The research in this thesis is part of an archaeological study about the excavation of the old graveyard around the St. Plechelmus Basilica in Oldenzaal, The Netherlands. Between 2011 and 2013,...Show moreThe research in this thesis is part of an archaeological study about the excavation of the old graveyard around the St. Plechelmus Basilica in Oldenzaal, The Netherlands. Between 2011 and 2013, 2750 individuals were exhumed from this graveyard, and two atypical mass graves were encountered. A selection of 200 skeletons divided over five matrices , including the individuals from the mass graves, has been studied with advanced scientific methods, including ancient DNA by Forensic Laboratory for DNA Research, Leiden University Medical Center. The meticulously conducted DNA research has resulted in generally very good quality DNA with no indications of contamination and with genetic profiles suitable for genetic kinship testing. Statistical analyses were carried out on the autosomal, Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA data to test for kinship relationships, which resulted in indications of various genetic relationships. This thesis focuses on skeletons from matrix D, including one of the mass graves, consisting of 48 individuals. The DNA research demonstrates no genetic kinship for the six individuals in the mass grave. There were clear indications for kinship for five pairs of individuals from the non-mass grave area of matrix D. This thesis demonstrates the successful use of ancient DNA analyses for reconstructing kinship relationships in an archaeological context.Show less
Sceattas, a silver currency only produced for approximately less than a century, offer tremendous insights into a multi-regional and relatively unregulated currency. While its short-lived...Show moreSceattas, a silver currency only produced for approximately less than a century, offer tremendous insights into a multi-regional and relatively unregulated currency. While its short-lived production may encourage ideas that it played a relatively unimportant role in post-Roman, early medieval Europe, this is not the case. The coinage quickly became an important part of North Sea trade. Merchants, from Northern France, the Low Countries, parts of Denmark, and England all relied on the coins as a medium of exchange. The modern-day Netherlands is home to numerous production sites of sceattas, indicating its importance in the North Sea trade. Two major types of sceattas were most likely produced here, and are both the most numerous types discovered. They are called Series D and Series E or Continental Runic Type and Porcupine Type. This study aims to examine just how widespread the distribution of these types and the other seventeen series found in the Netherlands was on the basis of the evidence in the Numis database up to 2016. Distribution for the coins will be based on a number of variables, namely overall location, this location examined under a historical context, and an examination of find sites compared to the environment of 800 AD. It appears that the distribution is not random over the country but mainly limited to Domburg, a small part of the Central Dutch River area and the Frisian area of Westergo. This relates the coinage to international trade rather than a widespread use in a ‘moneraty economy’.Show less
The relation between archaeology and education contains a paradox. Where archaeologists have advocated the importance of education for archaeology, this advocation has not been adapted by policy...Show moreThe relation between archaeology and education contains a paradox. Where archaeologists have advocated the importance of education for archaeology, this advocation has not been adapted by policy stakeholders, in order to develop archaeology education programs. Three studies in Canada, the United States and United Kingdom have entailed that the relation between archaeology and education has poorly been investigated. This research builds upon the results on the other three studies to start the investigation on the state of affairs on the inclusion of archaeology into primary education in the Netherlands by investigating policy stakeholders perspectives. These values are investigated by interviews among representa- tives of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, provincial heritage institutes and museums, and placed into broader perspective by analyzing the results of monitor surveys on three history and culture education programs, and two legislative restrictions. Then, the combination of interviews and document analysis results in a synthesis where an alternative approach for archaeology education is presented for archaeologists, policy stakeholders and Primary school teachers in the Netherlands . The study ends with the request for further research that is built upon the results presented here.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
This thesis presents a spatial analysis of insula V ii in Roman Ostia, the principal harbour city of Imperial Rome. The Severan and final phase of occupation of the insula are compared with each...Show moreThis thesis presents a spatial analysis of insula V ii in Roman Ostia, the principal harbour city of Imperial Rome. The Severan and final phase of occupation of the insula are compared with each other to gain a better understanding of the architectural and spatial changes that took place between the Severan phase, and the final occupation of the insula. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: How did the spatial organisation of insula V ii change between the Severan phase and the final phase? In order to answer this question, space syntax methods are used. By comparing the integration (real relative asymmetry) and control values of the units in the buildings between the two phases, an estimate can be given of the amount of privacy and the importance of the rooms. This thesis argues that, between the Severan and the final phase, a shift towards more privacy in the city block occured.Show less
