Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This study aims to investigate how evidence from human dentition contributes to the knowledge of cultural practices of the Prehispanic indigenous society of Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico. As such, it...Show moreThis study aims to investigate how evidence from human dentition contributes to the knowledge of cultural practices of the Prehispanic indigenous society of Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico. As such, it focusses on the expression of gender through the analysis of dental modifications. The study is twofold, as it focusses on the one hand on the dental modifications of the individuals found in the archaeological record of the city of Monte Albán, while on the other hand, it deals with the theoretical struggle to relate the biological body to socio-theoretical understanding of gender and the expression of this concept. A theoretical standpoint is chosen where the body is seen as a material culture, and changes to the body – temporal and permanent – are made to express certain cultural values, such as gender. It is assumed that the concepts of sex and gender are related, but not equal. Statistical analysis is conducted to test if there is a difference in the use of dental modifications between men and women, and the exploration of ethnohistorical sources dating from the Colonial period, are used to interpret these results. This exploratory data analysis has established that dental modifications in the skeletal assemblage of Monte Albán is indicative of different gendered identities, however future research is necessary to understand the full extent of the expression of gender through dental modifications discovered in the archaeological record of Monte Albán, and several propositions are made to aid this future research.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
Pre-colonial Mixtec codices vividly and colourfully tell about the history and religion of Mixtec polities and have, since the beginning of the 20th century, attracted the interest of many scholars...Show morePre-colonial Mixtec codices vividly and colourfully tell about the history and religion of Mixtec polities and have, since the beginning of the 20th century, attracted the interest of many scholars. Indeed, these historical narratives provide a unique window into ancient Mesoamerican concepts of time, history, drama, worldview and memory. Incorporated in these codices are numerous auditive scenes: events in the story line in which musical behaviour plays an important role. The present thesis examines these scenes, aiming to get a more comprehensive and arguably more full-fledged understanding of musical behaviour in pre-colonial Mixtec society. Since musical behaviour plays an important role in the formation of personal as well as social identities, research into musical behaviour of past cultures can contribute significantly to the knowledge about the worldviews of these cultures. Mixtec codices provide excellent means for this, since the stories in these manuscripts not only tell about individual actions and events in a certain time period, but also include important information about how these events related to a wider, socio-cultural context. By means of a novel, comprehensive approach, consisting of an adapted variant of the Critical Discourse Analysis methodology, this thesis analyses auditive scenes from five Mixtec codices: the Codex Bodley, Codex Colombino-Becker I, Codex Selden, Codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus I & Codex Zouche-Nuttall. As such, this thesis examines the role of musical behaviour contained in auditive scenes of pre-colonial Mixtec codices on the levels of the text, their conveyance and their socio-cultural context. The results of these analyses show that musical behaviour played an important role in codices at a variety of levels. Indeed, this thesis shows that, on the basis of a bi-directional relationship, textual analyses of auditive scenes in Mixtec codices can provide important tools for understanding the role musical behaviour played vis-à-vis socio-cultural and ideological dynamics. The oral performance (discursive practice) through which the codices’ stories were reproduced, distributed and consumed was the binding element between the codices’ text and the socio-cultural context. On the basis of these findings, recommendations for further research are provided.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The Historia General de las cosas de Nueva España is a 16th Century colonial document written in New Spain (modern-day Mexico). It describes many aspects of the lives of indigenous people that...Show moreThe Historia General de las cosas de Nueva España is a 16th Century colonial document written in New Spain (modern-day Mexico). It describes many aspects of the lives of indigenous people that lived in Central Mexico called the Mexica-Nahua. The descriptions are of such detail that they are often a primary source for archaeologists to correlate their material data with. However, this is often done without questioning the validity of the data or putting the conditions of 16th Century Mexico in a proper context. The rituals described in this document have a particular violent character, giving much attention to human sacrifices that were made to indigenous deities. However, these rituals were not witnessed first-hand by its author, Bernardino de Sahagún. The largest ceremonial structure built by the Mexica-Nahua was what is now called the Templo Mayor. This was a large pyramid that stood in the centre of the Capital that lies under modern-day