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
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
2013-01-18T00:00:00Z
In the British House of Commons of the 1860s and 1870s, the concept of ‘democracy’ was despised by most of its members: the word carried a strong negative connotation. No one wanted to have a...Show moreIn the British House of Commons of the 1860s and 1870s, the concept of ‘democracy’ was despised by most of its members: the word carried a strong negative connotation. No one wanted to have a democracy, and no one wanted to be a democrat. Gradual franchise extensions (1867, 1884) transformed this valuation. Yet it took the British parliament decades of debates, and three parliamentary reform acts, before the concept of ‘democracy’ was judged positively by most members of the House. It was only after the Third Reform Act, during the Irish Home Rule debates of 1886, that a new consensus was reached: on the fact that Great-Britain was a democracy, and essentially ruled by ‘the people’. Twenty years before, during the Second Reform Act debates in 1866, such an utterance was unimaginable; it was perhaps desired by a few Radicals, but condemned by a broad majority. Hence, in the period from 1866 to 1886, the meaning and value of the concept of ‘democracy’ underwent a complete and unexpected change. How can we explain this conceptual turnover, from an essentially negative to a predominantly positive valuation? And how did democracy’s meaning shift? Those are the two questions that this thesis tries to answer.Show less
To study metabolism in biology, budding yeast (S. cerevisiae) is often chosen as the subject of study. As such a model organism, its metabolic network is known in more detail than any other...Show moreTo study metabolism in biology, budding yeast (S. cerevisiae) is often chosen as the subject of study. As such a model organism, its metabolic network is known in more detail than any other unicellular eukaryote. Therefore it is possible to model the dynamics of its metabolism rather precisely. A specific mutant of this species is known in some cases to fail to grow when glucose is abundantly present. Measurements then show that in the cell cytoplasm concentrations of intermediate metabolites, such as fructose-1,6-biphosphate, rise and keep rising beyond healthy levels yielding impeded growth and even death. This is called metabolic explosion. Recently, Hulshof, Planqué, Bruggeman and Teusink [1] introduced a novel opproach to the analysis of a well known simple toy model, `the Old Lady', that allowed to study its bifurcation behaviour in more detail. It is founded on smart monotonicity arguments to derive properties of implicitly defined functions to get at existence of (non-trivial) steady states. They were able to draw conclusions on the stability of these steady states too. In this thesis a new model is presented for the pathway of glycolysis. It is introduced as an extention of the Old Lady and is meant to bridge the gap in complexity between this toy model, favored in mathematics [1] and a descriptive model favored in biology [2], such that the model is more descriptive than the Old Lady, but the mathematical framework used for the toy model is still applicable. Some general theory of Metabolic Network Analysis is considered. The existence of trivial and non-trivial steady states is described, where the general theory is shown to be applicable. This is then formulated in a general proposition which can help to show existence also in larger models. The mathematical framework to describe metabolic explosion, as introduced in [1], is formulated for the new model. Existence of steady states proves to be a subtle exercise in mathematics as the five metabolite concentrations that are considered, in steady state, are implicit solutions to non-linear equations. The stability analysis is done only for the trivial steady states as computing eigenvalues of the Jacobian showed no meaningful results for the non-trivial steady states. This work will be continued in a follow up PhD project in the group of Joost Hulshof at the University Amsterdam (VU).Show less
Summary The main question in this thesis is why ‘s-Gravenzande, after a promise full start, was frustrated as an economic centre and didn’t succeed as a town although the town had formally citizens...Show moreSummary The main question in this thesis is why ‘s-Gravenzande, after a promise full start, was frustrated as an economic centre and didn’t succeed as a town although the town had formally citizens law. ‘s-Gravenzande is starting as an agrarian settlement at the end of the 12th century on a sandbank in the estuary of the Meuse. The formation of a sandy transverse coastal barrier and the blockade of the Hei caused already in the 13th century the silting up. Machteld of Brabant (1198-1267) had a house nearby the sea on the sandbank. The village got the name ‘s-Gravenzande (= Sand