This thesis has as its main research question; the religious significance of tamales in Mexico during the Late Postclassic Aztec period (1430-1520 CE). This period was chosen because there are many...Show moreThis thesis has as its main research question; the religious significance of tamales in Mexico during the Late Postclassic Aztec period (1430-1520 CE). This period was chosen because there are many sources on the Aztec society and their religion from 16th century chroniclers. The writers and their work that I used in this study were: The Florentine Codex written by Bernardino Sahagún, and the book of gods and the ancient calendar written by Diego Durán. These chroniclers described the Aztec culture in detail, including the Veintenas (the months of 20 days, containing religious festivals for certain gods), where I have focused my research on. The study shows that the use of tamales in this veintenas, six of which I’ve discussed in the research, clearly are intertwined. Tamales were used in two ways in the rituals, as special foods, which could only be eaten on those days, or as offerings to the gods. What this meaning was, or as Rappaport (1999) calls it the sign, of the tamales in this veintenas, comes from a number of factors. I have argued that there were three levels that gave off this sign within the ritual. The first one was that tamales are usually made from maize, which was perceived as sacred and special. This was also the Aztecs primary source of food. The second signal was that tamales were eaten by a large part of the population on special days during the veintenas or on celebrations such as for births and weddings, so it was seen as special food. The third signal came from the filling that was used in the tamales. I have argued that these were closely intertwined with the deity, who was celebrated in the veintena. I also suggest that more research needs to be done into food in general in Aztec society, as this can give us more insights about their way of life and their religion.Show less
Samenvatting In 1891 werd een belangrijk graf ontdekt in Deir el-Bahari, aan de andere kant van de Nijl bij Thebe in Egypte. In dit graf bevonden zich 153 mummiekisten van Priesters van Amon uit de...Show moreSamenvatting In 1891 werd een belangrijk graf ontdekt in Deir el-Bahari, aan de andere kant van de Nijl bij Thebe in Egypte. In dit graf bevonden zich 153 mummiekisten van Priesters van Amon uit de 21e Dynastie (ca. 1070– 945 v.Chr.). De priesters lagen hier samen met hun familieleden, omringd door grafgiften. Het graf werd ontdekt door Eugène Grébaut en zijn assistent, George Daressy. Het graf kreeg de Arabische naam Bab el-Gasus, dat betekent 'de Deur van de Priesters'. Na de vondst in 1891 is het graf binnen negen dagen ontruimd. Helaas is door de snelheid waarmee het graf werd ontruimd, de archeologische context onvoldoende opgetekend. De priesters die in het graf werden gevonden, leefden in een tijd van politieke en economische onrust. Deze woelige periode bracht een verandering in visie en rituelen rond de dood met zich mee. De architectuur van het graf Bab el-Gasus laat een spaarzaam rotsgraf zien, zonder enige decoratie die een nauwkeurige datering mogelijk gemaakt zou hebben. Aan de hand van de literatuur is de conclusie dat het hier gaat om een secundaire begraving. De datering kan helaas niet worden vastgesteld door het ontbreken van gegevens en de vergissingen die tijdens en na de opgraving zijn gemaakt. Wel kan worden vastgesteld dat het graf moet zijn uitgebreid om alle priesters van Amon een plek te kunnen bieden.Show less
Het Gudit Stèle Veld was een gebied ten zuidwesten van Aksum, Ethiopië. Het dateert uit de 3e en 4e eeuw na Chr. en in deze periode zijn ongeveer honderd stèles hier neergezet. Welke functie had...Show moreHet Gudit Stèle Veld was een gebied ten zuidwesten van Aksum, Ethiopië. Het dateert uit de 3e en 4e eeuw na Chr. en in deze periode zijn ongeveer honderd stèles hier neergezet. Welke functie had het Gudit stèle veld binnen de Aksumitische samenleving gedurende de opkomst van het christendom?Show less
Vanaf het Oude Rijk tot in de Romeinse tijd werd het merendeel van de overledenen begraven, maar in de "latere periode" vanaf 323 v. Chr. treden er significante veranderingen op. In de Ptolemeïsche...Show moreVanaf het Oude Rijk tot in de Romeinse tijd werd het merendeel van de overledenen begraven, maar in de "latere periode" vanaf 323 v. Chr. treden er significante veranderingen op. In de Ptolemeïsche en Romeinse periode vond er op het gebied van de dodencultus een geleidelijke vernieuwing plaats, waarbij Egyptische elementen werden gecombineerd met Grieks-Romeinse elementen. Bij deze vernieuwing werden de oude mummificatiepraktijken samengevoegd met de Romeinse dodencultus. Het resultaat hiervan zijn de zogenaamde Fajoemportretten. Deze scriptie zal zich concentreren op de Fajoemportretten uit Hawara, een vindplaats in de Fajoem-oase in Egypte en zal aan de hand van de Fajoemportretten zich richten op de vraag of er sprake is van continuïteit of verandering in de begrafenispraktijk in Egypte in de Hellenistische en Romeinse periode.Show less
