This paper aims to study the literature surrounding Cypriot Chalcolithic cruciform anthropomorphic figurines and their gendered identity. Within academia, we see issues arising from gendering of...Show moreThis paper aims to study the literature surrounding Cypriot Chalcolithic cruciform anthropomorphic figurines and their gendered identity. Within academia, we see issues arising from gendering of ancient bodies with modern views – creating cross-wired hypotheses on gender manifestation in prehistoric art. Concentrating on the Chalcolithic cruciform figurines, words patterns and trends will be analysed to gain a better understanding of how gendering ancient identities with modern biases is chronicled within a range of selected literature from the 1930s to the current day.Show less
During the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4000 – 2400 BCE) Cyprus was home to several highly distinctive styles of anthropomorphic figurines. These figurines were produced using clay and different types...Show moreDuring the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4000 – 2400 BCE) Cyprus was home to several highly distinctive styles of anthropomorphic figurines. These figurines were produced using clay and different types of stone. Picrolite, was the most common type of stone used for figurines. The figurines feature carved or painted figurative elements which are thought to represent concepts such as dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint. There is no way to study the dress, hairdo, tattoos, and body paint worn by the Chalcolithic inhabitants of Cyprus directly. As such, these concepts can be studied within the confines of figurine studies, not necessarily in relation with the dress of the Chalcolithic population of Cyprus. In order to analyze the relationship between carved and painted figurative elements on picrolite and ceramic figurines and Chalcolithic bodies and their dress, jewelry, tattoos, or face and body painting, the following research question was established: “Do painted and carved elements on pottery and picrolite figurines from Chalcolithic Cyprus represent dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint?” To answer this question, a database was established, using Winkelmann’s (2020) extensive catalog of Cypriot figurines, as well as the catalog of the Souskiou Project (Peltenburg et al., 2019). All painted and carved figurative elements, as well as their locations on the figurines were entered in the database. The figurative elements were analyzed and compared using charts and tables and results were compared with previous works on the topic. This thesis illustrates that certain figurative elements, such as hair and decoration on the neck, occur on both ceramic and picrolite figurines. However, their occurrence rates may differ between ceramic and picrolite. Most figurative elements occur in standard locations on the body, suggesting these elements represent concepts in relation to this location (e.g., tassels, clothing, and body paint). While many suggest ceramic and picrolite figurines represent the same concept, figurative elements rarely overlap between the two materials. Certain figurative elements appear to correspond to body adornments known from the archaeological record, while some painted figurative elements resemble common RW ware motifs, suggesting a purely decorative function. It is very likely that painted and carved figurative elements represent dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint.Show less
The Chalcolithic on Cyprus (ca. 3900-2400 BCE) is an important period for the research of key developments taking place on the island, such as social differentiation, craft specialisation and long...Show moreThe Chalcolithic on Cyprus (ca. 3900-2400 BCE) is an important period for the research of key developments taking place on the island, such as social differentiation, craft specialisation and long-distance trade. With extensive excavations at the sites of Lemba-Lakkous, Kissonerga-Mosphilia and Kissonerga-Mylouthkia, the Chalcolithic is generally well investigated (see Peltenburg, 1985; 1998; 2003). The poorly investigated transition between the Middle (ca. 3400-2900 BCE) and the Late Chalcolithic (ca. 2800-2400 BCE), on the other hand, still leaves a research gap. The currently ongoing excavations at the site of Chlorakas-Palloures revealed remains of both the Middle and Late Chalcolithic and, therefore, have great potential to close this gap. This research involves analysing the ceramic assemblage of trench BU13 at Chlorakas-Palloures by investigating how this assemblage changes from the Middle to Late Chalcolithic. This leads to the following research question: How does the pottery assemblage of Chlorakas-Palloures change over time from the Middle to Late Chalcolithic and how does this improve our understanding of this transition? The analysis is conducted on the basis of four categories: ware, shape, fabric and surface and the results will be displayed using seriation diagrams. For this, a diagnostic selection was made consisting of 116 sherds, which was studied during the summer of 2021. This selection is placed alongside the stratigraphy of trench BU13 to create a chronological overview of the ceramic material. In this thesis, I show that the use of seriation to create a chronological overview of how pottery changes over time is a success. The ceramic assemblage of case study BU13 changes as expected. Moving from the Middle to the Late Chalcolithic, earlier wares get replaced by later ones and pottery becomes harder and more refined in texture. However, this research also importantly reveals an anomaly in the trench. Material belonging to one of the earliest units of BU13 actually matches the characteristics of that of Late Chalcolithic pottery, while Middle Chalcolithic pottery would be expected. It indicates that the trench needs to be investigated further and current interpretations perhaps need to be re-evaluated. This not only merits the ongoing excavations at Chlorakas-Palloures but the method can also be applied to other trenches and sites on the island to improve the knowledge of Cypriot Prehistory.Show less
