In this thesis the theme of the diffusion of the cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis from Egypt across the Mediterranean world is treated, by investigating some of the approaches that have been...Show moreIn this thesis the theme of the diffusion of the cult of the Egyptian goddess Isis from Egypt across the Mediterranean world is treated, by investigating some of the approaches that have been employed by Bommas, Woolf, Bricault, and Versluys in their analysis of the theme; and by examining the features of the Temple of Isis of Philae, the Temple of Isis at the Campus Martius in Rome, and the Temple of Isis at Pompeii. While the Temple of Isis at Philae mostly features architectural elements that are typical of indigenous Egyptian temples, the Italian Iseums of Pompeii and of the Campus Martius feature elements meant to evoke the Egyptian environment and elements of the cult of Isis that are represented in a Graeco-Roman fashion. After comparing the different characteristics of these structures, it emerges that the element that can be found in Egyptian temples of Isis (or in at least, the one at Philae) that persisted in the Temples of Isis when these were built in Italy, was the Nilometer, which was featured at the Temple of Isis at Pompeii, although it is not possible to know with certainty if this was featured in the Iseum Campense by looking at the archaeological evidence. In any case, many conducts for water were found in the latter structure, which could have been likely linked to the presence of a Nilometer or of other elements connected to water, and this would underline the persistence of at least the importance of the presence of water in the concept of the Iseum, and thus likely also in the practice of the cult. However, It has to be underlined that in the case of Philae, the Nilometer was with most probability used in connection to the presence of the river Nile in the vicinity of the structure, while in Italic temples this would have been an element related to the ritual of the cult. Other Egyptian-izing features, such as the dromos of the Iseum Campense, and the purgatorium of the Temple of Isis at Pompeii, were not present at the Temple of Isis at Philae, thus probably being features meant to evoke the concept of Egypt in general more than reflecting the characteristics of Egyptian Iseums. Therefore, it is possible to assume that the almost-total refashioning of the concept of the Iseum when this kind of structure was built in at least Rome and Pompeii might be a reflection of the refashioning of the cult that took place after it diffused out of Egypt.Show less
This paper provides a preliminary critical review of current academia as it regards contact between the Roman Empire and Han imperial China, during roughly the 3rd century B.C.E. until the 3rd...Show moreThis paper provides a preliminary critical review of current academia as it regards contact between the Roman Empire and Han imperial China, during roughly the 3rd century B.C.E. until the 3rd century C.E., with the purpose of re-evaluating currently accepted facts on the basis of archaeological case studies. Archaeological case studies on the topics of Roman glass, coins, and cloth found in or en route to Han China were examined against a background of ancient written sources and modern academic writing on the topic of the ancient Silk Road network and contact between the Roman Empire and Han China. The results show Roman glass items found together with locally produced glass from coastal sites in southeast China and the Xinjiang area. Quite a few metal pendants imitating Roman coins were found in sites along the coasts of Thailand and Vietnam, particularly the Isthmus of Khra. A genuine Roman coin used as a pendant in a similar fashion was also found in Pangkung Paruk on the island of Bali. Cloth from Xiongnu tombs displaying both Hellenic and Han Chinese style elements was also found in the Xinjiang area. These finds shed light on the nature of interaction between the Roman Empire and Han China, and the objects that made the entire journey in all likelihood more often than people did. Most importantly, they contribute to the larger framework of exchange and interaction along the Silk Road network, and fill in some blanks in an often-neglected region of this topic. The need for further (re-)examination of such finds is evident.Show less
When talking about archaeological research in Greece, it is safe to assume that most people think of the rich history of the ancient Greeks which has been studied intensively over several centuries...Show moreWhen talking about archaeological research in Greece, it is safe to assume that most people think of the rich history of the ancient Greeks which has been studied intensively over several centuries. Greek ruins scatter across the landscapes, with the Acropolis of Athens as a prime example. However, more stories, older stories, are hidden below that Classical landscape. Palaeolithic archaeological research is not a common area of interest among the archaeological studies in Greece. The Bronze age and Classical period are the main focus of most academic studies. Another reason for this fixed focus is because of the geological activity in Greece. Erosion, uplift, subsidence and deposition of geological material cause the Palaeolithic