Examination of the Imperial Potraiture at the time of the Tetrarchy (A.D. 293-311). I look at the different artstyles and choice of material. There is quite a sharp distinction between eastern and...Show moreExamination of the Imperial Potraiture at the time of the Tetrarchy (A.D. 293-311). I look at the different artstyles and choice of material. There is quite a sharp distinction between eastern and western portraits; of which the cause is explained.Show less
This thesis deals with basketry impressions on fragments of bitumen, gypsum and pottery found during excavations at the (Late) Neolithic (7000 - 5300 BC) site of Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. It would...Show moreThis thesis deals with basketry impressions on fragments of bitumen, gypsum and pottery found during excavations at the (Late) Neolithic (7000 - 5300 BC) site of Tell Sabi Abyad in Syria. It would seem that basketry was produced on-site: botanical evidence shows that the required vegetable materials were readily available in the then fertile grounds surrounding the mounds, whereas hundreds of bone awls and needles suggest a range of on-site production activities concerning perishable artefacts, including textiles and basketry. After production, basketry artefacts were either used instantly as containers (and presumably as architectural elements, such as floor coverings and roof constructions) or used in the production sequence of other artefacts, such as bitumen-coated waterproof containers, White Ware and pottery. The untreated containers were used for communal storage facilities of dry goods, whilst the treated basketry was used to store liquids or to shape gypsum and clay into rigid vessels. Finally, diachronic analysis shows that different basketry techniques were introduced and used at different times at the site. The appearance of coiled basketry seems to have instigated a usage decline of bitumen-coated plaited baskets, as the former was used to shape larger waterproof vessels of gypsum and pottery.Show less
Voor deze Bachelor scriptie is materiaal van de site Wijchen-Berendonck geanalyseerd. Deze site ligt in de gemeente Wijchen, nabij Nijmegen in de provincie Gelderland. De opgraving vond plaats...Show moreVoor deze Bachelor scriptie is materiaal van de site Wijchen-Berendonck geanalyseerd. Deze site ligt in de gemeente Wijchen, nabij Nijmegen in de provincie Gelderland. De opgraving vond plaats tussen 1976 en 1980 en is nooit goed uitgewerkt. De focus van deze scriptie ligt op het materiaal dat tot de Klokbekercultuur behoort en is gevonden in put III. Deze put is opgegraven tussen 27 april en 12 mei 1976. Hier vonden ze een aardewerkscherf die tot een potbeker behoort en een pijlspits.Show less
Göbekli Tepe is a site built in the Pre Pottery Neolithic and is located in southeastern Turkey. It has been recently excavated by Klaus Schmidt. The site is rich in animal depictions and symbols...Show moreGöbekli Tepe is a site built in the Pre Pottery Neolithic and is located in southeastern Turkey. It has been recently excavated by Klaus Schmidt. The site is rich in animal depictions and symbols on T-shaped pillars. This thesis concentrates on the meaning of the T-shaped pillars and the depictions and symbols of enclosure D, layer III. Currently, there is a discussion going about the meaning of the site. First the different discussions are mentioned. The most important theory is coming from Klaus Schmidt. According to Schmidt, Göbekli Tepe was a ritual center for hunter-gatherers where rituals had taken place. Based on his arguments and the six aspects of Bell, I investigate if Göbekli Tepe may be seen as a ritual site. After this, a discussion follows about which animal depictions and symbols are represented on the T-shaped pillars of circle D. After giving interpretations upon the role of these depictions, Göbekli Tepe is placed in context. Contradictory to Schmidt is the theory of Banning, who suggests that the enclosures at Göbekli Tepe may be houses with the taller pillars supporting the beams of the roof. He suggests that the T-shaped pillars were an architectural feature that was used in the Urfa region. The T-shaped pillars are compared with other pillars found in the region of Göbekli Tepe. Göbekli Tepe is compared to the following PPN sites: Hamzan Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Adiyaman Kilisik, Nevalı Çori and Taşlı Tepe. Because of the limited knowledge of the meaning of Göbekli Tepe, more research is acquired to answer what the meaning of the T-shaped pillars and the animal depictions and symbols are.Show less
Figurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly...Show moreFigurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly as art objects. In recent years there has been a move towards more contextualised research and a move away from universalistic explanations. However, there are still some shortcomings in figurine literature. Site publications often lack synthesis into a larger temporal and geographical framework. Also figurines are sometimes still presented out of context and treated separately, as if they fall into a singular, special category, instead of being part of the artefact assemblage as a whole. New interesting themes in figurine theory have emerged, but these have to be critically reviewed and assessed for their practical use. Turning to other fields like sociology and psychology can lead to interesting viewpoints, but can also result in generalising statements which, in the end, do not help with interpreting an individual dataset. In this thesis some of the new themes in figurine theory have been chosen, namely: fragmentation, figurines and fire-related contexts, miniaturisation and schematisation and finally, materiality. The literature on these themes has been reviewed and subsequently the value and usability of these themes has been assessed by applying them on a case study – the (Early) Halaf figurines of Tell Sabi Abyad, Operation III. The case-study showed that these themes can lead to new insights, but only when taking a more contextual and practical approach. Some new research questions were also formulated which can be dealt with in future research.Show less
The site of Anse Trabaud, placed between the bay and mangrove area, has been observed during the fieldwork of Leiden University in 2012, during which the shell material of unit 7 was brought back...Show moreThe site of Anse Trabaud, placed between the bay and mangrove area, has been observed during the fieldwork of Leiden University in 2012, during which the shell material of unit 7 was brought back to be studied. The site is a pre-Columbian site, the habitation dated 700 to 1500 after Christ. The settlement was built on a sand ridge between the bay and the Morne des Petrifications, a mangrove area. The period of habitation was during the post Saladoid period, when the northern Lesser Antilles were less populated, while the southern Lesser Antilles kept the same population and even experienced some growth. The question that was to be answered with the research was: what can the shell material say about the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud? The shell material gathered at this site is the subject of this thesis, to help find out what the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud were. In the material there were nine most common species: Cenchristis muricatus, Chiton sp., Cittarium pica, Donax denticulatus, Lucina pectinata, Mytilopsis leucophaeata, Nerita tesselata, Pleurodonte formosa and Nerita versicolor. Most shell material was found in layer 4 and 5, which was most probably a shell midden, and in layer 8, which was the earliest layer of this deposition. Most shells that were found in the shell material from unit 7 were from the sea, with four species that were found in the mangrove and two from the land. The results from the analysis of the data that was gathered from the material leads to the conclusion that the sea was the most important for the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud, most shells were gathered in the shallow water of bay. The shells in the mangrove were less important to the diet and the shells on land were probably gathered during other activities during the day. All species were probably gathered during specific seasons, to prevent over-use.Show less
Less-developed countries are restricted in effectively funding the conservation of their cultural landscape heritage sites. Other sources of funds are needed to complement government spending. One...Show moreLess-developed countries are restricted in effectively funding the conservation of their cultural landscape heritage sites. Other sources of funds are needed to complement government spending. One possibility is finding ways to use the benefits that cultural landscapes provide. The ecosystem services framework, which was originally used by nature conservationists, could be a useful analytical concept. In this approach, benefits from environments are divided into different types of ecosystem services. By integrating the different kinds of benefits in one framework, new and old possibilities can be analysed. As a case study, the Ifugao Rice Terraces World Heritage site will be analysed. Besides the agricultural products provided by the IRT, the Ifugao agricultural system also has other benefits. However, more and more terraces are abandoned and deteriorating. This is attributed to the insufficient income of the local Ifugao farmers. The yield of their fields has decreased due to the lack of maintenance of their terraces and irrigation systems, which they are not able to fund themselves. At the same time, their changing socio-economic needs require a higher income as well. As a result, many Ifugao migrate to other regions for higher wages. To increase the income of the Ifugao, cultural and regulating ecosystem services become additional sources of income. Cultural services are already being exploited by tourism, but its earning potential has not yet been reached. Tourism is highly concentrated in one rice terrace cluster, so tourism could be expanded to the other clusters. In addition, regional tourist taxation could be implemented. To exploit regulating ecosystems, a Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme has to be created. This can be done on a global scale through carbon sequestration, or on a regional or local scale through hydrological services. However, relying on these sources of income comes with its own set of problems. Despite this, the financing potential of the ecosystem services too substantial to ignore and I think they may contribute significantly to the conservation of cultural landscape heritage sites.Show less
