Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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Archaeologists still have a lot to learn about the mortuary rituals of cremated human remains from the Bronze and Iron Age. Even though a large sample of burials from these periods contain cremated...Show moreArchaeologists still have a lot to learn about the mortuary rituals of cremated human remains from the Bronze and Iron Age. Even though a large sample of burials from these periods contain cremated remains, the main research focus has been on inhumated remains. Only recently, the importance of cremated remains became clear and the possibilities of investigating cremated human remains started to be explored. Yet, a lot of information might still be derived from these remains. With this thesis, the importance of careful and detailed excavation is studied through an examination of a human cremation burial from the Uddeler Heegde, Apeldoorn. This is done with the aim to study the funerary practices of the burial to its most extent. First, the concept of mortuary rituals is prospected through a modern (European) perspective. The excavation and determination of the case study burial are described in detail, providing a transparent study. By using concepts as personhood, social persona and the dramatis personae theory of Hertz, the relational identities of the deceased are studied. Hypotheses are used to define what mortuary practices could have been possible and which are rather implausible. Overall, this study demonstrates the additional possibilities acquired by high quality excavation of human cremation burials.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This thesis reports on the excavation Oldeboorn, where traces of activity from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age were recoverd. Due to the good preservation of organic material, especially...Show moreThis thesis reports on the excavation Oldeboorn, where traces of activity from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age were recoverd. Due to the good preservation of organic material, especially fish bone, and the presence of Veluvian bell beakers, very rare in the northern Netherlands, this site deserves scientific attention. After the excavation by Jan Lanting and Harry Fokkens in 1980 various material categories were subjected to separate analyses. The results of these analyses are collected and contextualized in this thesis. The find material was located at a depth of about 40 cm below the surface, on a Pleistocene sand dune beneath peat deposits. The location of the finds shows no clear separation between the periods. Yet pottery from the Bronze Age is mainly concentrated in the culture layer on the top of the dune. This also suggests that the bulk of the fish bone stems from this period. The high proportion of catadrome fish species and the absence of anadrome fish species indicate that we are dealing here with an extraction camp in the Bronze Age, mainly for catching pike. The presence of Elp-pottery indicates that the site was more connected to sandy Drenthe than to the rest of Holocene Netherlands, especially Holland. 14C dating of charcoal from the cultural layer gives an absolute dating of 1675 ± 43 BC. The pottery from the Neolithic is more evenly distributed across the site. The pottery consists solely of Veluwe bell beakers and pot beakers. Oldeboorn is the most northern location of this type of pottery, while from the nearby Pleistocene Drenthe only beakers of the Epi-Maritime type are known from this period. An unknown proportion of the recovered flint also stems from this period. The find spectrum reflects a full range of activities conducted at this site, and would warrant an interpretation as a normal Bell Beaker settlement. During the Mesolithic the location is also in use. Hearth pits from this period are the only anthropogenic features on the site. The typology of points and the 14C dating of charcoal from the hearth pits places the occupation in the Middle Mesolithic. Whether we are dealing with multiple phases or a single event is impossible to say.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The archaeological bone assemblage of Hardinxveld-Giessendam Polderweg (5500-5000 BC) and De Bruin (5500-4450 BC), includes remains which allow investigating the importance of plant working and the...Show moreThe archaeological bone assemblage of Hardinxveld-Giessendam Polderweg (5500-5000 BC) and De Bruin (5500-4450 BC), includes remains which allow investigating the importance of plant working and the fishing technologies for Late Mesolithic wetland communities of the Rhine Meuse region. The main emphasis of this thesis is on the microwear analysis of the worked bones in comparison with experimental and archaeological data. The sample selected displays different kinds of evidences of contact with soft plant on the bone tools, such as Urtica dioica and Salix: therefore it has been organized through a functional classification according to the variability of contact materials and the distribution and polish of the wear. The tool-type identified are Spatula-spacers to weave or make fishing nets; De-scaling tools, to de-scale the skin of the fish; awls and Projectile-awls, to pierce bark; Ad hoc elongated tools in bird bone, to work Urtica dioica; Harpoons and Decorated objects. This evidence for different plantbased crafts has been heavily challenged by problems of conservation and taphonomy, which influenced the readability of the sample. Post-excavation processes have been investigated from a microscopic point of view, allowing the identification of cleaning paper and plastic sieve wear traces that are evident on the bone surface. The state of the bone assemblage opened a window on more theoretical issues; concerning the interpretation of hidden crafts in archaeology.The research has been directed towards a reasonable (sensu Putnam) system of data comparison, involving contextual, ethnographic and anthropological data, with the aim to propose a theoretical toolkit for better understand the Forma mentis of the inhabitants of Hardinxveld-Giessendam.Show less