Slavery in the Late Islamic Gulf was commonplace and seen as a staple within Arabian societies, however this thesis will attempt to evaluate its visibility in the archaeological record. Slaves...Show moreSlavery in the Late Islamic Gulf was commonplace and seen as a staple within Arabian societies, however this thesis will attempt to evaluate its visibility in the archaeological record. Slaves throughout the Gulf and Arabia were used as domestics in the household and as markers of status, however their role within society was transformed during the Late Islamic period. The major influx and demand for slave labour in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries can mainly be attributed to the globalisation of Arabia and the Gulf region, through the exportation of pearls and dates during this period with slave labour being used to staff these industries and produce the commodities, at great profit for the merchants involved.The main question to be addressed, aside from determining the visibility of slaves archaeologically is determining if there is evidence for aspects of African identity within the Gulf, as the vast majority of slaves brought to the region were of African descent. This thesis will present the archaeological evidence for the existence of slaves in the way of architecture and the visibility of slavery within living quarters, using structures in Doha, Qatar as a specific example. Historical records also play a large part in demonstrating slaves within society at this time, including first-hand manumission records and censuses taken at the peak of the slave trade. Examples of African influence in the material culture of the region can also be used to show their influence on society at the time and the permeations of the culture through population onto the archaeological record, such as music and dance. This thesis will also explore new avenues of evidence to show the presence of Africans, using genetic analysis to demonstrate how ancestry can be traced back in the modern day population for the Gulf to account for an African presence in particular and its origins form the slave trade to the region. There are many limitations to this research however; unlike the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the investigation of slavery and its visibility in the Americas, which has political and social motivations for research, the Gulf does not have the same view and desire to investigate the concept of slavery, in my opinion contributing to its lack of research so far. Naturally, a further limiting factor for their visibility, is the position which slaves had in the region, one of no social standing or individualism. This thesis will discuss why there has been such a lack of research into the visibility of slavery in the Late Islamic Gulf, considering the region benefited so dramatically from it, recommending that greater efforts be dedicated to investigating the two main themes for which material culture has been a primary source of data for archaeological research into slavery: architecture and the everyday life of slaves, as well as expressions of cultural identity. Both of these areas provide huge stumbling blocks for research due to the redevelopment of the Gulf region later in history and the oppression of slaves, due to their role in society.Show less
The objective of this thesis is to assess whether there is a correlation between the intensification of dairy consumption in Neolithic Anatolia and the effects of the 8.2 ka event.
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
under embargo until 2025-03-31
2025-03-31T00:00:00Z
The aim of this thesis was to study how patterns of pre-oil globalization in the Late Islamic Gulf region (1500-1950) manifested in the coastal towns of this region, whether these patterns was also...Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to study how patterns of pre-oil globalization in the Late Islamic Gulf region (1500-1950) manifested in the coastal towns of this region, whether these patterns was also present in the Ṣuḥār region, and if so, how far the arms of pre-oil globalization reached. In the same time period, there was an increase in agricultural settlements in Oman. Whether this increase in agricultural activity was related to the patterns of pre-oil globalization which was testified at the coastal towns (Carter 2009; Carter 2012) is the main focus of this study.Show less