Mexico City. There have been many publications about this temple that contain interpretations of the rituals that were performed here. Many of these interpretations come from a literal interpretation of the Historia General. This interpretation affects the manner in which the precolonial past is represented by archaeologists. These archaeologists put their object of analysis into a context that is subsequently shaped by these same scholars to conform to an already existing representation of the precolonial past. Ethnographic fieldwork shows that the ritual experience of the practitioners is not fully analysed by these archaeologists. This is however salient in the reconstruction of past rituals because these can often be analysed according to frameworks that do not concern themselves with the practitioner, but more with the organizational context in relation to e.g. a centralized state. The literary analysis of the Historia General, the critical evaluation of ritual reconstructions at the Templo Mayor, and the incorporation of ethnography show that the violent picture scholars and the general public have of precolonial Mexica-Nahua society is largely based on a distorted view that results from a lack of proper contextualization as opposed to hard evidence.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This thesis presents an iconographic study of Classic Maya ceramics. Pictorial polychrome pottery is the primary source of Classic Maya painting that is left to us. In the sixth century we find the...Show moreThis thesis presents an iconographic study of Classic Maya ceramics. Pictorial polychrome pottery is the primary source of Classic Maya painting that is left to us. In the sixth century we find the appearance of unique painting styles, the establishment of elite workshops and works that were so exceptional that they could be linked to specific painters. The painters of these vessels were among the most highly educated people in Maya society. They were educated in Maya history, science, ideology and cosmology and they also learned how to read and write. The elite painted pottery is therefore a fine source to get more information about Maya mythology. By an iconographical study of the Maya ceramic vessels it is determined which scenes from the mythological tale of the Popol Vuh are displayed on the images of the vessels. The Popol Vuh is the creation story of the Maya. The document was written down sometime between 1554 and 1558, by authors that stayed anonymous. It is commonly believed that the story of the Popol Vuh was actually much older and might once have been written in codex form. The Popol Vuh is the most significant source on ancient Maya mythology that survives today. The iconographical research is restricted to the heroic deeds of the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xb’alanq’e. With the help of the previously identified characteristics of the Hero Twins, these characters are searched on all the available ceramics in the online Maya Vase Database, created by Justin Kerr. By an intense study into the ways that the Hero Twins are displayed on Maya ceramics many stories from the Popol Vuh have been identified. Some represented scenes proved to have been displayed on numerous vessels. Other scenes proved the be less important and were only portrayed sporadically. Multiple scene from the Popol Vuh were not portrayed at all suggesting that these stories were altered or added at a later time.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This thesis focuses on the interpretation of pages 29 to 46 of the Codex Borgia. This sequence of pages is unique in the corpus of Mexican manuscripts, and it contain very complex imagery. Because...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the interpretation of pages 29 to 46 of the Codex Borgia. This sequence of pages is unique in the corpus of Mexican manuscripts, and it contain very complex imagery. Because of this, these pages have been the centre of many interpretation efforts for already more than a decade. To this day no consensus has been reached about the meaning of the pages. To aid in this matter, this thesis contains three aims: (1) to give an overview of the interpretations made thus far, (2) to identify the specific problems in the interpretation process in order to recommend future lines of research, and (3) to expand upon the knowledge of the imagery through a structural analysis of them from the perspective of narratology. First, an overview of eight interpretations has been created. Secondly, these interpretations have been evaluated on the basis of the analogies that have been drawn in order to identify the problems in the interpretation process. Third and lastly, the narratological aspects time, space, events, actors, and focalization have been selected to analyse the structure (and thereby function) of the pages. It is concluded that that the pages represent various separate rituals in a ceremonial centre, and that the pages are of some kind of descriptive or prescriptive nature. It is very likely that the pages were used as a sort of guide for a variety rituals performed by a group of priests that was closely related to a Temple of Dark Wind, and in which hallucinations play a role.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
