Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Bodily ornaments are abundant in the circum-Caribbean region. Made of a variety of raw materials, most notably shell, stone and minerals, they have been recovered from the archipelago and...Show moreBodily ornaments are abundant in the circum-Caribbean region. Made of a variety of raw materials, most notably shell, stone and minerals, they have been recovered from the archipelago and surrounding mainlands. Most studies have focused on iconographic analysis of the motifs depicted on pendants and on the sourcing of exotic raw materials from which they were made. Technologies of production have also received attention, with emphasis on workshop contexts from the Early Ceramic Age (400 BC – AD 600/800) which present abundant debitage. For the later period (until AD 1492), considerably less is known. This research proposes a theoretical framework focused on the cultural biographies of ornaments. The main objective is to approach how pre-Colonial indigenous communities have dealt with ornaments, including the collection of raw material, production sequence, use, reuse and deposition. A chaîne opératoire approach is also put forward, in order to assess technological choices, gestures, techniques, toolkits and skill levels. Two case studies from the Late Ceramic Age are discussed: the Valencia Lake Basin in north-central Venezuela (AD 800 – 1200) and the northwest of the Dominican Republic, especially the site of El Flaco (AD 1200 – 1400). Microwear analysis was conducted on 161 beads and pendants using optical light microscopy, with magnifications of up to 200x. Experimental replications of specific techniques with local tools and contact materials were also made to serve as analogues to the microscopic evidence. An overview of the biographies of ornaments among lowland South American indigenous societies was made in order to shed light into the patterns observed in the archaeological material. Analysis has shown that in the Valencia Lake Basin the production of ornaments had an important role, involving high skill and the use of a specialized toolkit for shell working. The ornaments display different degrees of wear and indicate different systems of attachment with strings, regardless of type and depositional contexts. In El Flaco, bead making was only limitedly present and restricted to specific raw materials. Most beads, made of calcite and igneous rocks, probably entered the site through exchange networks. In general, the beads are intact and present limited use-wear, with different intensities and distribution regardless of the type. This combined approach (microscopic, experimental and ethnographical) permitted a new insight into the role of ornaments in these contexts and on how their biographies were connected to social relations at local and regional levels.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
Threepointers are amongst the most enigmatic artefacts of the pre-Columbian insular Caribbean (ca. 200 BC – AD 1492). According to the ethnohistoric chronicles they possessed a largely ritual...Show moreThreepointers are amongst the most enigmatic artefacts of the pre-Columbian insular Caribbean (ca. 200 BC – AD 1492). According to the ethnohistoric chronicles they possessed a largely ritual function and were designated as zemies, Amerindian spirit-objects. Nevertheless, what threepointers actually signified and how they were used is not known, nor have previous studies been able to verify the existing hypotheses. This pilot study explores a biographical way of visualising the threepointer artefact group, addressing the question of how they operated in Amerindian society. Microscopic trace analysis has been carried out on a sample of 59 threepointers, describing the microwear patterns that developed due to manufacture and use. Supplemented with data on the material proveniences and archaeological contexts, the research presents a broad range of evidence. These data are inserted in a biographical framework aimed at reconstruction of the cultural expectations behind the biographical trajectories of threepointers. As threepointers moved through five distinct phases in their biographies, being cause, conception, birth, life, and death, they were continuously recontextualised in the eyes of society. The thesis investigates how this process reflects on the cultural and societal values of the Amerindians. A reinterpretation of the ethnohistoric chronicles using ethnographic observations circumscribes this biographical framework in the context of Amerindian ontologies. Intersubjectivity between people and threepointers was the mechanism that allowed threepointers to interact with human sociality as autonomous actors. Through this mechanism, threepointers could be drawn to the human habitus, acculturated, and made to act on their own subjectivity. This study finds that threepointers were enormously variable in ‘conception’ and ‘birth’, knew active uses during ‘life’, but had no common significance in ‘death’. It argues that their unique existence is the direct result of their potential for intersubjectivity. Threepointers effectively functioned as devices capable of influencing the natural flow of the world.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
