This master thesis analyses a group of anonymous silver pennies commonly attributed to Frisia. These coins are characterized by find location and low weight of less than 0.5 grams. Due to the fact...Show moreThis master thesis analyses a group of anonymous silver pennies commonly attributed to Frisia. These coins are characterized by find location and low weight of less than 0.5 grams. Due to the fact that they lack comprehensible legends or bear ambiguous or degenerated ones it is difficult to date them or assign them to a known mint like Stavoren or Dokkum. Traditionally they have been separated into two groups: one showing a worldly ruler, and the other showing a cleric or bishop. Previous research has laid much emphasis on the deciphering of the legends, and discerned the name of a certain Otto on several types. However, while the “worldly” types appear to date slightly earlier, there appears to have been considerable overlap between the two. This indicates that the divide between the two types may not be as historically important as once thought. The fact that the name of this Otto appears in both groups argues against it being the name of the issuing authority at the time of striking. Important in researching this series of coins is the quick increase in reported finds. Metal detectors have become widely available to the general public, and databases such as NUMIS and PAN have been set up to register these new finds. The databases mentioned are freely accessible and have proven to be valuable tools in the field of archaeology and numismatics in particular. Newly discovered types and an increasing number of find locations provide relevant information for Dutch numismatists. Included in this thesis is an overview of the largest and most important hoards containing these anonymous Frisian pennies, as well as an overview of the various types considered “Frisian”. Of those types a database has been made containing over 250 individual pieces that have appeared in digitised public collections and databases, several private collections and certain European auctions. The find locations, weights and other characteristics of these examples have been noted down when available.Show less
Earth is currently entering the Anthropocene: a human-driven geological epoch that signals the end of the Holocene, the roughly 12,000 year period in which humanity transitioned gradually from the...Show moreEarth is currently entering the Anthropocene: a human-driven geological epoch that signals the end of the Holocene, the roughly 12,000 year period in which humanity transitioned gradually from the subsistence practices of hunter-gatherers to the “conventional” agricultural methods of the twenty- first century. Today, debates surrounding agriculture and food system reform lie at the heart of a worldwide “Decade of Action” on climate change (2020-2030), with approaches based on “sustainable intensification” characterizing the dominant paradigm supported by large-scale agriculture and world governance. In order to provide macrohistorical, “deep-time” perspectives on the suitability of “sustainable intensification” as a food-production strategy for the Anthropocene, this paper juxtaposes the present climate and food crisis with the subsistence transitions that occurred during the last climate epoch shift (Pleistocene-Holocene). As the only other climatic “game-changer” experienced by human societies, this period presents an opportunity to highlight through analogical analysis otherwise non-observable commonalities between how we and our distant ancestors have adapted our subsistence practices to massive climatic shift. On this basis, I argue that many of the recent “revolutionary” advances in agricultural methodology and technology that underpin confidence in sustainable intensification’s success in coming decades and centuries are little more than continuations of strategies developed by Early Holocene cultivators, upon which we have remained reliant. Moreover, because these strategies were developed under and for a specific set of climate conditions which are coming to an end, I question the continued success of these strategies under an Anthropocene climate regime. This leaves us in dire need of novel approaches to food-production. This paper also examines why modern societies are prone to such oversights and offers suggestions for how they can be overcome by incorporating historical macroperspectives into near-term climate decision-making. Finally, I make recommendations for an approach to cultivation based around the concept of syntropy that breaks with the past and offers tangible steps for immediate climate adaptation without the massive costs traditionally associated with de-intensification.Show less
In this thesis, LBK childhood is examined to further our understanding of the presence of juvenile individuals within five LBK mass grave events: Talheim, Herxheim, Kilianstädten, Wiederstedt, and...Show moreIn this thesis, LBK childhood is examined to further our understanding of the presence of juvenile individuals within five LBK mass grave events: Talheim, Herxheim, Kilianstädten, Wiederstedt, and Asparn/Schletz. Throughout the archaeological discourse, children and themes of childhood are considerably underrepresented, with a significant research gap between conflict archaeology and childhood. In many studies of prehistoric childhood, modern ideas and Western thought frequently make up assumptions of what a ‘child is’ for a given period or culture, often leaving them invisible or ignoring juveniles as important actors, which is challenged throughout this study. This study summarises current research on the LBK, which found that children are rarely discussed, viewed as low-status individuals, and female and juvenile individuals had more varied reflections of personhoods than males. A study of LBK children is then presented and debated regarding the examination of burial rites and records. The idea of LBK children as low-status individuals is disregarded, and a middle childhood stage is proposed for the period. Evidence is found that children were heavily involved with labour and were more commonly the victims of aggression than other social groups. Finally, many of the social processes of LBK childhood were evident within the mass graves events. Themes relating to a middle childhood was present in four out of five of the mass graves, evidence of child labour was current at Wiederstadt, and a different injury pattern was present between adults and juveniles below the age of eight from the massacre site of Kilianstädten. The possibility of children, especially from the middle childhood age group, partaking in working groups away from settlements is proposed to explain the absence of such individuals from the mass grave sites. This thesis concluded that understanding the processes and stages of LBK childhood can help contextualise the events surrounding the mass graves.Show less
