This thesis explores the biography of the Dying Niobid, a fifth century BC Greek statue that was found in Rome. Previous research on Greek sculptural art has mainly focussed on the objects as a...Show moreThis thesis explores the biography of the Dying Niobid, a fifth century BC Greek statue that was found in Rome. Previous research on Greek sculptural art has mainly focussed on the objects as a representation of the Classical Greek period. When looking at the Dying Niobid it becomes clear that this sculpture, one among a great body of Greek sculptures brought to Rome, has functioned in more than one context throughout its life, the ‘Greek’ context being just one of them. Therefore the question to be asked must no longer be what does the object represent, but what does it do in these different contexts? With the object as point of departure, this research will focus on the “active” role of the Dying Niobid in terms of power, influence and agency. To enable this, the main objective for this thesis is to apply a fundamentally different approach and methodology to Greek sculptures in Rome; a “cultural biographical approach” to objects. Through the methodology of the cultural biography, it is possible to take all of the contexts in which the object has functioned in consideration and reconstruct the way in which the agency and power of the object can change and accumulate throughout its existence. Exploring the biography of the Niobid leads us through different functions and appropriations of Greek art. From a fifth century BC Apollo temple in Greece, the story of the Niobid leads to Rome; the Temple of Apollo Sosianus, a Republican temple restored in Augustan times and further on to the Horti Sallustiani, a garden. In the realms of this garden the Niobid was excavated in 1906, followed by a series of events and political dispute concerning the statue. At the present the Dying Niobid still functions in Rome, on display in the Museo Nazionale Romano; Palazzo Massimo. This case-study is placed in a theoretical framework of symmetrical archaeology. Through this framework the aim is to achieve symmetry between not only the importance of the role of things, humans and other entities within each context, but also between the different life phases of the object. This will enable us to say something on the changes of meaning and agency of the object throughout time and space, and add to the wider debate on the role of Greek objects in the Roman world.Show less
This thesis aims to chronologically reconstruct the official gold supply of a small province at the frontier of the Roman empire: Germania Inferior. For this purpose a dataset of over 1,250 Roman...Show moreThis thesis aims to chronologically reconstruct the official gold supply of a small province at the frontier of the Roman empire: Germania Inferior. For this purpose a dataset of over 1,250 Roman gold coins were analyzed from the Southern Netherlands, Northeastern Belgium and the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. The result is a detailed overview of the amount of gold that was available thoughout the Roman period.Show less
In modern research of the Central Mexican manuscripts, the Codex Laud has always remained in a position of obscurity. Barely a handful of comprehensive studies of this codex have been published...Show moreIn modern research of the Central Mexican manuscripts, the Codex Laud has always remained in a position of obscurity. Barely a handful of comprehensive studies of this codex have been published over the past century. Mostly, the Codex Laud is only mentioned briefly in studies of other divinatory codices, and simply regarded as one of the Borgia Group codices, often serving as material for comparison with the other codices of this group. As such, a closer look at this codex is warranted. In this thesis, a single page of the Codex Laud takes the centre stage: page 23, the second-to-last page of the codex, which features a complex composition of calendrical and various other elements around a single central figure. This page forms the subject for a detailed analysis using the iconographical method of Panofsky in order to gain insight into the various layers of meaning hidden within its imagery. In this manner, this thesis will attempt to do what the ancient Mexican diviners did – to determine the associations and meaning(s) of the page in all its aspects and contexts.Show less
Central to this study are the osseous artefacts of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest Nieuw Rhijngeest-Zuid. It is one of the rare microwear studies focusing on bone and antler artefacts from a...Show moreCentral to this study are the osseous artefacts of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest Nieuw Rhijngeest-Zuid. It is one of the rare microwear studies focusing on bone and antler artefacts from a Dutch Medieval context. The sixty-one bone and antler artefacts were recovered between 2009 and 2012. The material consisted of the following (morphological) categories: two-pointed bone rods, pointed bones, hemispherical objects, long bones, irregular bones with holes, worked antler, small pieces of worked bone and antler, combs and pins. Some unfinished artefacts and waste was also found. The artefacts were subjected to both archaeozoological and microwear analyses. One of the aims was to bring into view the organisation and production of the osseous artefacts. The raw material was selected on the basis of the natural shape, weight and other properties like flexibility. Antler was relatively