One of the most defining moments in history is Europe’s discovery of the ‘New World’ in 1492. It is generally known how Columbus succeeded in crossing the Atlantic Ocean, while trying to reach Asia...Show moreOne of the most defining moments in history is Europe’s discovery of the ‘New World’ in 1492. It is generally known how Columbus succeeded in crossing the Atlantic Ocean, while trying to reach Asia via a westward route. It meant a sudden and unexpected encounter between two radically different cultures. According to popular belief, the Spaniards offered beads and mirrors to ‘ignorant’ Indians and took home all the gold they could find. The Taíno were passive bystanders in the process of Spanish imperialism and colonialism. This thesis aims to eliminate these misconceptions through a critical reassessment of the role of European material culture in intercultural contacts in Hispaniola during the first decades of the colonial period. The discussion centres on the Taíno attitude towards these new objects, while emphasising their active participation and creative responses to the impacts of Spanish domination. An understanding of the dynamics, interactions and exchanges of the colonial encounter cannot be achieved without knowing the cultural-historical backgrounds of both parties. Their descriptions constitute Part I of the thesis. In Part II it is investigated which objects the Taíno received from the Spaniards and what they gave in return. The main questions to be answered are why the Taíno accepted the seeming trinkets of the Europeans and how and to what extent these were integrated into native society. Archaeology offers an indispensable dataset that, however, hitherto has not reached its full potential, not least because of the many difficulties involved in the archaeology of postcontact Taíno settlements. This thesis provides a current state of affairs by listing a representative number of site descriptions that have not been published in a similar way before.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical...Show moreThis research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical demography to demography where physical anthropology is central to the analyses made. Attention will be paid to major advancements, pitfalls and solutions which have been developed through the years. Lastly the development of paleodemography in the Caribbean will be described, giving special attention to the work of the author and others. Secondly the methods and techniques associated with this study will be explained. The methodology uses the Bradford ageing categories which by the usage of categories rather than precise ages allows for a lower number of misclassifications. Using this system also facilitates for data from other investigations to be easily incorporated in this research. The usage of the life table will also be explained, where the different categories and calculations necessary to determine those categories will be introduced. Following this it will be determined which different populations have different population profiles. These different profiles, amongst others, are migratory, standard and catastrophic. The implications these profiles have for the interpretation of the sites will also be determined. The 15 sites which are central to this investigation are selected on the basis of their representation of the Pre-Columbian Ceramic period, the size of their cemeteries (since small population can cause statistical fluctuations) and/or their specific function. Lastly a new standard population for comparative purposes will be introduced which is based on ethnographic data from the Warao who nowadays inhibit the Orinoco Delta in South America. The next chapter introduces the 15 sites based on their geographic location, time period and the characteristics of their graveyards. Where possible the proportions within the graveyard assemblage between males and females, and Adults and Non-Adults will be reviewed. It will also be indicated how well preserved and complete the skeletons are, all of which can have influence on the conclusions which will be drawn later on. After the introduction of these sites the results are presented, indicating that three sites have a catastrophic demographic profile (El Chorro de Maita, Juan Dolio en Anse à la Gourde), three have a normal demographic profile (Maisabel, Kelbey’s Ridge en Pointe de Caille), one is a failed colonization attempt (Punta Candalero) and the other sites are characterized by incomplete analyses. The sites which have been incompletely analyzed appear to have a common pattern in which the mortality rates of the older age categories is higher than expected. An explanation for this pattern can however not be found. Form the 90 analyses it is apparent that the demography of the pre-Columbian Caribbean can be characterized as being very divers, without a general regional image. Furthermore it becomes clear that the standard population derived from the Warao is an alternative to the standard European models which works well in this context. The methodology worked and it is therefore possible to use this methodology in future researchers to allow for these researches to be placed in a broader context of demographic research.Show less