Since the 1960s, research on the chemical composition of ancient archaeological glass has been executed. It has become clear that raw ancient glass exists of three main ingredients: silica, lime,...Show moreSince the 1960s, research on the chemical composition of ancient archaeological glass has been executed. It has become clear that raw ancient glass exists of three main ingredients: silica, lime, and a flux. Next to these ingredients, iron is always found in the mix which gives glass naturally a green or blue colour. Around the fourth century AD, a new type of glass was introduced. This glass type was probably made in Egypt and is distinguishable from the other compositional types of glass by its yellow to green colour. Research indicates that the glass has high levels of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and titanium (Ti) in its composition. This is why, in 1994, the term ‘HIMT’ glass is introduced by prof. I. Freestone. This research focuses on the dispersion of HIMT glass during the fourth to seventh centuries AD on the Italian peninsula to fill in gaps in the knowledge of the general dispersion of HIMT glass throughout the Mediterranean area. HIMT glass was not the only type of glass on the market. In this research, the focus lies on HIMT glass, but to provide more context about the general glass market, also other types of glass like Egypt I and II and Levantine glass are being discussed. It is generally accepted that there are two primary glass production areas for all the ancient glass: the Levant and Egypt. The glass was formed here into large chunks which were shipped throughout the Mediterranean area to secondary production areas. There the glass was formed into vessels or other useable objects. To understand where the glass originates, chemical research is performed. Hereby, not only the chemical elements, which could be added intentionally or unintentionally, are taken into account, also isotopes, like neodymium (Nd) and strontium (Sr) which respectively indicate the age of the sediments and the source of lime, are being researched. This results in the distinction of several glass compositional groups. This research aims to answer the following question: ‘How is HIMT glass dispersed in Italy during the fourth to seventh centuries AD?’. After providing information on the chemical composition of glass and the existing glass compositional groups, an overview is given of 17 sites on the Italian peninsula where HIMT glass is present in the glass assemblage. These sites are researched using archaeological publications. A distinction is made between production sites, where the glass was formed into objects and where production waste was found, and consumption sites, where the objects were solely 68 used. Looking at the context of the sites and the composition of the glass assemblages found there, an overview of the presence of HIMT glass on the Italian peninsula could be provided. To understand the specific dispersion of the glass, three main subjects, trade in the Mediterranean area, trade in Italy, and recycling practices are researched. The research concludes that the glass was shipped from Egypt into Italy via multiple ports and trade routes after which the glass was spread throughout Italy. HIMT glass was mostly used for common ware, because of its relatively low quality, and therefore also useful for recycling. Since this research is based on the existing publications of sites containing HIMT glass, future research could include looking at yet unpublished sites, the data from already published assemblages that have not been used for this thesis, and the possibility of regional differences in shapes of HIMT glass.Show less
Samenvatting Twee veelvoorkomende aardewerkcategorieën in Nederland zijn Low Lands Ware (LLW) en Bataafs Grijs Waar (BGW). Er zijn overeenkomsten tussen de twee: reducerend gebakken LLW en BGW zijn...Show moreSamenvatting Twee veelvoorkomende aardewerkcategorieën in Nederland zijn Low Lands Ware (LLW) en Bataafs Grijs Waar (BGW). Er zijn overeenkomsten tussen de twee: reducerend gebakken LLW en BGW zijn allebei grijs, werden regionaal geproduceerd maar zijn afgeleid van Romeins vormen, en werden gebruikt als voorraadpotten. Een opmerkelijk verschil tussen de twee aardewerkcategorieën is de distributie. In de Romeinse tijd waren het huidige Zuid-Holland en het westen van Noord-Brabant gelegen in een civitas genaamd Cananefatium. Het oostelijke rivierengebied en het oosten van Noord-Brabant waren gelegen in de civitas Batavorum. Bestaand onderzoek concludeert dat LLW voorkomt in zowel Cananefatium als Batavorum terwijl BGW enkel voorkomt in Batavorum. De kaarten van de distributiegebieden uit huidig onderzoek geven echter enkel weer waar LLW en BGW is aangetroffen met een stip. Er is verder geen informatie bekend over wat er precies is aangetroffen. Ook is het niet bekend wat de oorzaak is achter deze verschillen in distributie. In dit onderzoek is eerst de distributiegebieden van LLW en BGW in kaart gebracht met kwantitatieve data om een completer beeld te krijgen over de distributie. Vervolgens is gekeken of het Romeinse landschap en de transportroutes van invloed zijn geweest op deze distributie. Hiervoor is het onderzoek van Van Lanen (2017) gebruikt waarin hij door middel van het netwerkfrictiemodel (NFM) een relatie heeft gevonden tussen het landschap, de ligging van nederzettingen, en de infrastructuur. Het onderzoekskader bestaat uit het huidige Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, en het oostelijke rivierengebied tussen het eind eerste en derde eeuw. Voor de kwantitatieve kaarten van de distributiegebieden is data verzameld van verschillende nederzettingstypes in het onderzoeksgebied, namelijk kleine rurale nederzettingen, rurale centra, kastell-vici, militaire nederzettingen, en steden. Van die nederzettingen is de volgende kwantitatieve data verzameld: absolute aantallen fragmenten, gewicht gedeeld door opgravingsoppervlak, en minimaal aantal exemplaren (MAE). De kwantitatieve kaarten geven een veel genuanceerder beeld over de distributie van LLW en BGW hoewel de conclusie van het huidige onderzoek grotendeels overeind blijft staan. Vervolgens zijn de nieuwe distributiekaarten gecombineerd met het onderzoek van Van Lanen om te onderzoeken of er een relatie bestaat tussen het landschap, de transportroutes, de ligging van de nederzettingen, en de distributie van LLW en BGW. Eerst is er gekeken naar de relatie tussen transportroutes en de distributie en vervolgens naar de relatie tussen het landschap en de distributie. Er lijkt wel degelijk een relatie te zijn: dichterbij de transportroutes en in goed toegankelijk landschap werden meer nederzettingen en meer LLW en BGW aangetroffen. Echter, het 101 verklaart niet waarom LLW wel in Cananefatium voorkomt en BGW niet. Alleen op grond van het landschap en transportroutes zou distributie van BGW in Cananefatium mogelijk kunnen zijn. Er is daar echter vrijwel geen BGW aangetroffen.Show less
