI methodology can also be applied to non-world heritage sites. It has also shown that the CVI assessment can be carried out remotely, using a riskassessment model. The risk-assessment model can be complementary to the CVI-assessment as it provides better insight into the future course of climate hazards A limitation of the remote CVI assessment is that it affords a less detailed picture of the current state of the heritage. Finally, this study’s result reflect positively on the developments within the open science movement, proving that open data and open software can fruitfully be employed for heritage management.Show less
This Graduation Project revolves around the real caste study and co-creation project Berk&Hout which is situated on the boundary of the municipalities Tilburg and Udenhout (the Netherlands). An...Show moreThis Graduation Project revolves around the real caste study and co-creation project Berk&Hout which is situated on the boundary of the municipalities Tilburg and Udenhout (the Netherlands). An important element in the development of this new residential area was the excavation of a Late Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age urnfield together with settlement traces from the Bronze Age and Roman Period. The aim of this paper was to explore the possibilities of co-creation projects for archaeological research, especially for its public outreach including citizen participation. Co-creation is an upcoming concept in the field of public archaeology, a branch of archaeology that concerns itself with the interaction between the archaeological research and the public. The intention of co-creation is to create an environment in which all stakeholders of a project work together to define the goals of a project, create the plan and make joint decisions. In order for co-creation to become increasingly prevalent in the field of archaeology, the establishment of two treaties by the Council of Europe were necessary. It started with the implementation of the Malta convention (1992), which ensured conservation and protection of the archaeological heritage and with that the role of the archaeologists in society and within (development) projects. At the same time, with the Malta convention the importance of the accessibility of heritage and the role of public awareness was considered. In the Faro convention (2005) the focus on participation in cultural heritage was developed even further. The framework aided the shift in focus from how Europe’s heritage should be protected to why heritage should be accorded value. Its intention was to change the role of the public in assigning value to heritage and emphasizes that heritage should not just be defined by the heritage professionals: the democratization of heritage. It was an important step in order to facilitate co-creation projects because of a shift in the agency, the valorisation and inclusiveness of cultural heritage. The Faro convention also mentions the potential of heritage as resource for sustainable development and ability to enhance the quality of life through placemaking and creation of communities. Five case studies from Netherlands and its neighbouring countries demonstrated the potential that archaeology has in co-creation projects when designing with archaeology is used. Based on the master plan of Berk&Hout, the scientific results of the archaeological research and the stakeholder analysis, it was decided to physically implement the archaeological heritage in the landscape of Berk&Hout through designing with archaeology. Three designs were suggested that were themed around several steps from the ladder of citizen participation; information, concertation and co-creation. This research by design made apparent the possibilities and challenges that designing with archaeology offers for the field of archaeology and heritage within co-creation projects. It is a permanent and sustainable way to physically represent the heritage of a place. With active involvement of the stakeholders it can lead to community building and enhance the quality of life for an area. Co-creation and ‘designing with archaeology’ can transform the space of the development project Berk&Hout into a place again: from cremation to co-creation.Show less
A preliminary investigation in the milestones found in the Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Belgica. In this thesis the milestones of these provinces have been submitted...Show moreA preliminary investigation in the milestones found in the Roman provinces of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior and Belgica. In this thesis the milestones of these provinces have been submitted to both a quantitative and a qualitative investigation. By doing so the author hoped to determine whether any pattern could be found in road building processes. Milestones were used for this as accurately date roadworks processes.Show less
Artefact classification is one of the main themes and an important practice since the beginnings of archaeology, while machine learning (ML) became one of the most efficient approaches to increase...Show moreArtefact classification is one of the main themes and an important practice since the beginnings of archaeology, while machine learning (ML) became one of the most efficient approaches to increase our knowledge in a number of disciplines. This thesis describes a ML model developed for the classification of pottery assemblages, identifying its benefits and limitations, focusing on the importance of artefacts features for the identification of vessel shape classes, and to what extent this kind of knowledge can be used to replicate classifications made by experts. The research also analyses different classes structures based on the ML model. The research dataset was based on an assemblage of pottery vessels representing nine shape classes and four archaeological sites from the Bronze Age Northeastern Syria, made available by the Arcane project. The classification methodology was based on principles of quantitative archaeology, using vessel measurements and categorical features, implemented by supervised and unsupervised learning ML algorithms and supporting methods from the scikit-learn and SciPy libraries. The Anaconda platform, the Jupyter notebook environment and ImageJ for image processing complete the main software used through the research. The research results indicate benefits and limitations in the application of ML models in the classification of pottery assemblages. The limitations are especially related to number of samples versus target classes, the homogeneity of the vessels context in the dataset, and the quality of data available for the samples. The results suggest that a ML model can be useful to experts, assisting in the identification of the most relevant artefact features and similarities among classes of artefacts, as well possible misclassifications, ultimately providing new insights into the classification of pottery assemblages in archaeology.Show less