Het onderwerp van deze scriptie is Federmesservindplaatsen in de Loonse en Drunense Duinen. De theorie die hierop is toegepast betreft persistent places: de herhaaldelijke exploitatie door jager...Show moreHet onderwerp van deze scriptie is Federmesservindplaatsen in de Loonse en Drunense Duinen. De theorie die hierop is toegepast betreft persistent places: de herhaaldelijke exploitatie door jager-verzamelaargroepen van een bepaald gebied voor bepaalde doeleinden. De probleemstelling luidt: in hoeverre kan gesproken worden van een ‘persistent place’ voor Federmesserbewoning in de Loonse en Drunense Duinen? Daarnaast is er naar de verspreiding en de samenstelling van de vindplaatsen gekeken om te bepalen welke van de door Vanmontfort et al. (2010, 47) opgestelde hypothesen van toepassing is op deze microregio. Hypothese 1: kleine vindplaatsen in verschillende ecologische zones met een overeenkomend activiteitenbeeld. Hypothese 2: vindplaatsen in verschillende ecologische zones met een gevarieerd activiteitenbeeld. De Federmessercultuur bestaat uit jager-verzamelaargroepen die in het Allerød door bijna heel Europa trokken. Deze groepen jager-verzamelaars gaven de voorkeur voor het opslaan van hun kampement in een specifieke landschap. Het betreft in Zuid-Nederland en Noord-België altijd een dekzandrug met aan de zuidkant een natte depressie in de vorm van een ven, meer of moeras. Het kampement was vaak meerdere kilometers lang en lag altijd aan de zuidflank van de dekzandrug richting het overgangsgebied naar de natte zone. Als casestudie is de Loonse en Drunense Duinen genomen. Hier zijn een groot aantal Federmesserartefacten gevonden. De collecties waarvan de coördinaten bekend zijn en waarvan de gegevens nog achterhaald konden worden, zijn voor dit onderzoek gebruikt. Dit zijn in totaal 27 collecties afkomstig van 18 vindplaatsen. De gegevens omtrent de vindplaatsen zijn op de topografische kaart en het AHN geplot waardoor er verschillende verspreidingskaarten van de vindplaatsen met de betreffende informatie verkregen zijn. Bij dit onderzoek zijn ook parallellen gelegd met andere Federmesservindplaatsen in Zuid-Nederland en Noord-België. Dit betreffen de geomorfologische situatie, de verspreiding van de vindplaatsen, het aantreffen van spitsen uit meerdere Federmesserfasen, een gevarieerd activiteitenbeeld binnen de microregio en het aantreffen van zowel laat-paleolithische als mesolithische artefacten. Op basis van de geomorfologische situatie, de verschillende spitsen en de verspreiding van de vindplaatsen, is geconcludeerd dat de Loonse en Drunense Duinen een persistent place voor Federmessergroepen is geweest. Door de beperkte informatie omtrent de vondsten kan niet gesteld worden welke hypothese het hier betreft.Show less
Monte Albán Tomb 7 is one of the more enigmatic burial tombs in the valley of Oaxaca. It is still unsure as to why the deposits are so fragmented and what the grave goods might have meant within...Show moreMonte Albán Tomb 7 is one of the more enigmatic burial tombs in the valley of Oaxaca. It is still unsure as to why the deposits are so fragmented and what the grave goods might have meant within the context of this tomb. Many different theories have been carefully devised to explain the circumstances of Tomb 7 and for the purpose of this thesis, two have been chosen to serve as an explanation. The theories as they were put forward by McCafferty et al. (1994), concerning Tomb 7 in relation to the veneration of the cult goddess Lady 9 Grass as well as the theories devised by Middleton et al. (1998) which explained the tomb through the concept of grave reuse, will be applied here to shed light on the situation of Tomb 7. Both will be examined and then related to the concepts of ancestor veneration. Through comparing the theories together and attempting to find common ground they both share within the spectrum of ancestor veneration, it will be attempted to fuse the theories together to form one whole that might serve to explain the burial context of Monte Albán Tomb 7.Show less