of the Count). During her life she founded several religious institutes. She also made her husband to give “stadsrechten” (citizens law) to the village of ‘s-Gravenzande in 1246. Investigations in 1999 and 2001 resulted specific in some carved stones and some glass as a heritage memory. Only the deepest tracks gave traces where the wall around the convict and beguinage, the gateway of the monastery and some foundations of houses of the monks were situated. The pottery dated from the 13th century onward. The slow development and final stagnation of ’s-Gravenzande in comparison with cities like Delft, Haarlem and Alkmaar, which were founded in the same period, could be explained by the silting up of the river Hei, the absence of an important regional function, the dead of Machteld of Brabant, the shift of the residence by the counts to ‘s-Gravenhage and finally the wars in the 15th and the 16th century, which caused much destruction in ‘s-Gravenzande.Show less
Pollen from pre-Anglian sediments at Beeston, Norfolk, UK, were investigated to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and climate at the locality during the time of deposition. The results of the...Show morePollen from pre-Anglian sediments at Beeston, Norfolk, UK, were investigated to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and climate at the locality during the time of deposition. The results of the environmental reconstruction are integrated in the debate on hominin presence in northwest Europe during the Pleistocene, their dispersal, biogeography, and the understanding of their ecological tolerances. Based on the pollen assemblages identified from the sediment sequence the presence of an infilling fresh water river channel in a river plain could be reconstructed. The presence of aquatic plants suggest a permanent wet locality. An increase in waterside and damp ground plants towards the upper part of the sampled sequence together with an increase in sedimentation indicate the infilling of the channel. In the river plain both back waters, pools and slow-flowing streams were probably present. The water was bordered by waterside and damp ground vegetation. The river plain formed an open area where various animals may have roamed. In the vicinity the river plain was bordered by a coniferous forest with some deciduous elements. The climate and ecological habitat reconstructed from the pre-glacial sediments at Beeston, resemble that of known archaeological sites in the region. The age of the sediments, based on lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy, could be constrained to between ~0.6 and ~1 Ma. This possible age range covers the period to which the now known earliest hominin occupation and subsequent hominin presence in Britain is dated. Based on this environmental reconstruction the locality of Beeston would have formed a habitable niche for hominins during the time of deposition. Up to today no indications of hominin presence are found near Beeston. Although excavations of the pre-glacial sediments at Beeston is today impossible, the environmental reconstruction and the apparent absence of archaeology from Beeston can be used for reconstructing the wider context of hominins in northwest Europe and form a basis for further inferences on hominin dispersal, biogeography and ecological tolerances.Show less
In the Dutch East Indian period there was a lot of maritime activity in the Netherlands. Ships were built at the shipyards. These ships arrived and departed in the harbors and their cargo was...Show moreIn the Dutch East Indian period there was a lot of maritime activity in the Netherlands. Ships were built at the shipyards. These ships arrived and departed in the harbors and their cargo was collected and spread in the Netherlands. Nowadays we find a lot of maritime traces of that time. Not only in the cities which had a lot of maritime activity, but also in archaeological records. Only in the province Flevoland over 400 shipwrecks are known. Shipwrecks are timecapsules and they keep a lot of information secret. With archaeological research we try to understand the moment in past that was frozen in the particular shipwreck. What happened to the ship and why it’s a shipwreck? In this paper we zoom in at a shipwreck in the soil of Lelystad. In the past there were a couple of explorations and excavations. In the archives of the Cultural Heritage Agency the documentation is stored. Some researchers are of the opinion this shipwreck is a ship from the Dutch East India Company. With use of the archived documentation it is tried to get a more detailed view of this ship.Show less
