This research tries to examine if, and how, the Byzantine and Sasanian culinary traditions and diet were influenced by one another. The Byzantine and Sasanian empires had a complicated relationship...Show moreThis research tries to examine if, and how, the Byzantine and Sasanian culinary traditions and diet were influenced by one another. The Byzantine and Sasanian empires had a complicated relationship, with continuing wars on one end, and dependence on trade on the other. The silk road was situated on Sasanian land, and Byzantium was forced to use the Sasanian empire as a middle man. The respective agricultures produced basic produce for the whole empires, but for exotic spices and herbs, the empires were dependent on the silk road. There is not much written on the Sasanian diet, but a few products are known to have been cultivated. Some sources give information on the extravagant diet of the nobility, which includes different vegetables, grains, fruits, spices, meats and sweets. In the last decades there has been more research on the Byzantine empire, which also included diet. Most information about the Byzantine diet comes from dietary handbooks and descriptions, most of which are written about Constantinople. It is possible that these sources are more about an ideal diet, than based on reality. The sources describe many different fruits, vegetables, spices, meats, fish and grains. This conveys the image of an extravagant and varied diet, but the results bone isotope analysis in Greece show dietary deficiencies. It seems that at least between the capitol and the province, there is a difference of availability of food. Comparing the two diets, there are some similarities, mostly when it comes to spices. Because there is not as much data on the Sasanian diet, there are more products that are known to have been present in Byzantium and not the Sasanian empire, than the other way around. When comparing both diets to the current Iranian diet, there seems to be a continuation of some of the Sasanian traditions. There also seem to be some similarities between the Byzantine diet and the current Iranian diet. To get a clear picture of the diet of the average citizen of the empires, not only the elite, more research is needed. For example, isotope analyses of different regions of the empire.Show less
This research examines majolica pottery produced in Italy during the Renaissance period. More specifically, it is concerned with the provenance of two Italian majolica collections of the 13th to...Show moreThis research examines majolica pottery produced in Italy during the Renaissance period. More specifically, it is concerned with the provenance of two Italian majolica collections of the 13th to the 15th century, the first being composed of Italian majolica fragments from Crete (Greece) and the second being the Pringsheim collection of majolica vessels, some of which are currently exhibited in the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). The scarcity of fragments of Renaissance earthenware in Crete, the largest colony of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, belies the Venetian domination of the island that lasted for almost 400 years. The few fragments uncovered are analyzed herein and discussed with regard to their provenance and the status of majolica production in Crete and the Mediterranean more generally. The story and the origins of the Pringsheim collection of vessels and its relation to Nazi looting of artworks is also presented, allowing for a discussion of the trade in precious earthenware and restitution claims on seized art. The examination of these two significantly different collections also allows for a broader discussion of how museums, heirs, and states deal with the Italian pottery of the post-Medieval period.Show less
The use of 3D modelling allows us to research and visualize the construction history of archaeological structures. In this research, 3D models of demolished castles were created, in order to study...Show moreThe use of 3D modelling allows us to research and visualize the construction history of archaeological structures. In this research, 3D models of demolished castles were created, in order to study the construction of the buildings.Show less
The subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often...Show moreThe subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often referred to as a member of the ‘Aegean Ware’ family. Its greatest characterised feature are the gouged decorations on the vessels. The general research aim is to shed light on the production, distribution and consumption of this pottery type, the last aspect is less explored mainly due to a lack of relevant data. Champlevé Ware was not produced on a single site but in multiple workshops in different locations. It was manufactured within the western Aegean, namely across the Greek peninsula and on the island of Crete. Hitherto, there is substantial archaeological evidence to indicate local productions in the cities of Chalkis (Euboea) and Sparta (the Peloponnese). Presumably, workshops in other places did manufacture Champlevé pottery as well. The productions show regional differentiation as well as connections between workshops. Champlevé Ware circulated mainly around the Aegean Sea, nevertheless, its diffusion was far more widespread. It was exported in significant quantities to western Anatolia and the Black Sea. In more modest numbers, Champlevé Ware has been found in the Levant, the western Mediterranean (Italy and France) and Egypt. The distribution of Champlevé Ware is illustrative of the increasing interregional connectivity due to the establishment of the Medieval Mediterranean sea trade network. Its transportation was strongly maritime based and Western merchants could have been responsible for their wide exportation. Consequently, these vessels reached primarily urban trade centers located near the coast. Distribution of Champlevé pottery did not often penetrate further inland nor small rural sites. This ware type can be considered as a product used by a large part of the Greek population, however further away in remote regions it is possible it acquired the status as an exotic rarity. Its commercialisation overseas suffered from competition with other glazed pottery, which as a result it was sometimes unsuccessful at thriving in foreign markets, especially in the Near East. The iconography of the decorations on Champlevé Ware is interesting. Animal and vegetal designs are most frequently found. Some motif types are excessively repeated and duplicated by potters in different workshops, most noteworthy hare/rabbit and palmette motifs. This suggest artisanal interaction and proposes certain (folklore) socio-cultural connotations to these decorations. The ceramic craftsmen seem to have enjoyed a level of artistic freedom. This resulted in a dynamic and innovative tradition, which produced an array of decoration-styles with relatively short lifespans. Champlevé Ware is a clear example.Show less