A thesis which contributes a new perspective to the ongoing discussion on the human contacts made between North and Meso-America before Columbus. This is done specifically by looking at maize as an...Show moreA thesis which contributes a new perspective to the ongoing discussion on the human contacts made between North and Meso-America before Columbus. This is done specifically by looking at maize as an exotic good used for ritual and as a medium for narrative. It highlights the religious aspects of exchange and the travel of ideas and narratives with material in a time before writing was widespread. Because of the latter fact, the research is done through a multi-disciplinary approach, utilizing botany, archaeology and ethnology.Show less
Around the world, rock art has long been studied in efforts to decode its meaning and thereby understand the minds and realities of its hunter-gatherer artists. In Argentina, rupestrian art was...Show moreAround the world, rock art has long been studied in efforts to decode its meaning and thereby understand the minds and realities of its hunter-gatherer artists. In Argentina, rupestrian art was first mentioned on the record by Jesuit missionaries from the 16th century, but the first true documentation of these ‘sacred rocks’ was completed by Moreno in 1877 in northern Patagonia. Rock art has been conceived as many things, as territorial markers, evidence of contact between groups, indication of group mobility, transmission of information, and as domestic/non-domestic symbolic creations. The question is, however, what happened to the study of hunter-gatherer rock art outside of these complexes? What can an ontological approach to these pictographs tell us about the cosmologies of the communities from the far-reaching past? The aim of this study is to add to, or rather to spark up again, the discussion of early hunter-gatherer cosmologies as seen through the lens of hunter-gatherer rock art assemblages from several different sites in the central plateau of Santa Cruz, Patagonia. This is accomplished by adopting an interdisciplinary stance combining archaeology and anthropology with an ontological approach that uses ethnographic data as a means of conceptualizing new interpretations. This is all done through a bibliographical position in which previous research is re-evaluated. To this end, the thesis is guided by the following research question: Could an ontological approach to hunter-gatherer rock art from the Late Pleistocene to Mid-Holocene periods (c. 9000–3500 BP) in southern Patagonia (Argentina) help us come up with the beginnings of their cosmology? Three possible interpretations are discussed in this thesis regarding rock art and hunter-gatherer cosmologies. The first relates to the importance of the hunt and identifies handprints motifs as part of an initiation ritual into the hunting tradition. Additionally, I posit that hunter-gatherers used the depictions of hunting scenes as a means of understanding the ecological relationships in their environment and to keep track of hunting strategies, thereby ensuring the continuation of the tradition by possibly using the pictographs to teach their children. Lastly, I suggest that the iconic images of large felines and their accompanying bodily remains in situ were part of a process of symbiosis in which the animal’s favourable traits and capabilities as a prime hunter were taken on by hunter-gatherers themselves. These theories are then conceptualized by ethnographic accounts of the Aónik’enk, their mythology and traditions.Show less
Bronze mirror production was at its peak during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392 CE) of Korea. This resulted in an unprecedented range of sizes, shapes and motifs. A mirror’s purpose is, by definition,...Show moreBronze mirror production was at its peak during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392 CE) of Korea. This resulted in an unprecedented range of sizes, shapes and motifs. A mirror’s purpose is, by definition, to reproduce the image placed in front of it. Interestingly, Goryeo bronze mirrors have been recovered from graves and Buddhist temple complexes, indicating that they also served ritual functions. Considering 508 mirrors from ten museums, this study investigates the relation of mirror iconography to mirror use, answering the research question: to what extent did the iconographic attributes of Goryeo bronze mirrors reflect their meaning and role in society? This research found that a number of recognisable motifs could point to a mirror’s use in a particular context. As grave gifts, bronze mirrors were valuable objects, associated with high status and wealth. This inherent auspicious meaning was reinforced by the symbolism in the interred mirrors’ iconography, denoting values such as longevity, beauty and love. The bronze mirrors used in Buddhist rituals display religious symbolism in their designs, such as bells, images of deities and scenes from scriptures. A comprehensive analysis of the exact role played by these religious mirrors is beyond the scope of this thesis, but could be researched further through the examination of scriptures and other primary literature. As secular items used for personal grooming, bronze mirrors were luxury items indicative of their owners’ social standing. Increasing the value of mirrors as status symbols even further was the appropriation of Chinese motifs, as this signified an appreciation of Chinese culture in agreeance with the education that was expected of those with high social standing. In this way, identifying a bronze mirror’s iconographic theme can help clarify the context in which it was once used. However, Goryeo bronze mirrors’ functions were not mutually exclusive, and the presence of religious and secular mirrors in funerary contexts suggests that they could play various roles throughout their use-life.Show less
