Due to the largely ungraspable nature of skill, the academic discourse lacks a structured research method for it. Material scientists make inferences about skill in hand-made artefacts based on...Show moreDue to the largely ungraspable nature of skill, the academic discourse lacks a structured research method for it. Material scientists make inferences about skill in hand-made artefacts based on subjective judgements, despite missing the knowledge craftspeople possess. These sometimes rather unquantified inferences could lead to incorrect views on past societies and their socio-economic organisation. The craftsperson’s perspective, recently proposed by Kuijpers (2018) provides a toolbox based on perceptive categorisation for more structured skill research for archaeometallurgy. Perceptive categorisations are made of different steps in the production process, which can be used to create a technological roadmap of an archaeometallurgical assemblage. This thesis concerns a pilot study for establishing a craftsperson’s perspective for the ceramic chaîne opératoire. The focus lies on one suitable sensory aspect therein, being temper concentrations in clay. A newly devised method is introduced and tested. This method is used for investigating human tactile sensitivity for differing temper (sand) percentages in clay in direct- and indirect-comparison experiments. Through doing sensory experiments with people with different levels of experience with working with clay, it is hypothesised that a positive correlation can be demonstrated between an increased sensory attunement to a material and a higher level of skill. Conclusions about the relationship between skill and sensory attunement were not reached. However, it can be concluded that in direct comparison, sand content differences between 0 % and 2,5 % can mostly be recognised and that the sample containing more sand can be mostly correctly identified up to a 5 % difference. In indirect comparison, on average, temper (sand) percentages in clay can be perceived rather accurate. In both cases, large differences exist between individuals. Based on error analysis of indirect comparison, a perceptive categorisation for sand content in clay is proposed. The combination of such categorisations for all relevant sensory aspects of the ceramic chaîne opératoire could stand at the basis of the establishing of a craftsperson’s perspective for ceramic analysis. This perspective could be applied to ceramic assemblages to develop new ideas, and challenge existing ones, on ceramics, craft, craft organisation, skill and specialisation, and socio-economic organisation, in past and present societies.Show less
After 2007 and the inclusion of Bulgaria in the European Union, European funding has been introduced on a national level through a variety of programmes. Partial funding coming through two regional...Show moreAfter 2007 and the inclusion of Bulgaria in the European Union, European funding has been introduced on a national level through a variety of programmes. Partial funding coming through two regional development programmes is being relocated towards conservation of archaeological heritage. So far, 72 archaeological sites have been conserved by restoration, and restoration projects are still ongoing. Nevertheless, the majority of these restorations are being deemed unfit by academics and international experts. Some of them were termed “hypothetical reconstructions” and have attracted extensive media and academic attention over the years. Many have expressed the opinion that the completion of restoration projects executed under the regional development programmes leads to a destruction of heritage. The aim of the current thesis is, therefore, to explore the phenomenon of hypothetical reconstructions by looking for particular reasons for dissatisfaction, expressed by people involved with archaeology. A qualitative research using a case study methodology was carried out, and three participants were interviewed. The case study focuses on the “Yailata” archaeological reserve, where a fortress and a rock church were subjects of restoration activities. By discussing the differences between restoration and reconstruction, and looking at the official project reports from Yailata, a theoretical framework is created through which the qualitative data is evaluated. The produced results set a discussion platform, which considers not only the violation of international legislation, but also a by-product resulting from hypothetical archaeological heritage reconstructions. The relationship between heritage and its power to construct national identity is discussed in relation to the practice of hypothetical reconstructions in Bulgaria. Furthermore, the involvement of the European community as a stakeholder is considered. The thesis is aimed at academics, heritage practitioners, and anyone who is interested in the phenomenon of hypothetical reconstructions.Show less