Salzgitter Lebenstedt is een Midden-Paleolithische site waarvan de assemblage voornamelijk uit rendierresten bestaat, de assemblage van Pech de l’Azé I bestaat uit meerdere prooisoorten. Over de...Show moreSalzgitter Lebenstedt is een Midden-Paleolithische site waarvan de assemblage voornamelijk uit rendierresten bestaat, de assemblage van Pech de l’Azé I bestaat uit meerdere prooisoorten. Over de toedracht van dit verschil in Neanderthaler-dieetbreedte is weinig bekend. Daarom worden met deze sites als uitgangspunt twee jagersculturen uit Noord-Amerika in dit onderzoek betrokken; de Nunamiut levend in het hoge noorden van Alaska waar voornamelijk op kariboes wordt gejaagd en de Mistassini Cree levend in Oost-Canada die op meerdere prooisoorten jagen. De diet-breadth model blijkt zich als een zeer bruikbaar instrument te lenen om keuzes omtrent prooikeuze te motiveren. Dit model gaat ervan uit dat alleen de meest efficiëntste prooisoorten worden geëxploiteerd. Hieruit blijkt dat de manier waarop gejaagd wordt, karakteristieken van de prooi en het landschap invloed hebben op het bejaagde prooienspectrum. De vertaalslag van factoren, die dieetbreedte voor deze twee groepen bepalen, maken naar het Midden-Paleolithicum blijkt echter problematisch te zijn door onbekende parameters die invulling moeten geven aan de diet-breadth model. Wel kan voorzichtig het één en ander worden geconcludeerd.Show less
Het landschap is onderhevig aan vele factoren, waarvan de mens er één is. Dit geldt ook voor het Caribische landschap, het onderwerp van deze studie. Vaak overschatten we onszelf en denken we dat...Show moreHet landschap is onderhevig aan vele factoren, waarvan de mens er één is. Dit geldt ook voor het Caribische landschap, het onderwerp van deze studie. Vaak overschatten we onszelf en denken we dat we het ecologische en klimatologische systeem snappen en alles kunnen creëren en controleren wat we willen. Wetenschappelijke studies, waaronder archeologie, hebben aangetoond dat we lang niet alles snappen en we behoorlijk afhankelijk zijn van de grillen van onder andere het klimaat en geologische processen als vulkanisme. Wat verder blijkt na bestudering van verschillende bronnen is dat de gedachte dat we als Europeanen als enige het landschap met opzet veranderden onjuist is. Voor de komst van de Europeanen werd er in de Caraïben behoorlijk wat gedaan om zo goed mogelijk te overleven. Kleinschalige tuintjes waar allerlei planten werden gekweekt en waarvoor stukken land werden afgebrand en de introductie van verschillende uitheemse dier- en plantsoorten zorgden onder andere voor de menselijke invloed op het landschap. Zelfs de archaïsche bewoners van de Caraïben deden meer aan landschap modificatie dan we aanvankelijk veronderstelden. Dit alles zijn we te weten gekomen door opgravingen, boringen en bestudering van historische bronnen. Curaçao is een goed voorbeeld van hoe het landschap is uitgebuit en hoe we daarvan nog steeds de gevolgen merken. Archeologische studies op andere plekken in de Caraïben en op andere plekken in de wereld leren ons verder hoe de mens in het verleden voor de komst van westerlingen de natuur behandelde en hoe men zich probeerde te redden te midden van natuurgeweld, klimaatveranderingen en een onvoorspelbare leefomgeving. Er vallen verschillende lessen te leren uit deze resultaten die bruikbaar zijn voor de toekomst en andere disciplines dan de archeologie. De belangrijkste les is dat we zuinig moeten zijn op onze omgeving, omdat ook wij nog steeds afhankelijk zijn van de natuur, maar dat we nooit in staat zullen zijn een landschap altijd te behouden zoals het op een moment in tijd is. Het landschap is altijd onderhevig aan veranderingen. Dit ontdek je pas als je het over een langere periode bestudeerd.Show less
The hermeneutic interpretation of cultural tradition moves away from the surface meanings of material culture or ritual to focus on the historical and social context within which these meanings are...Show moreThe hermeneutic interpretation of cultural tradition moves away from the surface meanings of material culture or ritual to focus on the historical and social context within which these meanings are produced, transmitted, or reinterpreted through time. This thesis takes a long-term perspective on the perception of the Mixtec or Ñuu Dzaui sacred landscape, and strives to understand the meaning of cultural concepts in the terms of the Mixtec people themselves. Due to its temporal depth, it is argued that the Mixtec cultural tradition can be approached by investigating the symbolism of its sacred landscape from a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on archaeological contexts, pictorial manuscripts as well as contemporary rituals and oral history. In light of this, hermeneutical historical interpretation offers important insights for landscape archaeology. In both cases, the past and the present are approached in relation to each other, a relationship which is materialized in the concept of the sacred landscape. From the perspective of individual communities, sacred geography and ceremonial sites foster cultural continuity insofar as religious symbolism is transmitted through rituals conducted in meaningful landscape locations.Show less