flexible and often used for the production of composite combs. With regard to the local production, it is likely that most bone objects were produced by the user when needed. While most bone objects probably derived from a household production, antler artefacts (mainly composite combs) would have been purchased or traded with travelling craftsmen or merchants. This study also examined to what degree the various artefact forms were function specific. The osseous tools can be linked to different activities, various contact materials and involve different directions of motion and activity zones. Especially pins and two-pointed bone rods appeared to have been used in several crafts or were reused or multifunctional. Finally, it was investigated in which (craft) activities the osseous artefacts were involved, and what they revealed about the role of Oegstgeest within the Early Medieval region of the Old Rhine. The osseous artefact assemblage could be connected to several activities and common spheres: transport, leisure activities, personal utensils, symbolic or ritual activities and craft activities. There are no indications that the production of osseous artefacts, nor the craft activities in which they were involved, transcended the needs of the local inhabitants. Based on the study of the osseous artefacts, a regional function within the former region of the Old Rhine in the domain of crafts and/or raw material is not implied.Show less
The Merovingian period is between the Imperium Romanum lasting until the fourth century on one side and the Carolingian Empire from the middle of the eight century on the other side. In the debate...Show moreThe Merovingian period is between the Imperium Romanum lasting until the fourth century on one side and the Carolingian Empire from the middle of the eight century on the other side. In the debate on the economy of the Early Middle Ages, there is a contradictive understanding between the “ruralisation” implying “radical simplification” (Wickham 2005) and the continuation of long-distance trade with high peasant mobility (Theuws 2012; Theuws in press). The argument for putting long-distance trade back on the research agenda to challenge the dominance of the town-hinterland model (Theuws 2012, 30) is picked up in the MA thesis by dating and provenancing the barrels and timbers found in the linings of wells and revetments at the Oegstgeest-Rijnfront site, an early medieval riverine settlement on the bank of the Old Rhine in the Western Netherlands. The construction of Leiden’s BioScience Park demanded extensive excavations to document the archaeological record of the settlement ex-situ. Post-excavation analyses are still in process. The main aim of the present study was to compare the chronology and the socio-economic relations of the Oegstgeest-Rijnfront site with other riverine settlements along the Old-Rhine during the early medieval period and the rise of the emporia. Since precise dating can at present not be established by pottery, the current study focused on the archaeological timber finds. The aim was to determine (i) the felling dates and (ii) the geographical origin of the timber elements from the settlement by means of tree ring research. The results from the present tree-ring study and previous ones were synthesized. The data-set consists of 527 documented wooden elements recovered during the two campaigns of 2009 and 2014 and excavated from wells and revetments. The dendro-chronological study includes the measurement of 152 timber samples from 16 archaeological contexts, which reflect 96 TS. The TS were grouped into 6 TGs. In total 13 features of the present study could be dated. The results were compared with previous dendrochronological studies in order to synthesize all present data. Estimated felling dates (i.e. presence of sapwood) and exact felling dates (i.e. presence of a bark edge) have been taken as indicative for establishing absolute dated construction activity in the riverine settlement. The activity can be plotted most securely between AD 644 ± 1 to tpq AD 684 ± 8, but an earlier starting date of tpq AD 561 ± 5 needs to be taken in consideration. The provenance of the timbers of greenwood from the plank-lined wells compare best with the reference chronology that represent timbers that are excavated along the Dutch lower Rhine and Meuse rivers. The four Oak barrels from the barrel-lined wells and seven reused planks from a plank-lined water well have their geographical origin in the German Rhineland, predating the heyday of Dorestad, implying that long-distance trade can be detected in the Rhine estuary already before the rise of Dorestat as an emporium.Show less
The Peruvian capital Lima contains over more than 300 archaeological sites existing in its forty-nine districts. Sixty percent of these archaeological sites are in danger of being destroyed, and...Show moreThe Peruvian capital Lima contains over more than 300 archaeological sites existing in its forty-nine districts. Sixty percent of these archaeological sites are in danger of being destroyed, and only three percent is incorporated in projects that enjoy their social use. One of the sites that is included in the three percent is the on-site museum ‘Huaca Pucllana’, the subject of this master thesis. Since the construction of Huaca Pucllana’s archaeological complex from 500 A.D. until the arrival of the Spaniards, the archaeological complex has been part of various pre-Columbian cultures (Lima, Wari, and Ychsma) fulfilling different roles (administrative and