Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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This thesis examines the role of Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) in relation to the goddess Hathor, as found in Hathoric festivals in the New Kingdom. Theories from the fields of psychology...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) in relation to the goddess Hathor, as found in Hathoric festivals in the New Kingdom. Theories from the fields of psychology and anthropology are introduced to establish a working definition of ASCs and to give an overview of the terminology in use for ASCs in contexts of religion. Various types of ancient Egyptian sources are discussed, such as myths, hymns, temple and tomb decoration, love poems and dream reports. The sources provide insight into the occurrence of ASCs, their role and their connection to the goddess Hathor.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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The main focal point of this thesis are the imperial statues of Roman Egypt. Two distinct styles can be recognized in the sculptures: a traditional Egyptian style and a classical Roman style. The...Show moreThe main focal point of this thesis are the imperial statues of Roman Egypt. Two distinct styles can be recognized in the sculptures: a traditional Egyptian style and a classical Roman style. The research question is dual: Are the stylistic differences of imperial statues from Egypt related to differences in provenance? And does a connection between style and function of imperial statues exist? After giving a general introduction to Roman Egypt and the changes that Roman rule brought forth on a political and military level, a corpus of 37 statues is discussed. The characteristics of each statue are described, with special attention to their provenance. In the fourth chapter contemporary archaeological and written sources are treated, as well as existing theories on the placement and functions of imperial statues. Afterwards the research results are presented and a clear conclusion is drawn.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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This thesis shows a study into the minimally researched topic of why the sons of Horus appear so important in chapter 125 and their connection with other subjects/objects in the shrine of Osiris....Show moreThis thesis shows a study into the minimally researched topic of why the sons of Horus appear so important in chapter 125 and their connection with other subjects/objects in the shrine of Osiris. Connections between these four subjects/objects are analyzed, made & theorized to understand why they are represented together and to find their (combined) symbolic meaning in the judgment scene. These four are Osiris, Lotus flower, Sons of Horus & the primordial water beneath Osiris' throne.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
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Een centraal en alomtegenwoordig concept in de complexe Oudegyptische taal en cultuur is de samenstelling mAa-xrw, dikwijls vertaald als 'waar van stem'. De samenstelling vormt een kernelement van...Show moreEen centraal en alomtegenwoordig concept in de complexe Oudegyptische taal en cultuur is de samenstelling mAa-xrw, dikwijls vertaald als 'waar van stem'. De samenstelling vormt een kernelement van zowel het Oudegyptische dodengeloof als van het koningschap in het Oude Egypte. Door middel van deze scriptie wordt het Egyptologische onderzoek naar controversiële aspecten van de aard, in de vorm van grammaticale en lexicologische aspecten, en de oorsprong van de samenstelling mAa-xrw inzichtelijk gemaakt. Vooral de toepassing van de samenstelling is onderwerp van discussie, waarbij blijkt dat de samenstelling mAa-xrw niet alleen als epitheton van overledenen beschouwd kan worden, maar ook wel degelijk met betrekking tot levenden geattesteerd is. Uit het in deze scriptie verrichte onderzoek blijkt dat er voor het laatst in 1954 enigszins doortastend onderzoek naar de samenstelling mAa-xrw is gedaan en dat er bij hedendaags onderzoek naar dit onderwerp meer dan eens een beroep moet worden gedaan op secundaire bronnen uit de vroege 20ste en de 19de eeuw. Het gebrek aan onderzoek naar de samenstelling mAa-xrw vormt een opmerkelijke en vooral ook kwalijke lacune in het Egyptologische onderzoek tot op heden en het is van cruciaal belang voor de vooruitgang van de Egyptologie om de Egyptologische kennis van deze samenstelling, die voor de Oude Egyptenaren zoveel heeft betekend, uit te breiden.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Childhood to Adulthood: A Rite of Passage in the New Kingdom The primary rites of passage in ancient Egypt are funerary rites. However, it is possible to see some rites of passage from childhood...Show moreChildhood to Adulthood: A Rite of Passage in the New Kingdom The primary rites of passage in ancient Egypt are funerary rites. However, it is possible to see some rites of passage from childhood into adolescence and further into adulthood. This rite of passage was a process rather than a specific instance. This process includes a period of separation, a period of transition and a period of incorporation. Many of these were not clearly documented. In this thesis, the following questions are addressed: Are there any rites of passage from childhood into adulthood during the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt? If so, was there a distinct age or age range that these rites occurred during? Were these rites celebrated publicly as a ceremonial rite or privately?Show less
A mother, a wife, a queen, a healer, a magician, a resurrector of the dead, Isis embodied a variety of ideal characteristics for many different people, but to who did she mean what? This thesis...Show moreA mother, a wife, a queen, a healer, a magician, a resurrector of the dead, Isis embodied a variety of ideal characteristics for many different people, but to who did she mean what? This thesis intends to unravel the meanings ascribed to Isis in two distinct geographical locations, in terms of both temple and funerary contexts. Through the means of this investigation I will examine the processes by which Isis was worshipped in the Dakhleh Oasis and in Thebes, during the Roman period in Egypt. Isis was a multifaceted goddess whose worship was adopted by a whole variety of ethnicities throughout the Roman Empire, although she did not necessarily mean the same thing to these people. The thesis intends to gain an understanding of how and why Isis was being worshipped in the Dakhleh Oasis and in Thebes, and if they were in any way related. It will examine temples scenes, Isaic material culture and tomb depictions of Isis in the Dakhleh Oasis. Furthermore, pertaining to Thebes, temples scenes, evidence from the ‘cachette de Karnak’ and the ‘Soter group’ of Roman Egyptian coffins will be examined. The primary aim of this thesis is to establish a regional understanding of Isis in the Dakhleh Oasis, to thus make it possible to compare this data to other regions, one of which will already be undertaken here, Roman Thebes. The themes which underpin this thesis underpin this form of archaeological investigation as a whole, religious connectivity and mutual understanding, alongside evidence for innovation, globalisation and syncretism. This thesis aims to provide a detailed analysis of two specific datasets and demonstrate how comparable these can be, it will provide a regional understanding of an extremely diverse goddess whose relevance has taken off within recent years, and in part whose veneration still remains a mystery.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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After the conquest of Egypt by the Roman Empire many political, cultural and social changes occurred. Egyptian society underwent a process of transformation that had already begun in the last few...Show moreAfter the conquest of Egypt by the Roman Empire many political, cultural and social changes occurred. Egyptian society underwent a process of transformation that had already begun in the last few centuries with the government of foreign rulers. These changes affected the identity of many individuals, both Egyptians and foreigners living in the country, and left their mark on the material culture. In this study is analysed for the first time the collection of Graeco-Roman stucco masks from the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. These funerary masks become an object that provides valuable information about the ethnicity and identity of their owners, belonging to the new elites. This analysis will be performed by an indirect observation of the objects, through photographs. Stylistic comparisons will be made with other masks from other collections. These comparisons may provide evidences that in some cases can lead to the proposal of relative dating. At the same time, this analysis will put forward interpretations about the possible identity of some of the masks’ owners.Show less