Human activities have impacted the natural landscape and vegetation from the emergence of agriculture onwards. Subsequent traces of anthropogenic activities are documented and preserved in...Show moreHuman activities have impacted the natural landscape and vegetation from the emergence of agriculture onwards. Subsequent traces of anthropogenic activities are documented and preserved in paleoenvironmental archives, such as peat or lake sequences. The current study utilizes a high-resolution pollen dataset retrieved from a peat sequence in combination with archaeological data from the area to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and cultural landscape of the area of Haraldstadmyr bog in Southeastern Norway. An in-depth analysis of agricultural activities was performed focusing on the period of the Early Iron Age to the Medieval Period. Utilizing radiocarbon dating, a chronology of farming activities was provided. Archaeological burial dates from a local burial site located were used in comparison with the pollen data to interpret habitational patterns of the local area. As a result, periods of intensive farming as well as periods of abandonment were identified. In addition, periods of pastoral farming were distinguished from periods of mixed farming. The forcing factors of the changes seen in farming strategies and agricultural intensity are likely related to climate changes as well as societal changes in the area. In this study, a new finding is proposed, indicating an abandonment of the area around 950 CE. An abandonment of the agricultural area in Southeastern Norway in the mid 10th century has not been previously discovered nor studied. Further in-depth studies are needed in order to confirm this finding, as well as to identify the forcing factors of the abandonment.Show less
This thesis attempts to show the benefits of maritime historians incorporating maritime archaeology into their studies. It does this in two parts. The first part explains the theory and methodology...Show moreThis thesis attempts to show the benefits of maritime historians incorporating maritime archaeology into their studies. It does this in two parts. The first part explains the theory and methodology behind this interdisciplinary approach. The second part utilizes that approach in a case study. This case study is 'how patterns of pillage exploited the Atlantic slave trade during the height of the golden age of piracy'.Show less
This thesis sought to answer the question: to what extent are documentary viewers consuming an androcentric image of the Palaeolithic? In order to reach a conclusion, it first examined several...Show moreThis thesis sought to answer the question: to what extent are documentary viewers consuming an androcentric image of the Palaeolithic? In order to reach a conclusion, it first examined several prominent models of human evolution and early subsistence, noting the roles of males and females in each, and any bias or stereotyping that arose. Secondly, ethnographic evidence was cautiously evaluated to determine the extent to which anthropological models of early hunter-gatherers accurately reflect modern hunter-gatherer lifestyles. In addition, representations and depictions of Palaeolithic life, and in particular Palaeolithic women and their work, from various popular media sources were examined. Evolutionary theory, ethnographic and archaeological evidence, and common themes in the representation of Palaeolithic women were examined together to devise a definition of ‘androcentrism’ in this context. This definition was then compared to the treatment of women in five documentaries depicting Palaeolithic life, chosen for their perceived scientific authority and influence over the public’s understanding of the Palaeolithic. The results of the analysis of these documentaries showed they firmly adhered to the definition of androcentrism previously devised. Across all documentaries, women were vastly underrepresented compared to men. Where women were represented, they were shown engaging in a much more limited range of activities than men, and these activities perpetuated a modern, Western notion of women’s ‘place’. Women were tied to activities associated with nature such as gathering and childcare, and were excluded from activities related to culture including stone tool use, ritual and art. Activities that were most commonly carried out by females, such as gathering, were also significantly underrepresented in comparison to perceived male activities such as large game hunting. Having established the significant overrepresentation of males and a privileging of their activities across all documentaries examined, this thesis concluded by offering advice for future documentaries to avoid presenting such an overtly androcentric view of the Palaeolithic.Show less
The Chumash are an indigenous group who formed a complex material culture around 8,000 BP when they began to permanently settle. They settled in SW California and created a material culture which...Show moreThe Chumash are an indigenous group who formed a complex material culture around 8,000 BP when they began to permanently settle. They settled in SW California and created a material culture which revolved around a shell-bead industry and specific ceremonial practices which were governed by a strict socio-political order that was in place until colonialists arrived in the 1700s. From the Early Period (12,000 BP) to the Mission Period (200 BP) the sociopolitical organisation changed dramatically, but how did this happen? This study represents how migratory patterns were crucial in how material culture changed for the Chumash within this timespan. Furthermore, this study examines the migratory patterns of the Chumash through three case studies – The shell-bead industry, ceremonial events and missionisation. The shell-bead industry case study demonstrates how the Chumash on the mainland moved to certain areas in the latter periods in order to gain further autonomy over the industry which was centrally governed by the Chumash on the Channel Islands. Further examination looks at several sites on the Channel Islands which also demonstrated movements, but in those cases was shown as being a motive to increase production. Ceremonial events display how the Chumash temporarily moved into areas for specific reasons and gives another angle to the complex concept of migration which contains many different avenues such as forced, voluntary, permanent and temporary. Missionisation shows how colonial contact forced the Chumash into moving from their villages to specific