According to the myth Pan was a goat-footed god, born in Arcadia. The origin of his cult also lies in Arcadia, and was most likely established during the seventh century BC. Within Arcadian...Show moreAccording to the myth Pan was a goat-footed god, born in Arcadia. The origin of his cult also lies in Arcadia, and was most likely established during the seventh century BC. Within Arcadian veneration he was deemed to have a pastoral nature, from which herding and hunting were the most important characteristics. An overarching aspect of fertility emphasized his importance for the reproduction of the flocks, the increase of wild game, and his part in initiation rites of the paides; the Arcadian young males. His cult sites regarded temples and sacred buildings, often in the surroundings of sanctuaries of other deities. The votives consisted mostly of terracotta and bronze figurines. During the early fifth century BC the cult of Pan was established in Attica, where his rural nature was diminished, as it was only still considered important at the country side. Simultaneously, his hunting aspect was converted into a military character. He joined the nymphs in cult, as they were worshiped together in caves, connected through their mythical love affairs, and shared role in the rites de passage of youths. His votives mainly consisted of terracotta and bronze figurines, wine drinking vessels, and marble reliefs. Thus, both cults differ largely from each other, as Pan’s Arcadian veneration was considered an indispensable aspect in everyday life, whereas in Attica his worship was deemed to be of minor importance.Show less
On the beach of Happisburgh iron rich blocks have been washing up for centuries. When an iron mineralised faunal fossil with cut marks was found, this formed the direct occasion for further...Show moreOn the beach of Happisburgh iron rich blocks have been washing up for centuries. When an iron mineralised faunal fossil with cut marks was found, this formed the direct occasion for further investigation. The iron rich blocks are filled with plant macro and other fossils. In the nineteenth century Clement Reid and six others reported similar iron rich blocks washing up. They named the presumed locality the ‘Elephant Bed’ after the many Elephant fossils yielded from the same deposition. This thesis investigates the plant macro fossils and a basic lithological analysis of 66 iron rich blocks collected from Happisburgh Site 5 in 2012 by dr. M.H. Field in an attempt to establish a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction that could indicate possible habitability of early hominins. In order to do so this research has been placed in the context of East Anglian, Pleistocene research on the stratigraphy. This sequence is extremely complex and has been revised, including Reid, West, Lee, Hamblin and others. Not only are there now two opposing views on the classification of these sediments, the associated ages differ by several Marine Isotope Stages. Some general consensus has been achieved on the palaeogeography, namely the presence of ancient rivers in this part of England. Whether this be the ancient Thames or a local river called Bytham remains a discussion. Fluvial sediments are known for depositing iron rich blocks. Several sites in East Anglia have yielded flaked artefacts, such as Pakefield and Happisburgh Site 3, but no human fossil remains. Happisburgh has four other sites other than the one investigated for this thesis, that have all yielded some form of evidence for hominin presence (i.e. cut marks, flaked artefacts). Clement Reid of the British Geological Survey, Peter Murphy of the English Heritage and Simon Parfitt of the Natural History Museum have, respectively published and shared, plant macro fossil results for these iron rich blocks. The fossils included aquatic and woodland taxa. Murphy’s methodology is different from the methodology used for this thesis. Both methods have their pros and cons, and depending on the research questions one or the other may be used in future investigations. The iron rich blocks have underwent severe taphonomic processes that have had their influence on the preservation of the botany, and possibly had an effect on over- or underrepresentation of the taxa. Results from the lithological analysis indicate the existence of several different facies, indicating the presence of both a river as a wetland or horse shoe shaped lake. The plant macro fossils indicate aquatic taxa, terrestrial taxa and woodland taxa. Some faunal remains have been found, such as shell impressions and one fossilized abraded mammal long bone. The shell impression identification corresponds with identifications made by both Reid as Murphy and suggest reasonably clear, stagnant or mild flowing fresh waters. In the absence of an in situ locality for these blocks, several inferences can be made based on the presented results. Three scenarios are described, order from most likely to least likely. The final conclusion attests the hypothesis, as there seems to be a clear indication for a temperate environment that could possibly have been a habitat for early hominins.Show less