ceremonial center, cemetery). After a long period of abandonment and being in danger of destruction, an on-site museum was created next to the archaeological complex in the 1980’s. The museum’s main objective was to be a cultural center for society in which society got involved with their cultural heritage. Nowadays, Huaca Pucllana’s heritage management is seen as a model that can be applied to other archaeological sites in Lima. An important aspect of this management is society’s involvement with the archaeological site. But how can this be achieved? This research focuses on this question by using a theoretical framework that includes the themes: New Museology, social development, heritage preservation, and museum education. During this research, an analysis has been performed on the offered activities and programs by Huaca Pucllana, using a theoretical framework of educational theories that George Hein discusses in his book Learning in the Museum (1998). Subsequently, a look has been taken on how they fit into the framework of New Museology, social development, and heritage preservation. Lastly, Huaca Pucllana’s cultural heritage management is compared with other limeño huacas. This research has shown that community involvement with an archaeological site can be achieved by aiming at an active community participation, in which a hands- on/mind-on mentality is essential, in other words: physical and mental participation of the community. Finally, the self-sufficiency of Huaca Pucllana’s cultural heritage management is made possible thanks to four following factors: registration of the archaeological site as heritage of the nation, a convention between the Ministry of Culture and the municipality in which it is situated, its economic self-sufficiency, and the involvement of community with the on-site museum.Show less
Since the 1950 and 60’s, when the link between porotic hyperostosis and ‘anemia’ was established both clinically and archaeologically, the term ‘anemia’ has become somewhat of a default diagnosis;...Show moreSince the 1950 and 60’s, when the link between porotic hyperostosis and ‘anemia’ was established both clinically and archaeologically, the term ‘anemia’ has become somewhat of a default diagnosis; an umbrella under which a multitude of aetiologically and pathophysiologically distinct hemoglobinopathic and red blood cell disorders are meant to reside. This is problematic since bioarchaeologists endeavor not only to diagnose disease, but to link them to the socio-cultural and environmental framework within which they are inherently and inseparably entrenched. A method for more accurately diagnosing, and possibly even differentiating between, ‘anemias’ is therefore a crucial step towards more accurately understanding the relationship between individuals, their bodies, and their world. The purpose of this thesis was to determine if, and how, the pathophysiology of homozygotic and heterozygotic sickle cell and/or thalassemia affects the assimilation, diffusion and/or metabolization of stable carbon (δ13C), oxygen (δ18O) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes, using bone collagen and enamel apatite as indicators. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this research represents the first extensive isotopic study of sickle cell and/or thalassemia in the archaeological record, as well as the first to amalgamate and critically assess the relevant biomedical research surrounding the pathophysiological fractionation of stable isotopes in ‘anemics’. Results, obtained from 45 individuals from el Plaza de Espana (8th-12th centuries A.D.) in Écija, Spain, suggests that bone collagen δ15N values are significantly different between Anemic and Control groups, however, breastfeeding could not be conclusively ruled out as the cause of the trophic level shift. No significant differences in bone collagen or enamel apatite δ13C values were noted between cohorts or tooth types, however, sample size is considered to be a contributing factor to the lack of significance. There were no significant differences in enamel apatite δ18O between tooth types, however, significant differences were noted between cohorts. Overall, while disease should be considered an underlying cause of local and systemic isotopic fractionation, more research is required prior to the adoption of stable isotope analysis as a palaeopathological diagnostic method.Show less
By seeking aspects other than symbolism from the archaeological record to recognise fully modern behaviour, further insight can be obtained about human cognition during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP)...Show moreBy seeking aspects other than symbolism from the archaeological record to recognise fully modern behaviour, further insight can be obtained about human cognition during the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) and Middle Stone Age (MSA). Ochre, and possibly beeswax or fat, is believed to have been purposefully used to physically alter the performance of adhesives, and is seen as some of the best evidence of advanced cognition outside of the use of symbolism. However, it is currently unclear how efficient different adhesive recipes are, how much specific ingredients influence the performance, and how difficult it may have been for those ingredients to be combined to maximum effect. I conducted a series of laboratory based lap shear and impact tests, following modern adhesive testing standards, in order to determine the effects of specific ingredients and ingredient ratios. I focused on resin, as it is the only chemically identified MSA adhesive, but also included tar because of its presence in the MP, and gum in order to compare my results with previously conducted experiments. Additives tested include different proportions of ochre and beeswax with resin and gum, and charcoal with tar. Standardised tests have proven to be a fast and accurate method of comparing prehistoric adhesives, and have shown scope for potential performance testing in different simulated environmental conditions, and of different haft types. My results further support the hypothesis that high levels of skill and knowledge were required by early modern humans to consistently produce the most effective compound adhesives.Show less