Perception of time is a constituting pillar in the Maya worldview. The Maya calendar system, which has been in use for thousands of years, however, is currently under threat by a variety of...Show morePerception of time is a constituting pillar in the Maya worldview. The Maya calendar system, which has been in use for thousands of years, however, is currently under threat by a variety of developments. This research master thesis focuses on the contemporary practices and beliefs related to the Maya calendar in Mexican and Guatemalan Maya communities by analyzing ethnographies published between 1889 and 1982. The aims are firstly to analyze the forms in which the traditional time perception has continued over time, and secondly to examine how changes in the field of Maya research have affected the specific ethnographic investigations on the Maya calendar. The main part of this thesis includes a literature study on three entangled topics which all have influenced how scholars currently look at the Maya calendar. Firstly, a synthesis of the different ethnographic works is provided, in which the different forms of Maya calendar systems in Mexico and Guatemala are discussed. The Maya calendar has played an important role in Maya archaeology and anthropology. This thesis provides the first overview of ethnographic research since a doubtful publication dating from 1952. The goal of synthesizing the ethnographies is to provide new insights in the variety of contemporary practices and beliefs related to time among the Maya. Secondly, based on this inventory, this thesis examines the changing ethnographic approaches towards this topic. By examining the assumptions, interpretations and approaches in the light of their time, it becomes clear how we have come to our current view on the Maya calendar system. Thirdly, this thesis looks into cultural continuity and how rituals contribute to the continuation of calendar systems and their related worldviews. Due to the decreasingly traditional way of life, more research into this topic is very much needed. Additional to the literature research and a small-scale ethnographic fieldwork has been performed among the Yucatec Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, focusing on the perception of time based on environmental observations and related rituals. The empirical data that were collected during this fieldwork are presented in the final part of this thesis.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This research involves the Moche full bodied portrait vessels. The Moche flourished from 100 till 800 AD and all that was left of the Moche society was their material culture. Today it is generally...Show moreThis research involves the Moche full bodied portrait vessels. The Moche flourished from 100 till 800 AD and all that was left of the Moche society was their material culture. Today it is generally accepted that ceramic was the Moche language. The main research question focuses on the function and meaning of these artefacts. What was their place in the Moche culture? A study is made of social meaning, social biography and of the different statements an object can give. Objects function as memory, they tell stories and are used to remember certain occasions or activities. Furthermore, instead of using expensive tests here a descriptive approach, in combination with statistical analyses, was used to understand the function of these objects. The form and function of these vessels is connected, but the exact role of the portrait vessels is not known. It is clear that they played an important role in the life of the Moche society and were almost certainly connected with the ceremonial sacrifice. This is assumed based on the characteristics of the people modelled on the vessels. Using statistical analyses will help to understand the relation between depictions and form and will also give ideas about how and wherefore these vessels were used. Based on the different analyses a decision tree learning model was made, creating the possibility to define and understand the different categories of Moche full bodied portrait vessels.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The majority of studies of the Greater Nicoya area of Pacific Nicaragua and Costa Rica have relied heavily upon the assumption that large-scale Mesoamerican migrations took place sometime in the...Show moreThe majority of studies of the Greater Nicoya area of Pacific Nicaragua and Costa Rica have relied heavily upon the assumption that large-scale Mesoamerican migrations took place sometime in the Postclassic period, resulting in the similarity between some styles of pottery and iconography between the two regions. Recently, studies have shown that there is little archaeological evidence to link the two areas, besides the ethnohistorical data and the appearance of the aforementioned iconography. This study examines one of those icons, the quintessentially Mesoamerican figure of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, in order to look for evidence that might support either side of the debate.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The Florentine Codex is used in many studies to provide information on Mesoamerican social life, and as complementing and reaffirming archaeological data. However, the information in the chronicle...Show moreThe Florentine Codex is used in many studies to provide information on Mesoamerican social life, and as complementing and reaffirming archaeological data. However, the information in the chronicle has been filtered through a masculine lens and interpreted by a Spanish friar. To understand the possible influences of Sahagún’s representations of Mesoamerican gender relations, Goodman’s ways of worldmaking (1978) will be applied. This theory provides insights into the processes of knowledge creation which helps us to make sense of the way Mesoamerican culture is presented in the document. The inclusion of a description of early modern Spanish gender roles and