This thesis focusses on Hafit tombs (3200-2500 BC) in the Wadi Suq and Wadi al-Jizzi regions of the Sultanate of Oman. The main research question proposed is whether existing theories on the Hafit...Show moreThis thesis focusses on Hafit tombs (3200-2500 BC) in the Wadi Suq and Wadi al-Jizzi regions of the Sultanate of Oman. The main research question proposed is whether existing theories on the Hafit period can explain the distribution pattern present in the study area. In order to answer this question, four sub-questions were created exploring: the general distribution of the tombs, the orientation of the tombs and the correlation between the tombs, visibility and the dry river beds also known as wadis. Each of the sub-questions was answered by applying different tools in ArcGis on the dataset provided by the Wadi al-Jizzi Archaeological Project. Regarding the overall distribution of the tombs, it can be concluded that significant sites with large numbers of Hafit tombs are primarily located around the Wadi Suq, instead of the larger Wadi al-Jizzi and that all the Hafit cemeteries seem to have been located more closely to the area known as the Lower Batinah than towards the mountains. The analysis also revealed that the tombs at Site 43 seem to be clustered like Late Prehistoric Tombs (LTPs), which are of a post-Hafit date. The orientation of the tombs seemed initially clearly focused towards the north-east/south-west and east-west. This coincides with the variation in the azimuth of the sunrise between the months of June and September for the Sohar region. However, a site-to-site comparison displayed a more nuanced picture. The orientation of the tombs at S6 and S58 are evenly distributed, suggesting that they might have been constructed in a later phase of the Hafit period. The analyses in the current thesis also displayed that at the threshold of 1500 meters all tombs in the study area correlate to a wadi system. Interestingly, all of the tombs are clearly visible from the wadi system, despite the different distances to a wadi. This thesis concludes that current theories are unsatisfactory to explain the distribution of Hafit tombs in the study area and that more research is needed in this regard. Not only to improve existing theories or add new ones, but also to determine whether the patterns discussed in this thesis are unique for the study area or are also visible in other parts of the Oman peninsula.Show less
The Early Bronze Age of the Southern Levant was a period of immense change and developing complexity. One of the greatest transformations of this period was the erection, maintenance and...Show moreThe Early Bronze Age of the Southern Levant was a period of immense change and developing complexity. One of the greatest transformations of this period was the erection, maintenance and modification of fortifications systems characterised by circum-settlement walls and additional elements such as towers, gates and bastions. While fortifications are almost always referred to in academic works on the period, a more focused investigation of them is needed. Also the recent focus on ascribing a non-military socio-symbolic function has resulted in confusion and varying views as to the actual function(s) of such fortification systems in the Early Bronze Age, which remains largely undefined and a matter ongoing debate. Why were they built? This paper serves to address this by investigating the primary function(s) of Early Bronze Age fortifications. This has been undertaken foremost via a contextual examination of a selected sample of Early Bronze Age fortification systems found at various sites across the Southern Levant – to ascertain whether they are indicative of (or at least consistent with), superfluous to or indeed compromising to a pattern of military architecture. This has been supplemented by other lines of evidence such as the presence of weapons, destructions, human remains and textual and artistic material. While alone these are often ambiguous correlates, their sum in combination with the specific analysis of the elements of the actual fortification systems at the selected sites supports the conclusion the primary function for Early Bronze Age fortifications in the Southern Levant was a military one. Other socio-economic functions of these fortifications have also been identified though these were secondary and did not compromise the defensive integrity of the whole system.Show less
The study presented in this thesis investigates what structures can be interpreted as type of stone markers and how and why these have been used in the Jebel Qurma region, a desert landscape that...Show moreThe study presented in this thesis investigates what structures can be interpreted as type of stone markers and how and why these have been used in the Jebel Qurma region, a desert landscape that is part of the eastern badia (or Black Desert) northeast Jordan. The use of these structures is difficult to understand since these differ in physical qualities even when they have been positioned at the same places in the landscape. Some are well-built to be seen from far and all directions but many loosely piled and only visible from close distances. During two historical occupation phases stone markers are positioned in the Jebel Qurma region by societies with a pastoralist’s lifestyle. They explored and occupied the landscape intensively during a specific period of the year in order to hunt, pasture their livestock and to perform other dwelling activities in the landscape. . The complexities of the societies and the climate conditions in the research area contributed to a different way of the use of stone markers in the landscape. A typology/classifation could be established based on the needs of the societies. The physical qualities of the stone markers are related to their topographical positioning in the landscape. The stone markers used by the Safaitic society and traditional Bedouins are the evidence of a well-organized travel system to perform subsistence strategies in the interior of the landscape with livestock. Their interaction with stone markers contributes to the understanding how they used the landscape while they were moving with livestock through the region to get from one place to another.Show less