In this thesis we use mathematical models to dimension clouds. We focus on loss models from the theory of queueing. We use the blocking probability in these models as performance measure of a cloud...Show moreIn this thesis we use mathematical models to dimension clouds. We focus on loss models from the theory of queueing. We use the blocking probability in these models as performance measure of a cloud. We consider both infinite and finite source models as well as single-rate and multi-rate models for cloud dimensioning based on request blocking probability. These models enable providers to dimension both public and private clouds as well as clouds with one customer type and clouds with different customer types. In addition to surveying existing formulas, we also derive new formulas that can be used in practice. We also compare the different models and give recommendations about which model should be used in different cloud situations. Finally, we give a first quantification of the possible benefits of intercloud, the cooperation between cloud providers.Show less
Het doel van de huidige studie is om meer inzicht te krijgen in het verband tussen gedragsproblemen en executief functioneren bij kinderen van twee tot en met vijf jaar. Hierbij wordt onderscheid...Show moreHet doel van de huidige studie is om meer inzicht te krijgen in het verband tussen gedragsproblemen en executief functioneren bij kinderen van twee tot en met vijf jaar. Hierbij wordt onderscheid gemaakt tussen internaliserende en externaliserende gedragsproblemen en drie componenten van het executief functioneren (werkgeheugen, inhibitie en cognitieve flexibiliteit). Tevens wordt onderzocht of binnen de voorschoolse fase er een effect van leeftijd op het executief functioneren is. Methoden: De steekproef bestaat uit 721 ouders die door middel van het invullen van een vragenlijst over gedragsproblemen (Child Behavior CheckList) en een vragenlijst over problemen met executief functioneren (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version) het gedrag van het kind beoordeelden. De steekproef bestaat uit 721 kinderen waarvan 107 tweejarigen (14,8%), 162 driejarigen (22,5%), 241 vierjarigen (33,4%) en 211 vijfjarigen (29,3%). Resultaten: Er zijn significante verbanden gevonden tussen executief functioneren en zowel externaliserende gedragsproblemen als internaliserende gedragsproblemen. Problemen met inhibitie is de beste voorspeller voor externaliserende gedragsproblemen (R2 = .573, p < .001) en problemen met cognitieve flexibiliteit is de beste voorspeller voor internaliserende gedragsproblemen (R2 = .404, p < .001). Er is geen significant verband gevonden tussen leeftijd en executief functioneren. Conclusie: Internaliserende en externaliserende gedragsproblemen zijn geassocieerd met verschillende functies binnen het domein van executief functioneren. De resultaten van het huidige onderzoek bevestigen in grote lijnen de resultaten die in eerdere onderzoeken bij oudere kinderen en bij volwassenen zijn gevonden.Show less
This study analyses the function of the jesuit myth within the political debate of the netherlands in the nineteenth-century. The results show that the jesuit myth had a great impact in the...Show moreThis study analyses the function of the jesuit myth within the political debate of the netherlands in the nineteenth-century. The results show that the jesuit myth had a great impact in the relations between liberals, catholics and orthodox-protestants.Show less
Het doel van dit onderzoek was om te achterhalen of de volgorde waarop visuele en auditieve informatie werd aangeboden van invloed was op het verhaalbegrip bij kinderen van 5 jaar. Ook werd...Show moreHet doel van dit onderzoek was om te achterhalen of de volgorde waarop visuele en auditieve informatie werd aangeboden van invloed was op het verhaalbegrip bij kinderen van 5 jaar. Ook werd onderzocht uit welke bron kinderen de informatie voornamelijk haalden. De kinderen werden aan de hand van begripsvragen getest op hun verhaalbegrip en door middel van een eye-tracker werd de visuele aandacht van kinderen gemeten. De analyses lieten een marginaal significant effect zien in het voordeel van het tegelijk aanbieden van de informatiebronnen en analyses toonden aan dat tekstvragen significant beter werden beantwoord. De verschillende volgordes waarop de informatiebronnen werden aangeboden waren niet van invloed op de visuele aandacht van kinderen. Het lag in de lijn der verwachtingen dat het tegelijk aanbieden van de bronnen tot het beste verhaalbegrip zou leiden. Dat tekstvragen significant beter werden beantwoord dan vragen die betrekking hadden op de illustratie, lag niet in de lijn der verwachtingen. Een verklaring zou kunnen zijn dat kinderen zicht meer richten op de tekst dan op de illustratie en dat illustraties niet afleiden van de tekst als deze gelijktijdig worden aangeboden.Show less
