Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
The research presented in this thesis focusses on the architectural remains at Koroneia, recorded during the survey of the site. The research has two main aims: firstly to categorise the finds in a...Show moreThe research presented in this thesis focusses on the architectural remains at Koroneia, recorded during the survey of the site. The research has two main aims: firstly to categorise the finds in a workable manner in order to create a base file from which the analyses of the material are made. The second aim is to analyse the architecture to reconstruct the ancient city in the various periods of time in which it existed. In other words, the architecture encountered at Koroneia is used as an archaeological proxy to investigate an ancient city, but also the methodology of using this type of material to do this type of research is studied. The first aim is achieved by creating an interactive digital map of the site in which all the data are combined and as such a research tool is created. The second aim is achieved by creating a broad frame in which the material is studied. An extensive background study on architecture through time as well as a broad historical overview of Greece and the region in which Koroneia is situated form two sides of the frame that is used. The intensive manner of survey that was applied to the site in regard to architecture is unique and therefore this thesis is also used to evaluate this methodology. The results of the study definitely prove that this type of study provides reliable information with which the development of a city can be researched. This research shows that Koroneia went through various phases of growth and contraction, often contemporary with nearby cities and/or larger regional developments. It will form a vital comparison with the analysis of the spread of ceramics across the site in each phase of its existence, ongoing work. Although the results show that this study was successful, further research into the use of architecture as an archaeological proxy is possible and advisable. It is clear that more can be discerned if a larger scale is applied to the material, as most of the architectural styles and changes are not formed on a city-level, but rather on a regional, or even larger, scale. More elaborate comparisons within the region of Boeotia as well as with other regions like Attica, Thessaly, but also in other Mediterranean regions outside Greece, could greatly enhance our understanding. Furthermore, more detailed studies of the individual styles encountered may also result in more elaborate ideas on the architecture and this will further enhance our understanding of the past.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
The last decade has seen the emergence a body literature advocating an archaeological approach which is conscious of, and actively includes, the individuals and groups who are entangled in the...Show moreThe last decade has seen the emergence a body literature advocating an archaeological approach which is conscious of, and actively includes, the individuals and groups who are entangled in the processes of archaeological research and are connected to and draw meaning from the material remains of the past. This archaeological approach, widely known as Community Archaeology, has been promoted by many, who envision a socially responsible discipline and multivocal understanding of the past. Archaeological discourse in Greece, however, seems to remain fairly silent on the issue, despite growing indifference, suspicion, and even resentment and resistance by the Greek public towards the field. The context to why this had become the case lay with the construction of an idealized nation built upon the “golden age” of its classical past and a formation of homogenous perception of national identity which have subsequently led to the exclusion of entire periods of time, namely that of the Post-Medieval period and it’s alternating and overlapping Ottoman, Venetian, and Frankish rule, as well the arginalization of those whose lives and histories have straddle the borders of ethnic, national, linguistic and religious identities. Further the historical conservative nature of the development of the field of Greek archaeology coupled with archaeological practice in service to the state, and monopolized solely by archaeological values has served to distance the public from the past and its materials. The tides they are a changing however, and research in Greek prehistoric archaeology, the emergence of regional survey projects in Greece and developments in post-medieval research has made significant strides in shedding Greek Archaeologies long held approaches rooted in nineteenth century ideologies and classicism. Furthermore, the tensions building between public and archaeological officials are not going unnoticed and some authors are starting to highlight that it is time for archaeological practice in Greece to think about for whom their work is for. In search of a tangible manifestation of the academic murmurings an examination of the museum sphere was undertaken, looking at three different self-ascribed museum types: Archaeological, Byzantine, and Folk, in three different locations in Greece: Athens, Thessaloniki, and Nafplio. Based on the knowledge of the recent renovation and redisplay of a few I was curious to see what museological methods had been implemented and further the incorporation of local communities or other relevant stakeholder groups in either the newly renovated exhibits or current temporary exhibits of the time, indicating perhaps a shift in museum practice not yet analysed.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