The Kura Araxes represents an important albeit understudied cultural horizon dated to the Early Bronze Age, often defined as a single cultural group that originated in Transcaucasia and spread into...Show moreThe Kura Araxes represents an important albeit understudied cultural horizon dated to the Early Bronze Age, often defined as a single cultural group that originated in Transcaucasia and spread into the greater Near East. Many details about Kura Araxes society still remain much debated as most of the theories discussing the identity of the culture are based on the distribution of characteristic ceramics, which can mask the various levels of complexity. This study focuses on the mortuary evidence found in designated Kura Araxes cemeteries, which has the potential to highlight more cultural heterogeneity. Patterns within burial practices including burial construction types, location of cemeteries, inhumation practices, gender, rituals, grave goods, geographic dispersals and chronological transitions are examined. The divisions in mortuary traditions are interpreted as corresponding to separations in economic and ethnic identities based on mobile and sedentary lifestyle interactions, which undergo transformations throughout the Kura Araxes chronological phases.Show less
This research focusses on de spatial context of the wall reliefs in the Northwest Palace of Assurnasirpal II, at Nimrud. This palace was built by Assurnasirpal II as the administrative centre of...Show moreThis research focusses on de spatial context of the wall reliefs in the Northwest Palace of Assurnasirpal II, at Nimrud. This palace was built by Assurnasirpal II as the administrative centre of the new capital of the empire at the beginning of the 9th century B.C. While doing so, the capital was moved from Assur to Nimrud. A lot of research has been done on Neo-Assyrian palaces, which often focusses on the wall reliefs that decorated the rooms of the palace. However, the wall reliefs have mainly been investigated in isolation. Especially the iconography of the images and their meaning have gotten a lot of attention. For example, images of hunting and war scenes are often associated with propaganda. However, to be able to make a statement about the meaning of these images, it is necessary to look at the context of these reliefs. The palace – and the rooms in the palace itself – were not accessible for everyone, and a great distinction can be made between the public and private quarters of the palace. In order to investigate the spatial context of the wall reliefs, the images on the reliefs, written sources, and reconstructions of the positions of the reliefs have been used. Firstly, the reliefs in each room, de locations of these rooms in de palace, and the images on the reliefs have been investigated. One can recognise different themes on the images: war scenes, hunting scenes, the bringing of tribute to the king, and religious scenes. Secondly, the functions of the rooms, and the designation between public and private quarters have been included in the research.Show less
In the thesis four coffin sets belonging to the Bab el-Gasus cache, discovered in 1891 in Deir el-Bahari, Egypt, and now belonging to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, were...Show moreIn the thesis four coffin sets belonging to the Bab el-Gasus cache, discovered in 1891 in Deir el-Bahari, Egypt, and now belonging to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, were discussed on the basis of the following research questions: - Which construction techniques have been used? - Which materials have been used? - Is it possible to recognize the signature of a workshop or an artist? - Do the coffins have a distinctive iconography and if so, what are the striking features? - Can we draw some preliminary conclusions of the social and economic status of the owners of the coffins? A general overview of coffin development in ancient Egypt and more specifically, of the Leiden Bab el-Gasus coffins was followed by the chaîne opératoire of the coffins, starting with the wood, used for the manufacture of these coffins. A small study of some wood samples proved all the coffins to be of the species F. sycomorus. In affirming this, however, it does not account for the observed differences of the wood, and only raises new questions for further investigation. Subsequently, the plaster, pigments, paint and varnish were discussed. Color and the attached symbolic meaning were very important in the decoration of the coffins (Taylor 2001b, 164). A study with a handheld XRF—a device whereby a sample is irradiated by low-energy X-rays—showed no specific outcome, only confirming the use of gold on the lid of F93.10.1a and the presence of orpiment in more than one of the samples. Both pigments had already been observed with the naked eye. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the workshops involved into the production of the coffins. The sets show various similarities, but at the same time give evidence to the practice of reuse. Some key elements of the iconography have been discussed according to the model of Panofsky. The decoration of the sets consisted primarily of symbols of resurrection, while other vignettes gave evidence to a new repertoire of religious images—some of which referred to a combination of several different mythological aspects (Quirke and Spencer 1992, 106). According to Cooney, this can be understood as a reaction and adaptation to the changing funerary traditions, scarce resources, and fear of theft of the funerary objects that took place during the period (Cooney 2011, 24). In chapter seven the owners of the coffins were discussed. The two chantresses, to whom set F93.10.1 and F93.10.3 are assigned, are probably not the original owners of their sets. The third coffin has been usurped three times. The fourth coffin is anonymous, but is associated in Daressy’s list (1907) with Siamun, a male mummy. Although reuse of some coffins is certain, mistakes made in antiquity and in the Nineteenth Century AD may have contributed to the mix up of coffin parts, resulting in the incorrect allocation of names to coffins, lids to different caskets and mummy-boards to other sets. The Bab el-Gasus coffins from the Leiden collection do not differ herein with the other sets of the entire Bab el-Gasus cache. In this thesis not every research question is fully answered. Further research will be needed to discover the whole story of the priests of Bab el-Gasus.Show less
Ground stone tools have clearly been neglected in archaeological research. The misconception that nothing interesting is to be learned from this particular material category has had a devastating...Show moreGround stone tools have clearly been neglected in archaeological research. The misconception that nothing interesting is to be learned from this particular material category has had a devastating effect on the amount of attention these objects have received in archaeological projects. They are often neglected in literature and discarded in the field. The presumption that these objects have nothing to tell is however wrong. Ground stone assemblages can tell us many things about the daily life on a site. This is why a new look into the ground stone artefacts of Tell Sabi Abyad was warranted. Research started with a look into the occurring types on the site. To facilitate this the original ground stone shape typology was revised. Via a look into ground stone types and the used stone types to produce these artefacts an overview of the Late Bronze Age ground stone assemblage of Tell Sabi Abyad was constructed. Tell Sabi Abyad also has the great advantage of having a clear stratigraphy and lots of in situ ground stone artefacts. However, perhaps even more interesting, there is also clear evidence of different crafts being practiced on site. Known crafts location include a baker, brewer and potter. By comparing their known locations on the site to concentrations of different types of ground stone a correlation between use, type and tool was researhed. A close look was taken at preferences in shape and stone type per ground stone tool category. Furthermore, both the spatial and chronological dispersal of the artefacts were examined to ascertain if any of the patterns could lend an insight into any of the preferences the inhabitants of the site had, where ground stone was concerned. Clusters of ground stone objects were found in areas of the site where certain crafts were performed. There were, for example, clusters of ground stone found inside a pottery workshop (Duistermaat 2007, 705) and the office of the brewer22. Other than some cuneiform the location of the brewer was confirmed by any other material evidence. Illustrating that ground stone archaeological research is not as insignificant as it is being generally portrayed.Show less
Summary This thesis deals with the research question whether music played a pivotal role in complex societies, which emerged during the ED period (2900-2450 BCE) in Sumer, present day southern Iraq...Show moreSummary This thesis deals with the research question whether music played a pivotal role in complex societies, which emerged during the ED period (2900-2450 BCE) in Sumer, present day southern Iraq. In relation to this assessment, the focus of this study is on the social identity of the musician and on the evolution of the stringed music instrument. Accordingly, a literature study has been conducted focusing on a selection of relevant artifacts encountered at the Royal Cemetery of Ur: 1) the stringed music instruments, 2) the cylinder seals, and 3) the artifacts with cuneiform texts. Complex Society and Music: One of the key socio-political developments, which occurred during the ED IIIa period (2600-2450 BCE), was that kingship became hereditary. As such the legitimacy of kingship towards the citizens, became of critical importance, especially during the transition of power, now from father to son. Therefore the palace ideology, consisting of a body of doctrines, had to be inculcated effectively in society, now more than ever. To achieve this, music would prove to come to the rescue. This, since the elite would select two arenas to fulfill their propaganda needs, one in the domain of the living, the palace, the other in the domain of the death, the (royal) cemetery. The Musician: Therefore the “gala” singer attended