The scarce evidence of copper daggers from the third millennium BC in the Alpine region clashes with the numerous representation of metal daggers on anthropomorphic statue-menhirs and other forms...Show moreThe scarce evidence of copper daggers from the third millennium BC in the Alpine region clashes with the numerous representation of metal daggers on anthropomorphic statue-menhirs and other forms of megalithic art. The identification of a particular recurring type of copper daggers in these representations has led to their attribution to those produced in the context of the Remedello Culture in the central area of the Po’ plain, Italy. How was it possible that this type of dagger appeared over such a vast region during the considerable time-span comprised from 3000 and 2500 BCE? Why was the Remedello-dagger specifically employed? In order to tackle these questions a framework based on branding has been theorised. Following the steps of David Wengrow (2008) and Samuel Becker (2015), the concept of branding has been used to explain the repetition of standardised design conveying some underlying information and its application in different contexts. The establishment of a prototype of the Remedello-dagger brand has been followed by its identification in the archaeological record of the Alpine region. The analysis of the evidence comprised statue-menhirs alignments in Trentino, Lunigiana and Valle Camonica and Valtellina. The evidence of funerary megalithic sites at Saint-Martin-de-Corléans (Aosta) and Petit-Chassuer (Sion), together with the rock-art complexes of Chastel- Arnaud and Mont Bégo. These contexts have been seen as representative of different employments of the Remedellian brand, which marked human (male) bodies, funerary contexts and the landscapes of rock-art complexes. The reason behind this long-lasting form of religious branding has been connected to its link to the newly introduced technology of metallurgy. Copper metalwork through the Remedellian brand was the base of a shared, cross-cultural identity in the Alpine region in the first half of the third millennium BCE.Show less
During the Early European Bronze Age many axes fabricated out of metal were exchanged over great distances. When an exchange takes place, the value of the object that is subject to the exchange has...Show moreDuring the Early European Bronze Age many axes fabricated out of metal were exchanged over great distances. When an exchange takes place, the value of the object that is subject to the exchange has to be determined in order to get something that is equally valuable in return. This research focuses on the question whether Early Bronze Age axes contain specific perceptible characteristics that could have functioned as a recognisable marker for a specific value. Metric data of 447 axes that were deposited in twelve Early- and Middle Bronze Age hoards in Austria, Germany, Poland and Switzerland (central Europe) are used to see if there are patterns observable in metric characteristics of the axes that could have been used to establish value. By using Weber’s Law, a law in the field of psychophysics that can be used to calculate the perceptible difference or equality of objects, it will be possible to establish whether differences in weight and length between different axes are perceptibly observable or not, and whether the weights of the axes can conforms to metrological systems based on different units of weight. The statistic visualisation programme SPSS is used to visualize the collected data in the shape of boxplots and histograms. The data is compared with known metrological systems dated in later periods in different regions. Patterns in weight distribution of axes based on metrological units of 10 g and 25 g have been recognized in hoards dated at the end of the Early Bronze Age and the Middle Bronze Age. Based on these results it is possible to state that the attitude towards the value of axes changed. Axes did not longer only contain exchange- and utility value (Early Bronze Age), but also commodity value (Middle Bronze Age).Show less
In this thesis I have applied 2 theoretical frameworks to the Vlaardingen Culture: the material engagement theory and the notion of a Neolithic mind-set. The Vlaardingen Culture is an...Show moreIn this thesis I have applied 2 theoretical frameworks to the Vlaardingen Culture: the material engagement theory and the notion of a Neolithic mind-set. The Vlaardingen Culture is an archaeological culture that takes part in the Neolithisation process of the Netherlands, which can be summarized as the transformation into the Neolithic period. I have chosen to combine the two mentioned theoretical frameworks in order to analyse the different world-views of the Mesolithic and the Neolithic. The Vlaardingen period (3400-2500 BCE) is considered to be an intermediate phase in the Neolithisation period, where people are neither fully Mesolithic or Neolithic. This group is characterized by the fact that their food economy and their degree sedentism share traits of a Mesolithic and a Neolithic way of life.Show less
This thesis treats the Iron Age farmstead in Dutch archaeological research. The farmstead is commonly applied as interpretation method in archaeological research. However, the information that is...Show moreThis thesis treats the Iron Age farmstead in Dutch archaeological research. The farmstead is commonly applied as interpretation method in archaeological research. However, the information that is gained from applying the farmstead to interpret archaeological features is poor. The reason for this is that the farmstead as a concept lacks definition. In order to understand the concept of the farmstead, a model is proposed in this study. This model, the process related farmstead model (PRF-model), is designed to gain insight in the processes influencing the presence of the farmstead. The PRF-model is based upon analogical reasoning, using data from pre-modern farmsteads. The basic principle of this model is that the farmstead is not a static entity but a dynamic place, which presence and shape depends on its agricultural purpose. The purpose of applying this model is to provide additional argumentation that can be used to interpret archaeological features. The PRF-model is tested upon two case-studies. These are the sites Raalte – Jonge Raan and Zutphen – Looërenk. This analysis showed that the farmstead in both sites greatly differ, because their agricultural purpose differs. I emphasize that there is a need for models to be applied on the archaeological record, so that a more credible understanding of the past can be obtained and new research methods can be proposed. This is necessary in order to get rid of the outdated and uncritically applied interpretation methods of the archaeological features that make up the farmstead.Show less