areas which the colonisers created such as Missions and ranches. The periods of pre and post-contact demonstrate two different types of centralised control: The Chumash elite and the Spanish colonisers. These two groups are important to distinguish during discussion as they reflect differing ideals and thus migratory methods. Using Naismith’s rule of walking, energy expenditures were calculated for each case study and therefore greater insight can be made into exactly why or how people were willing to undertake these movements. Applying this rule using GIS, maps were made of the respective case studies that visually represent the distances that the Chumash voluntarily or forcibly made. Additionally, the theme of centralised control is viewed alongside migratory patterns to examine if migration is reflective of it or not. By investigating each of these case studies an overview of differing migratory patterns that the Chumash undertook can be compared with each other and a clear conclusion can be drawn that they were all linked to centralised control. By using this case study, further research can be made into other past indigenous groups and their retrospective movements pre and post-contact. The brief comparison in the conclusion to other historical sites and to modern day migration also demonstrates that these types of studies can be used when discussing present issues, whereby we can learn from the past and how we choose to study and participate in migration movements.Show less
This research focuses on if and how video games could be used to reach out to and involve a wider and particularly younger audience of people between 20-45 years old in archaeology. By setting out...Show moreThis research focuses on if and how video games could be used to reach out to and involve a wider and particularly younger audience of people between 20-45 years old in archaeology. By setting out a questionnaire among the players of three video games belonging to three major gaming genres, namely Assassin’s Creed: Origins (RPG), Battlefield 1 (FPS), and Sid Meier’s Civilization V (strategy), this research searches to investigate how the target audience perceives archaeological and historical aspects in video games (EA DICE, 2016; Firaxis Games et al., 2010; Ubisoft Montreal, 2017). The research looks to find out what gamers find important in video games and what genres are preferred to use in order to implement more real-life (virtual) archaeology. Furthermore, it researches how the target audience perceives archaeological aspects in video games and to what extent they would be interested to play video games in which a bigger focus lies on archaeology, or that are ‘archaeologically/historically accurate. Lastly, it was researched which of the selected video game genre(s) would be most suitable to use to involve a wider public in archaeology. The three set out surveys resulted in a total of 163 responses from men and women, concerning several ages and countries, including the Netherlands, the UK and the US. The results show that the participants are interested in archaeological aspects and historical accuracy in video games. A number of participants were more interested in archaeological activities than they were before playing the video game, which means that video games can indeed be used in order to reach out to and involve a wider audience in archaeology. The research shows that the participants preferred the role-playing genre to have more archaeological and historical aspects implemented in. The participants who played Assassin’s Creed: Origins were most interested in archaeology and history in video games, and also most open to archaeological activities in the real world, like visiting museums after playing the video game. In conclusion: The most preferred video game genre to use in order to reach out to a wider public is shown to be the role-playing genre.Show less
Sex estimation of non-adult skeletal remains has long been regarded as a problematic or even an unattainable objective within physical anthropology and forensic science. Few extant methods have...Show moreSex estimation of non-adult skeletal remains has long been regarded as a problematic or even an unattainable objective within physical anthropology and forensic science. Few extant methods have been able to match the accuracy rates of methods designed for adult remains and those that have failed to achieve similarly acceptable rates when tested on a population other than the one on which the method was originally developed. Due to this, children are habitually excluded from archaeological investigations since a major component of their biological profiles is considered inaccessible. A definitive and reliable technique to estimate sex in non-adult osteological remains would contribute greatly to the field of osteoarchaeology, allowing for the refinement of osteological age estimation and growth studies as well as more perceptive interpretations of the social, economic, or environmental implications of osteological evidence. In this thesis, a population-specific statistical approach to non-adult sex estimation based on the crown and cervical dimensions of the permanent canines and maxillary first molars was tested on the documented post-medieval skeletal collection of Middenbeemster, the Netherlands. The odontometrics of the adult component of the population (n = 76) were used to develop 14 binomial logistic regression formulae, which were subsequently applied to the non-adult individuals of the same population (n = 15). Though the two formulae based on the maxillary first molar odontometrics performed little better than chance, all 12 of the formulae based on the permanent canines achieved accuracy rates above 75%, with eight surpassing 85% and five achieving 100% accuracy. It was demonstrated that as little as one dimension of the permanent maxillary or mandibular canine can be used to estimate sex with an acceptable level of confidence. Due to the necessity of a permanent canine, this method is only applicable to individuals aged five years and above at the time of death, including adult individuals whose state of preservation does not allow for morphometric sex estimation or whose morphological sex estimate was indeterminate. By allowing reliable sex estimation in non-adult skeletal remains, this method makes it possible to gain insights into the past lives of non-adult individuals, who all too often seem invisible in archaeological and historical narratives.Show less