While methodological examinations and evaluations on post-depositional processes, sampling, surface collection, the definition of ‘site’ and other phenomena in intensive and extensive surveys...Show moreWhile methodological examinations and evaluations on post-depositional processes, sampling, surface collection, the definition of ‘site’ and other phenomena in intensive and extensive surveys already came to the fore in the 1980s, less theoretical and methodological attention seems to be given to the archaeological process that takes place from the collection of the finds on the surface to the modes of archaeological interpretation. Although ceramological analyses often play a large role in reconstructing the past, especially in survey archaeology, the capabilities of the ceramologist in the ascription of chronology, function and provenance are often limited, resulting in a dataset that consists of data on various resolutions. In this light, a certain tension between our aim, providing a detailed reconstruction of the past, and our actual capabilities has to be acknowledged. These data, however, are the data we have to work with. This thesis explores the limits of our capabilities and dataset by applying a wide range of distributive and quantitative methods from a chronological and functional point of view. Although the survey data appear to be often biased to some extent, each of the applied methods is also fundamentally biased and is giving its own character to the dataset under examination. In this light, it should be stressed that the ‘source criticism’, which is often argued for in research, should be accompanied by a certain ‘instrumental criticism’. What seems to be apparent on the basis of the methodological exercises that are carried out in this thesis is a clear need to examine the archaeological record on the surface in its own right and context, as some of the methods applied clearly gave a different character to our own dataset when compared to the datasets of, for instance, the Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey and Sagalassos. In this light, the complexity of the formation of the archaeological record and even our own datasets should be acknowledged and a wide range of quantitative and distributive methods should be carried out in further research to comparatively examine and evaluate the complexity we encounter from the ‘raw’ data revealed by archaeology.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
In this study, published intensive field surveys from different geographies on the Italian peninsula have been revisited with the aim of developing a better understanding of regional differences in...Show moreIn this study, published intensive field surveys from different geographies on the Italian peninsula have been revisited with the aim of developing a better understanding of regional differences in demography, settlement pattern, landuse and how Roman society could have functioned. The field surveys/regions that have been subject to in-depth enquiry are Cisalpine Gaul, the Potenza Valley, the suburbium of Rome, the Pontine region and the Biferno Valley. The focus has been on the Late Republican to Early Imperial period. Models and interpretive concepts have been assessed that originate from archaeology, social geography and ethnography using archaeological evidence. The following seven biases hinder the interpretation and comparison of field survey information; (1) an incompletely identified nucleated settlement pattern; (2) questions on the size and urban make up of civic centres; (3) the precise size and location of field walked transects; (4) the reported sample/transect size versus actual field walked area; (5) the use of site recovery multipliers; (6) site typology and site population and (7) the integration of metadata from different surveys. The establishment and comparison of the demographic dimension have been shown to be challenging and problematic. The base case would be the inner suburbium of Rome, which was believed to have been the most densely populated region of Roman Italy. A bivariate statistical analysis for the suburbium of Rome suggests that the settlement patterns of the main centres are structured by landscape and have Archaic antecedents. Not all field surveys have been conducted at the same survey intensities and a ranking has been suggested for each region. High survey intensities can be argued for the Potenza Valley and the Pontine region and lower survey intensities for the inner and outer suburbium. The underlying rationale for obtaining a realistic multiplier, per site-type, landscape or region, including the separation between statistical and archaeological inference has not been sufficiently studied by archaeologists. The high-level view on demography, settlement pattern and hierarchy considers the majority of the population, in the range of 75-90%, living in the countryside. Moderately- sized civic centres of 12-30 ha in size were spaced at regular intervals, depending on landscape, facilitating a day-return trip, essential for the marketing needs of the people living in the countryside. Vici filled the servicing gaps in those regions with exceptional non-marketable radii. The size of the hinterland of the civic centres, excluding Cisalpine Gaul and the Biferno Valley, was in the 150-225 km2 range. A working hypothesis on the function of the civic centres would consider them as service centres. A banding-servicing view has been envisioned for the towns and market centres that could reflect different levels of servicing for local, sub-regional and regional centres. The contrast between Greek and Roman urbanisation ratios offers very fruitful insights for future research in the functioning of these two civilisations.Show less
