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
An inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in...Show moreAn inclusive model of community-based Indigenous physical anthropological research projects has been conducted by constructing dialogues between researchers and Indigenous descendant communities in a global context. Acknowledging the ownership of Indigenous communities over the ancestral human remains, physical anthropologists often support repatriation by closely working with community members. However, in Japan, the repatriation of human remains of the Indigenous Ainu people has not successfully collaborated with physical anthropologists. The relationship between physical anthropologists and Ainu people who are being critical of the use of “stolen”, unethically excavated ancestral human remains on scientific research is in much tension and they are far from an inclusive model. This thesis addresses the issues surrounding the attempts of communication between these parties. By understanding the social and historical background of the situation, as well as comparing occasional dialogues and opinions of stakeholders with successful cases of an inclusive model in global context, I was able to identify the issues. Despite the acknowledgement of the rights of the Ainu over their heritage in the code of ethics, the attempts of making communication are insufficient in terms of the recognition of Ainu kotan (community) with their ownership over the ancestral remains, and there are misconceptions and ignorance between each other. In order to move forward towards an inclusive model, physical anthropologists should approach to the Ainu sincerely to construct dialogue by charanke, a discussion in Ainu manner. Understanding the specific demands and feelings of Ainu kotan and being aware the socio-political impacts of their research outcomes are also essential. Through these efforts, an inclusive model may be achieved in the future, working with the Ainu as sisamu, good neighbour.Show less
This thesis presents the results of the reanalysis of the flint assemblage from area IV(4) from the Lower Palaeolithic site Barnham East Farm, which was dated to the beginning of the Hoxnian...Show moreThis thesis presents the results of the reanalysis of the flint assemblage from area IV(4) from the Lower Palaeolithic site Barnham East Farm, which was dated to the beginning of the Hoxnian interglacial (MIS 11). Barnham is an important site to the Clactonian debated as it was the only site where it was believed that a biface assemblage was contemporaneous to a non-biface assemblage. However, new fieldwork suggested that a palimpsest was present in area IV(4). The new analysis concentrated on the technological classification of the artefacts, their distribution and preservation. Preservation was investigated by analysing abrasion, patination, breakage, edge damage and surface scratching. It was proven that, based on abrasion and distribution, a slow accumulation palimpsest (cf. Malinsky-Buller et al. 2011) is present in area IV(4). This palimpsest consists of an older, non-biface component overprinted by a younger component with evidence for biface manufacture. This is in contrast to the previous interpretation of Barnham, which concluded that the non-biface assemblage (area I) and the biface assemblage (area IV(4)) were contemporaneous. The new analysis supports a sequence with an older non-biface assemblage (Clactonian) and a younger biface assemblage (Acheulean). Two models remain that explain this sequence: the resource and landscape model (cf. Ashton 1998a), that suggests a functional reason for the disappearance of bifaces from the archaeological record, and a demographic model, that contributes the loss of bifaces to a decline in population sizes.Show less
The purpose of this study is to examine gender bias and stereotypes in history books used in group 5 of Dutch elementary schools. Nine books from six different publishers were sampled that have...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine gender bias and stereotypes in history books used in group 5 of Dutch elementary schools. Nine books from six different publishers were sampled that have been used during the school year 2015-2016. Activities of each character from these books are examined individually by looking at the type of activity, the posture of the individual, the position in the frame and the locality. The time frame of the images are from the periods of “hunters and farmers”, “Greeks and Romans”, “monks and knights” up to and including “cities and states”, as defined by the Committee for the Development of the Dutch Canon. Men are overrepresented in general, portrayed in diverse, active and public roles. Women, children and the elderly are underrepresented, and often in gender stereotypical manners. After establishing male bias in the reconstructions, ample archaeological evidence is provided for alternative gender representations in the past. Despite more than thirty years of feminist inspired archaeological research, reconstructions are still androcentric and reinforce current socio-cultural defined gender norms that disadvantages the representation of women and minorities, but men as well. It is imperative that gender archaeology is incorporated in archaeological epistemology, whereby different constituents involved in writing historic curriculum are informed of relevant developments within our science.Show less
From the site of Oegstgeest Nieuw Rhijngeest-Zuid an archaeobotanical sample taken from an excavated well was researched in this thesis. The sample has been dated to 600 - 750 A.D. which...Show moreFrom the site of Oegstgeest Nieuw Rhijngeest-Zuid an archaeobotanical sample taken from an excavated well was researched in this thesis. The sample has been dated to 600 - 750 A.D. which corresponds to the Merovingian time period. The research questions were based on how the environment would have looked like during the time of deposition, whether human influences on the landscape would be indicated, and if there were signs of salt-water influx traceable in the sample. One sample of 250 ml was analysed. The waterlogged material was well preserved. In total 21 taxa were identified to species or subspecies level, 10 were identified to genus level and 2 were identified to family level. Of the ecological groups as set up by Arnolds & Van der Maarel (1979) six different groups were present in the sample. These ecological groups and represented plant taxa indicate that the environment during the time of deposition was probably quite open, nutrient-rich, and wet. There are clear indications of brackish water in the environment, but no clear indications of cultivated plants were identified. However, the identified species that are nitrogen indicators, and therefore manure or pollution indicators, seem to confirm human influence on their environment.Show less
Starch granules have always been an abundant material. These plant products are transported everywhere, influenced by several pre- and post-depositional processes. By doing research on starch and...Show moreStarch granules have always been an abundant material. These plant products are transported everywhere, influenced by several pre- and post-depositional processes. By doing research on starch and how it is affected by natural or anthropogenic processes it is possible to interpret past activities. This thesis focuses on the trajectory of starch from the plant to human dental calculus. Not all complex processes of the biology and preservation of starch and dental calculus are understood yet. This may cause biases when interpreting the result. These knowledge gaps are acknowledged, in contrast to biases possibly caused by the methods used to extract the information starch and dental calculus. The problem is that several methods exist side-by-side in the young field of study, and that there exists no clear evaluation on their quality. The aims of this research project are to 1) compare three starch extraction methods and 2) to improve the skills and knowledge of the author in applying these methods. The relevance of this work lays in detecting and solving problems 1) observed in the background information and 2) caused by the application or deviation from selected extraction methods. The research focuses besides on 3) a comparison of quantitative results and possible influences. The hypothesis was posed that no quantitative differences could be observed. Three distinct extraction protocols and nine teeth from three individuals are selected. The protocols are chosen based on the involvement of different chemicals. The teeth are derived from the 1984 excavation at the St. John cemetery, ‘s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. They are selected based on large calculus deposits. Different steps in the methodological process are defined, namely sampling, recovery, recognition and quantification. The protocols are performed and the results evaluated. From the results it appears that the hypothesis can be confirmed, under the defined influences and circumstances. Observed problems after critical assessment on both background information and protocols led to the conclusion that future research focusing on particular problems is necessary in order to increase the reliability of results and their archaeological interpretations.Show less
