Stylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine...Show moreStylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine Ware is generally dominated by geometric motifs. There is more about these figurative motifs than meets the eye. Apart from species identification, how can we interpret this figurative art? This study investigates the animal symbolism as painted on Halaf Fine Ware ceramic containers from Tell Sabi Abyad, located in the Balikh region of northern Syria. In order to interpret these animal motifs, the study contextualizes the motifs against the zoo-archaeological record, the depositional context, and the context of use. It appears that animals used in art were special, showing an inverse relationship with the faunal record. These animals probably represented seasonality and danger, and they may have been related to taboos and apotropaic magic. Moreover, some animals might have functioned within complex narratives, which were brought to life as the vessels upon which they were painted were discussed during Halaf commensality practices.Show less
This thesis discusses researching sexuality of past peoples through archaeological investigation, both its problems and advantages. It discusses the birth of sexuality research as a topic of...Show moreThis thesis discusses researching sexuality of past peoples through archaeological investigation, both its problems and advantages. It discusses the birth of sexuality research as a topic of interest and also considers its development over time. To be able to properly conduct sexuality research it is important to know the problems one might encounter in doing so and find ways of dealing with these. Besides discussing issues such as the negative views of sex and sexuality, heteronormativity and the recognition of sexual imagery and related artefacts in the archaeological record, the case study of the ancient bathhouse Qusayr ‘Amra is discussed, placing this theoretical issue in a more concrete framework. The question asked here is to what extent we can archaeologically research sexuality for the Umayyad Period, by looking at the frescoes of Qusayr ‘Amra. Here, we find a number of frescoes of nude men and women, that offer the potential to try and answer questions about sexuality. We find here that there might very well be a sexual component to the frescoes of this desert castle, that we might be able to understand when they are placed in a context of a number of literary sources from this time period.Show less