not only the royal banquets, at the palace, and plucked the lyre, as can be observed from the cylinder seals and the Standard of Ur. But she also performed during the funerary ritual of the deceased ruler, as can be observed from the contextual evidence, the skeletons of “Dumu-kisal” and her colleagues in relation to the harps and lyres, of the royal cemetery. The Music Instrument: A sumptuous variety of stringed music instruments has been skillfully retrieved by Woolley from the Royal Cemetery, which is testimony to the long evolutionary path these instruments have followed. The lyre is thought to have evolved out of the arched harp (+/- 3000 BCE), which itself is interpreted to have developed from the hunter’s bow. The number of strings increased from 3-5 during the Uruk period to 11-15 observed during the ED period, enhancing the tonal capacity of the instrument significantly.Show less
This BA thesis investigates the worked-bone assemblage of Late Bronze Age (LBA) Tell Sabi Abyad (ca. 1230-1150 B.C), a settlement mound located in the Raqqa province of Northern Syria. The LBA...Show moreThis BA thesis investigates the worked-bone assemblage of Late Bronze Age (LBA) Tell Sabi Abyad (ca. 1230-1150 B.C), a settlement mound located in the Raqqa province of Northern Syria. The LBA settlement comprises a Middle Assyrian stronghold. It was a military and administrative centre which primarily functioned as a fortified farmstead, named a dunnu by the Assyrians. The goal of this thesis is to determine the character of the assemblage and to shed light on the function and role of the bone artefacts in the LBA society. In addition I have performed a diachronic analysis to find out whether the assemblage changed through time. The worked-bone assemblage is a relatively small but diverse. It comprises approximately 105 artefacts. A preliminary classification, based on morphology, is presented. The assemblage consists of three categories: bone tools, bone ornaments and other bone objects. The category bone tools comprise awls, combs, needles, spatulas and nails. The bone ornaments exist from beads, inlay, plaques and a bracelet. The other bone objects comprise discs, polished knucklebones and a number of miscellaneous objects. First, the function of the artefacts is analysed based on their morphology and when possible, traces of use. For some artefacts, the analysis of the morphology could not shed light on a plausible function. To further elucidate their function and role, the context of the artefacts was analysed. I have tried to elucidate in which areas of the LBA settlement the bone artefacts were used. From the context and morphology it appears that the worked-bone artefacts were used in domestic buildings, workshops and in open areas of the Late Bronze Age settlement. They were probably used for pottery production and in the production of basketry, matting and leather working. The bone objects had a diverse role in society as they were used as tools, jewellery, personal ornaments, game pieces and grave goods. They were present in every phase of the LBA occupation. The worked-bone objects of LBA Tell Sabi Abyad may have been small in numbers but were used in all dimensions of society for a large variety of activities.Show less
In deze scriptie staat de vraag centraal of de theorie van Ilan aangaande kinderen in de Midden Bronstijd in de Zuidelijke Levant kan worden toegepast op andere sites en welke sociale positie...Show moreIn deze scriptie staat de vraag centraal of de theorie van Ilan aangaande kinderen in de Midden Bronstijd in de Zuidelijke Levant kan worden toegepast op andere sites en welke sociale positie kinderen hebben in de Midden Bronstijd in de Zuidelijke Levant in de begravingen op Tel Dan en Tel Kabri. Als eerste wordt de geschiedenis beschreven van kinderen in de archeologie en daarna wordt getracht een definitie te geven van een kind. Vervolgens wordt verder uitgewijd over grafgebruiken voor kinderen. Hierbij dienen een aantal andere onderzoeken als voorbeeld. Het derde hoofdstuk behandelt een introductie over de Midden Bronstijd in de Levant en over de grafgebruiken in die tijd. De theorie van Ilan wordt dan ook verder uitgewerkt. De data van Tel Dan en Tel Kabri worden besproken in hoofdstuk vier. In dat hoofdstuk ligt de nadruk op de graven van kinderen, omdat de scriptie over kinderen gaat. Niet alleen de data zullen worden besproken, maar ook de ligging en geschiedenis van beide sites. Hoofdstuk vijf bevat de discussie over de data van Tel Dan en Tel Kabri. Daarnaast zal dieper worden ingegaan op de sociale positie van kinderen. Het laatste hoofdstuk is de conclusie. Het onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat de theorie van Ilan op sommige punten goed is, maar op andere punten niet. Zijn ideeën rondom de kosmologie kunnen worden beschouwd als discutabel. Daarnaast is zijn theorie minder betrouwbaar, doordat hij teveel redeneert richting migratie vanuit Mesopotamië naar de Levant aan het begin van de Midden Bronstijd. De ideeën rondom migratie staan al langer ter discussie. Het onderzoek heeft echter wel kunnen aantonen dat kinderen een sociale positie hadden in de Levant in de Midden Bronstijd. Het zou interessant zijn om meer onderzoek te doen naar de sociale positie van kinderen in de Levant. In dit onderzoek zijn namelijk maar twee sites gebruikt en het zou beter zijn om te kijken of de patronen van dit onderzoek ook elders te vinden zijn.Show less