archaeological record to be obscured and difficult to find (Harvati et al. 2009, 131). Furthermore, the change in water level throughout the years between the inter-glacial and glacial periods have caused sites to disappear or to become unreachable (Wenban-Smith 2002, 3). Nevertheless, this lack of research leaves a gap in the archaeological information surrounding Palaeolithic Greece. For example, Greece can hold important information on the migration of early hominins and animals during the Pleistocene from Africa to Europe. As it is today, Greece could have been and probably was one of the most likely routes for migration from Africa to Europe. Moreover, research suggests that Greece contained refugia during multiple ice ages which were essential for flora and fauna, which also includes hominins to survive these cold periods. This further provides evidence to why Greece is a potential route for migration during the Pleistocene (Harvati et al. 2009, 131).Show less
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
The archaeology of the Ottoman Empire has rarely been the focus of research and the period has often been neglected by scholars. Although a lot of information is available from the extensive...Show moreThe archaeology of the Ottoman Empire has rarely been the focus of research and the period has often been neglected by scholars. Although a lot of information is available from the extensive historical record of the empire, the archaeological data is scarce. Pottery from the Ottoman period, however, is the exception and it has been the subject of a large number of publications. The aim of this research was to analyse the pottery assemblages from three cities - Belgrade, Sofia, and Varna, during the Ottoman period, from the 15th until the 19th century. Since historical sources mention that the cities are economically and demographically very different from each other, the research aimed to see if these differences were visible in the archaeological record. For that purpose, publications of Ottoman period pottery from the three cities were studied. The number and characteristics of both imported and local pottery vessels were noted and the gathered data was added to a database. Finally, this database was analysed and the results were compared with written evidence of trade and population change. The results showed noticeable differences in the pottery assemblages, during periods of migration and economic decay. For both Belgrade and Varna, the ratio of locally produced pottery made in the Ottoman tradition seemed to increase during periods of Muslim migration into the cities. Unfortunately, lack of local pottery data from Sofia prevented similar analysis. The economic situation in the cities also seemed to correlate to the type and amount of the imported ceramics they received. The decline in the economic strength of the Ottoman Empire could possibly be identified with the decline of the variety in both local and imported pottery. Overall, this thesis proves that combining both archaeological and historical data could provide us with a remarkably detailed picture of the processes not only in the Ottoman Empire, but also in every historical state. Further research could include new cities and regions into the dataset. This could allow for a better understanding of the economic and demographic processes within the Ottoman Empire.Show less
In this paper I am taking a look at how votive deposits can help us learn more about cult practices in Pompeii and if these cult practices could then be linked to bigger cultural changes, through a...Show moreIn this paper I am taking a look at how votive deposits can help us learn more about cult practices in Pompeii and if these cult practices could then be linked to bigger cultural changes, through a study of the temple of Apollo and the Doric temple. Both of these temples have development phases that start in the Archaïc period and end in the Roman period, at the end of Pompeii. Through a quantitative analysis based on excavation reports I am able to get information on the composition of the votive deposits in three time periods: the 6th century B.C., when Pompeii was mainly inhabited by Etruscans and Greeks, the 4th century B.C., when Pompeii had a Samnitic phase and the 2nd century B.C., when Pompeii had entered its Roman phase. The quantitative analysis of the temple of Apollo showed a decline in votives, though this might be influenced by missing data as neither of my excavation reports were complete. The analysis also showed that in the Roman period there was an introduction of figurines in the deposits. The biggest part of the deposits was made up of ceramics. In these ceramics, there was a shift from imported ceramics to locally produced ceramics. The type of ceramics also pointed to a possibility of feasting rituals being performed at the temple during the Etruscan and Samnitic phases. In the Doric temple the missing data unfortunately included most of the ceramics. The introduction of figurines also occurred in the Samnitic phase, not the Roman phase. Like the temple of Apollo, the Doric temple shows a shift away from imported ceramics to locally produced ceramics and figurines. The figurines may also point to more individually oriented rituals at the temple as these were usually considered personal gifts. Some of the changes can also be traced back to the cultural phases of the city, as the Samnites often used figurines as votives. The absence of feasting rituals may also be due to cultural influence, as it was mostly the Etruscans and Samnites who liked these rituals, while the Romans were more individually oriented.Show less