In deze scriptie is gekeken naar de toepasbaarheid van het Deventersysteem als analytisch hulpmiddel bij archeologisch onderzoek. Om dit te testen is er aan de hand van een database getracht voor...Show moreIn deze scriptie is gekeken naar de toepasbaarheid van het Deventersysteem als analytisch hulpmiddel bij archeologisch onderzoek. Om dit te testen is er aan de hand van een database getracht voor de vijf meest voorkomende typen grapen (middeleeuws kookaardewerk) in de periodes 1450-1500AD en 1600-1650AD een typedatering te bepalen. Dit is gedaan aan de hand van de dateringen van alle complexen waar deze typen in voorkomen. Daarnaast is onderzocht of de regionaliteit van deze typen bepaald kan worden aan de hand van het Deventersysteem. Hierbij is gekeken naar de verhouding tussen de hoeveelheid aangetroffen minimum aantal exemplaren (MAE) van de meest voorkomende typen en de gecombineerde MAE van de overige grapen typen. Daar is ook de morfologie van de verschillende typen bij betrokken. Uit dit onderzoek is naar voren gekomen dat het bepalen van typedateringen voor grapen aan de hand van de contextdateringen in het Deventersysteem niet mogelijk is. Er zijn te veel kanttekeningen te plaatsen bij de representativiteit en de te brede contextdateringen zorgen voor een onbetrouwbare typedatering die tevens een te grote tijdspanne heeft. Voor het onderzoek naar regionaliteit is het Deventersysteem beter geschikt. Echter, ook hier is de representativiteit een probleem. Daarnaast zorgt het ontbreken van een systematische onderverdeling van de verschillende morfologische kenmerken van het aardewerk ervoor dat de onderverdeling van aardewerk in typen met enige willekeur plaatsvindt. Dit heeft als gevolg dat het onzeker is in hoeverre de meer dan 100 typen grapen die op dit moment in het Deventersysteem opgenomen zijn daadwerkelijk op zichzelf staande typen zijn. Vanwege al deze kanttekeningen is het gebruik van het Deventersysteem als analytisch hulpmiddel niet aan te raden.Show less
Summary This thesis investigates the Middle Assyrian jewel assemblage from Tell Sabi Abyad, which comprises a period of about 110 years from 1225 BC to at most 1115 BC. The dunnu with only 900...Show moreSummary This thesis investigates the Middle Assyrian jewel assemblage from Tell Sabi Abyad, which comprises a period of about 110 years from 1225 BC to at most 1115 BC. The dunnu with only 900 people belonging to it was quite a small village; however its significance was based on the location. Its significance is demonstrated by the fact that the dunnu was ruled by powerful, high ranking officials who were members of the royal family. The western provinces of the Assyrian empire were essential for agricultural production. Moreover the tell was not only situated close to the border of the Hittite empire, but was also located at an important trade route from the Levant, North Syria and Anatolia to Aššur. This is mirrored in the jewelry assemblage, which shows far reaching trading connections with raw stones, shells and manufactured products. There is evidence for stone and shell processing for jewelry purposes, but metal items were likely received from bronze working centers like Tell Brak, Chuera or Aššur. On Tell Sabi Abyad graves with cremations and inhumations were encountered. Often the graves yielded, beside various objects, jewelry. Not all graves contained jewelry and the graves with jewelry showed considerable variations in abundance. Two cremation graves have striking similarities in abundance and types of jewelry. Especially figurative, exotic types such as scarabs, frogs, duck weights and pomegranates are found in this context. Jewels were worn by females, males and children and often given into their graves. Women possessed likely the majority, but also man owned bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and needles. Striking is the find of two necklaces inside the tower of the fort. Some beads of the necklaces were in shape of phallus symbols and two small combs were likely pendants. Possibly these items belonged to prostitutes who lived in the tower, perhaps in captivity. The design resembles that of other treasures from that region; but Tell Rimah and Aššur show more variety and more wealth than those of the small village Sabi Abyad. Jewels from Sabi Abyad are not exceptional but are designed in Assyrian style typical for that region and period.Show less
In this thesis, the main quest is about finding archaeologically the historical known grange near the village of Othene, and once belonging to the Cistercian Boudelo Abbey in Flanders. This grange...Show moreIn this thesis, the main quest is about finding archaeologically the historical known grange near the village of Othene, and once belonging to the Cistercian Boudelo Abbey in Flanders. This grange came in existence somewhere in the early part of the thirteenth century (the first mention of it dates to 1220) and remained in use until the Dutch Revolt came along, and the whole area was abandoned and inundated in 1584. In order to compare the sites on a neutral base, a model was composed to identify a grange amongst other complexes of the same date in time. Specific finds and site location are crucial. Since monks were literate and often richer than other people, we can distinguish the grange by finds focusing on that difference: indications for books or writing, window glass, architectural elements, stone and/or brick walls, mosaic floor tiles, and a site that is positioned at a certain distance from the ‘secular world’ (e.g. a village). Based on the (expected) finds and research history, six possible grange sites are chosen in this thesis. They will be examined on their resemblance with the expected pattern of finds and location. The sites vary in location from up in the northeastern part of the island, by the south and middle near Zaamslag, and up to Othene at the west end.Show less