ideals reveals, and urges us to rethink, the Spaniard’s and our own conceptual framed assumptions on gender categories. Next to this, additional data is needed to confirm or reject statements made in the Spanish document: colonial native documents will be compared and complemented, as providing insider views, experiences and practices of the ideal described in the Florentine Codex. Furthermore the purpose, application and addressees of the Florentine Codex guided the represented information towards an attempt of creating a new world made out of the ideals from a Western male worldview. Understanding how the new world is created out of the familiar Spanish conceptual frame, and of what this view is composed of, provides insight in how gender roles and man-woman relations are portrayed, identified and categorised and why specific aspects are left out or accentuated. Knowing this, and the realisation of the knowledge in the document, enables us to look more critical and in concrete ways to the document before we typify something as a Mesoamerican gender category.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The research is an ethnographic fieldwork in combination with a library research. The information that is used comes from archaeological, historical and ethnographical sources. The ethnographical...Show moreThe research is an ethnographic fieldwork in combination with a library research. The information that is used comes from archaeological, historical and ethnographical sources. The ethnographical research was performed in the province of Jujuy in Argentina. The native people of Jujuy are Collas. They have lost many characteristics of their culture, but they preserve some cultural traits, like agriculture, the gathering and production of salt, the making of traditional music instruments, weaving techniques, the cult to the Pacha Mama and many beliefs and rituals that are combined with the catholic religion. Textiles form a vital part of the Andean society. They have a social and cultural meaning and are used as a form of visual language that is understood by both the weaver and its community. All the aspects giving “life” to textiles, such as their symbols, motives, weaving techniques, the weaver, etc., reflect religious concepts and the social and cultural meaning that they have. Furthermore, textiles are fixed in the cultural memory and identity of the native communities of Jujuy. The cultural identity of theses cultures are materialized in their textiles. This Master thesis focuses on the native communities in the province of Jujuy, Argentina and how their inhabitants experience, live, practice and create their cultural identity through the practice of Andean weaving. The thesis tries to interpret the recuperation of this old Andean weaving practice as a constructor and invigorator of the cultural identity of these native communities.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
This work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the...Show moreThis work assesses the techniques available for the investigation of the materials which were used in Mesoamerica for the painting of objects, such as murals but also books. In order to assess the applicability of these techniques, first an overview of the current knowledge about the materials that were used by these people in the pre-colonial time (before 1521 A.D.) is given. Also the different media are discussed and the specific technology which was used in their production is discussed when this is currently understood. In the second part an explanation of the working of the different techniques is presented. This is of importance for understanding the possibilities and limitations of these techniques. Each of the selected techniques has the potential of coming to a better understanding of the physical properties of the material under study, but each needs a different input and can generate different output. In the third part, the applicability of these techniques under the specific conditions posed by the Mesoamerican objects is discussed. The materials and specific techniques used by the Mesoamerican artisans pose new challenges to the technology, but also provide unique opportunities. Lastly a case study dealing with a palimpsest in the Mexican Codex Selden, currently held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, exemplifies the potential of doing such a high-tech research and hopefully will act as a stimulus for further research suing these techniques in this field.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
In the last centuries the Hopi in general and their calendar and its accompanying body of beliefs, rituals and deities in particular have caught the attention of many non-indigenous people. Many...Show moreIn the last centuries the Hopi in general and their calendar and its accompanying body of beliefs, rituals and deities in particular have caught the attention of many non-indigenous people. Many publications have been written, though few of them contain the Hopis perspective or acknowledge that there are some subjects which are too sensitive or even too sacred to be written down. Nevertheless these publications have shaped our image of the Hopi and their calendar and have lead to extensive discussions with regard to e.g. their age, origin or influences from Mesoamerican cultures. Interpretations from these old anthropologists and archaeologists appear often to be taken for granted and are hardly critically assessed. Therefore, this thesis questions that what we think we know about the Hopi calendar, its predecessor, and the beliefs, rituals and deities accompanying it.Show less
