This preliminary approach aims to answer the question of whether there is archaeozoological evidence for wool production/exploitation during the Bronze age in the Netherlands. Archaeozoological...Show moreThis preliminary approach aims to answer the question of whether there is archaeozoological evidence for wool production/exploitation during the Bronze age in the Netherlands. Archaeozoological evidence from seven sites was presented and analysed in order to answer five sub questions. The analysis aims to displays information on age, sheep-goat ratio, percentage of sheep/goat in the livestock and mortality profiles. Based on these sub question the main researched question was then answered. As of yet, there is no archaeozoological evidence indicating wool exploitation during the Bronze Age in the Netherlands. More so, the data presented in this thesis would indicate that sheep/ goat exploitation focusses on milk and meat production in general.Show less
During the human past, the process of species mass extinction has sped up from thousands of years to just several decades. The time period this research focuses on is the Holocene, which spans from...Show moreDuring the human past, the process of species mass extinction has sped up from thousands of years to just several decades. The time period this research focuses on is the Holocene, which spans from 11,500 years ago until present day and is filled with massive changes around the globe including a rising impact of humans on their surroundings causing the extinction of a wide variety of species. Two species that have been impacted by anthropogenic processes throughout the Holocene are the two European freshwater mussels, Margaritifera margaritifera and Margaritifera auricularia, which are both critically endangered at the moment. They serve an important role in the upkeep of water quality in rivers by their water filtering capacity; an adult mussel can filter up to 50 liters a day. Not only do they have an important role in their own habitat, both mussels produce pearls which were highly valuable especially in the Roman period and during modern history up until the 20th century. Both species are also of interest to archaeologists because they are great bioindicators which enables archaeologists to reconstruct past environments based on the occurrence of these mussels. The main goal of this research is to find out how and where the two European freshwater mussels, Margaritifera margaritifera and Margaritifera auricularia, were exploited throughout the Holocene throughout Europe and what eventually caused their decline. Investigating archaeological sites throughout Europe where artefacts made of either species are found provides an answer to how and where these freshwater mussels were exploited. Further literature and historical sources will also be accessed to discover how these mussels were used throughout the Holocene. The data recovered during this research were used to create a map in QGIS, illustrating where both species occurred in the past throughout Europe and where humans harvested them to be manufactured into tools or decoration. This research provides us with a better understanding of how both species were affected by anthropogenic and natural causes throughout the Holocene and what caused their dramatic decline. This enables us to prevent further damage and focus on the conservation of both so that they do not end up extinct, like many other species.Show less
In this Bachelor Thesis, the animal (mammal) bone remains of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest were discussed. The Merovingian settlement at Oegstgeest was located along the Old River Rhine and...Show moreIn this Bachelor Thesis, the animal (mammal) bone remains of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest were discussed. The Merovingian settlement at Oegstgeest was located along the Old River Rhine and was possibly part of a (inter)regional trade network. Agriculture and animal husbandry were important parts of its economy. A comparison was made between three different contexts; the waste pits, wells and the channel. The goal of this Bachelor Thesis was to show whether there are differences between the composition of these assemblages (age data, fragmentation, representation of elements etc.) and how these might be explained. Taphonomy was important for the interpretation of these differences. There are not many differences between the assemblages and the general patterns in these assemblages are largely the same. The archaeological features (waste pits, wells and the channel) probably had the same function; waste disposal. One of the most notable differences is that primarily the waste pit material are more fragmented, which can indicate worse preservation conditions or the extraction of bone marrow (leads to splintering of bones). Another notable difference is the large amount of pig bones in the channel assemblage, compared to the other assemblages. This can be partially explained by the influence of post-depositional taphonomic processes, but the differences are too big to solely ascribe them to taphonomic processes. It is hard to identify, which taphonomic processes took place and how large of an impact they had on the assemblage. Thus the conclusions presented in this research are indications of what could have underlain the observed patterns. Future research should focus on identifying taphonomic signatures (preservation of the bones etc.) and try to establish the influence of post-depositional processes on the formation of the assemblages. Furthermore larger datasets would give a more representative picture of the assemblages.Show less
For this research a total of 789 organic projectile points have been researched and 389 new points have been documented. The points are found in Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands, mainly on the...Show moreFor this research a total of 789 organic projectile points have been researched and 389 new points have been documented. The points are found in Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands, mainly on the beaches. The most important discovery sites of these points are Maasvlakte 1, Rockanje, Hoek van Holland and de Zandmotor. The points are documented in a new database, including characteristics and photos. This data is analyzed with SPSS and this resulted in different cohesions for the numeric data as well as the categorical data. With the numeric data it was possible to improve the classifications for the small and the large points. The small points are probably arrowheads, and the large points are probably spearheads. As an addition to the categorical data, there has also been made a new typological classification. Differences are found between the several type of points and the most important discovery sites. These differences are mainly based on the categorical data. At the Maasvlakte 1 site there might have been a different group of people or the site might have had a different antiquity and less developed production techniques. The points found at Rockanje and Hoek van Holland appear to be from the same group of people and from the same period. At de Zandmotor the points could belong to a different group of people but the amount of researched points is too small to be able to make a reliable conclusion. If we want to make sure that we are dealing with two or three different groups of people, it is necessary to research more points, especially from Hoek van Holland and de Zandmotor. It is also necessary to carry out C14-datings.Show less