Famous as the homeland of Odysseus, Ithaca has been a preferred research area for archaeologists. However, the archaeology of Ithaca has been severely biased by its Homeric focus. As a result, Late...Show moreFamous as the homeland of Odysseus, Ithaca has been a preferred research area for archaeologists. However, the archaeology of Ithaca has been severely biased by its Homeric focus. As a result, Late Archaic and Classical Ithaca remains poorly understood. This biased research agenda combined with the lack of visible remains of monumental public architecture have created the impression that Classical Ithaca was an isolated backwater. This thesis aims to partially redress the balance. At Polis valley, northern Ithaca, relatively rich deposits of Late Archaic and Classical occupation have come to light. Six assemblages of fine ware pottery, Ithacan and imported, provide important insights on the hitherto unknown local pottery production and development, its relations to the Western Greek pottery tradition as well as the influences from the well-known pottery production centres of Athens and Corinth. The contexts of behaviour in which the pottery participated likely represent activities of communal feasting in the open and during daylight, followed by an arranged exposure of the leftovers on the surface. The social significance of the pottery is then investigated and it is argued that the local elite largely regulated pottery production and imports of foreign ceramics as strategies for maintaining the established social hierarchy. Furthermore, the depositional practices of the pottery may reveal a complex negotiation of social behaviours and concepts, such as insularity, acculturation, identity and connectivity. The final conclusion is that the local widely-connected seafaring elite deliberately cultivated a culture of austerity and traditionalism in order to maintain its power over the community, and the manipulation of fine ware pottery played a major role in the success of this strategy.Show less
The aim of the study was to understand what distribution patterns tell us about Carolingian historical and economic processes in the Netherlands, and how this pattern was affected by post...Show moreThe aim of the study was to understand what distribution patterns tell us about Carolingian historical and economic processes in the Netherlands, and how this pattern was affected by post-depositional processes. This was done by investigating coins in relation to geographic layers and changes of distribution patterns through time were studied using 50-year time slices from 750 AD to 950 AD. Coins are mostly found along the coast and near major rivers in the centre of the Netherlands, with hot spots at known Carolingian trade settlements such as Dorestad, Domburg and settlements at the mouths of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. Other hotspots are found at Nijmegen, which was the site of a Carolingian palatium, and the northwest coast of the province of Friesland. While clay rich features of marine and fluviatile deposits favour the preservation of coins, it is likely that coins were mainly circulating in the vicinity of navigable waters. Frisian merchants were renowned in the Carolingian empire and beyond for their prominence in international trade and their core area coincides seamlessly with the coin distribution pattern. Coin circulation appeared to be at its peak during the reign of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious. Circulation then again diminished following political instabilities, Viking invasions and the gradual silting of the river Rhine after the death that were later to become trade centres of importance in the later Middle Ages after Dorestad went defunct in the 850s AD. Coins are infrequently found in many parts of the Netherlands. Large parts of the Netherlands were deemed inhospitable during the Carolingian era due to vast areas of peat bogs that were drained in the late Middle Ages and the modern era. The south and east of the country is characterized by deposits of cover sands was also found to be sparse in Carolingian coins. That the southern provinces of Noord-Brabant and Limburg were so thinly endowed with coins was a surprise, as these areas are known to have been close to the Carolingian heartland. The poor preservation qualities of metal objects in sand is only part of the answer why this is the case. The river Meuse and the southern provinces were found to have been of little interest to Frisian traders, who conceivably preferred the relatively neutral extremities of the Empire that were conductive to international trade. Perhaps coins in the Netherlands were principally a medium used by merchants in long distance trade, and not as readily used in local and regional trade along rural settlements.Show less