This research uses the disease of osteoarthritis in order to investigate the activity patterns of a rural and an urban environment in the Netherlands during the post-medieval period. It produced...Show moreThis research uses the disease of osteoarthritis in order to investigate the activity patterns of a rural and an urban environment in the Netherlands during the post-medieval period. It produced two datasets with matching criteria obtained from the skeletal assemblages of the heavily researched rural site of Middenbeemster and the relatively new urban site of Arnhem. Historical literature is combined with osteoarthritis prevalence give a more clear and detailed image of past activity patterns. This literature has provided this research with the knowledge that Middenbeemster was a dairy farming community, while Arnhem was a city with a focus on the beer brewing industry. Different markers on the bones associated with osteoarthritis resulted in differences in osteoarthritis prevalence. This differences were not only investigated within the environments but also between the environments. In the urban environment a sexual division of labour was seen, while in the rural environment men and women performed similar strenuous activities. Besides this, it is evident that industrial city life was more strenuous on the bodies of individuals than farming life was during the post-medieval period in the Netherlands.Show less
The repatriation of Native American human remains sparked a debate between the scientific community and Native Americans. There are various issues that need to be addressed, in order to find true...Show moreThe repatriation of Native American human remains sparked a debate between the scientific community and Native Americans. There are various issues that need to be addressed, in order to find true compromise. The apparent need to gain a more in depth understanding of the debate can be achieved through establishing an overview of the issues and stakeholders involved. In my Bachelor Thesis, which I am writing under the supervision of Dr. G.D.J. Llanes Ortiz, I will discuss the ongoing debate through conducting a literature study. In this I will look at important figures within the debate and the main issues that the debate presents. The legal dimension of the debate will be discussed in terms of the human and Indigenous rights perspective. In the USA, a legislative framework, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, is in place for the process of the repatriation of Native American human remains. The Bachelor Thesis is written as part of my Bachelor program at the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University.Show less
Research on urn cremations from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (c. 1350-500 BC) found in Northwestern continental Europe has been scarce over the last decades. Especially in terms of what...Show moreResearch on urn cremations from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age (c. 1350-500 BC) found in Northwestern continental Europe has been scarce over the last decades. Especially in terms of what urn cremations contain, and if these contents are positioned in a certain way. This has resulted in the notion that Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age burials are simple graves, with simple funerary practices. However, this research reveals a variety of choices was made throughout the funerary process, which makes these funerary practices increasingly more complex than assumed. To study these past funerary practices, this research examined the choices made in terms of what Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age urn cremations contain, and the position of these contents. This was achieved through a literature study of sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, and by conducting a case study on a Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age urn cremation from Venlo-Zaarderheiken (Limburg, the Netherlands). The latter allowed the examination of the contents and their position inside this urn cremation in detail. As a result, a variety of choices and actions concerning the contents and their position inside these urn cremations became visible through this dataset. This indicated funerary practices were more elaborate than thought; cremated human remains were carefully collected from the pyre remains, after which they were occasionally positioned inside the urn. Pyre remains were generally not added, in contrast to grave goods which often accompanied the dead on the pyre during cremation as well. Before the final deposition, the cremated human remains were covered with ceramics or stone slabs to prevent contamination with soil or to protect them from (accidental) digging activities. Thus, this research yielded a lot of new information on Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age funerary practices in Northwestern continental Europe, which proves these practices were more elaborate than initially thought.Show less