Estimating the age of individuals becomes increasingly more difficult with advancing age due to the effects of life history, random individual variation and the genetic framework. This makes it...Show moreEstimating the age of individuals becomes increasingly more difficult with advancing age due to the effects of life history, random individual variation and the genetic framework. This makes it also increasingly more complicated to relate chronological and biological age, and thus to estimate age-at-death above approximately 45 years. In 2015 however, Dr. C.G. Falys and Dr. D. Prangle published a newly developed method to estimate age of older adults specifically, based on the sternal end of the clavicle. The method evaluates the degeneration of three distinct features: surface topography, porosity and osteophyte formation. These features are scored individually, after which these scores are added up to form a composite score, which is used to ascribe an age stage to an individual. This thesis has aimed to test this method on a post-medieval Dutch skeletal collection with individuals of known ages-at-death from the 18th-19th century. The collection originates from a cemetery in Middenbeemster, Noord-Holland, and is well-documented due to the availability of a cemetery ledger and military document describing names, ages, sexes, marriages, etc. of many individuals. Out of the 118 individuals listed in these archival records, 57 individuals were suitable for this analysis (98 clavicles). The overall levels of agreement between the three different observers were calculated using Cohen’s kappa (k), which revealed a relatively low agreement, varying from slight to moderate (k = 0.100 to 0.534). Fortunately, these results did not influence the accuracy of the method greatly, which varied between 87% and 94%, depending on the side chosen to estimate age. Unfortunately the age ranges that are used in the method are too large for the method to be deemed precise. Previously existing methods are however not at all capable of subdividing the 45+ category into smaller stages. Although the age stages are large, the method is thus capable of recognizing the older members within a society and place them into a more specific age class than other methods currently can. The method does need more testing and revising, but can currently be concluded to accurately estimate olders adults’ ages-at-death in Dutch post-medieval collections.Show less
This research focuses on participatory management and explores how issues with implementation manifest themselves in an environment outside of the Western democratic context within which they are...Show moreThis research focuses on participatory management and explores how issues with implementation manifest themselves in an environment outside of the Western democratic context within which they are formed. It is argued here that although UNESCO is attempting to be inclusive of a variety of cultures, it still operates from a Eurocentric perspective and this creates unrealistic expectations of nation states that have a different cultural and institutional construction. The archaeological site of Nemrud Daǧ, located in southeastern Turkey, was chosen as a case study to illustrate the arguments made in this paper. This thesis could be interpreted as an in-depth stakeholder analysis for the site, highlighting problematic areas between stakeholders and the social, political and economic context which create them. The emphasis here is on the context that creates significance as opposed to the significance itself. This is because it is these factors that dictate significance and also create obstacles with participation. The Turkish Republic is not in the same position as Western Europe, yet it has a long history of aspiring to be. This is what makes the position of the country and its attitudes towards heritage so fascinating.Show less
Skeletmateriaal in Nederland wordt standaard onderzocht. De resultaten van dit soort onderzoek kunnen informatie geven over de gezondheid van de vroegere Nederlandse samenlevingen. In Amerika wordt...Show moreSkeletmateriaal in Nederland wordt standaard onderzocht. De resultaten van dit soort onderzoek kunnen informatie geven over de gezondheid van de vroegere Nederlandse samenlevingen. In Amerika wordt een database opgezet om makkelijker resultaten te zoeken en te vergelijken, The Global History of Health Project. De resultaten van het onderzoek naar het Nederlandse skeletarchief staan niet in zo’n database. Hierdoor is het moeilijk om collecties te zoeken en vergelijken. Bovenstaand onderzoek is gebaseerd op een geselecteerde dataset van 17 sites die onderverdeeld zijn in 23 begravingsperioden tussen de Late Middeleeuwen en de Nieuwe Tijd. Deze sites zijn verder verdeeld onder 4 contexten; civiele context van de Late Middeleeuwen en Nieuwe Tijd, religieuze context (LME) en militaire context (NT). Door het gebruik van deze sites en onderverdelingen is getracht een begin te maken aan een systeem zoals The Global History of Health Project en te kijken of de gesteldheid van de gezondheid van het Nederlands skeletarchief uit deze resultaten te halen is. Er kan worden geconcludeerd dat de religieuze context (LME) de hoogste percentages aan volwassenen en vrouwen hebben en dat de militaire context (NT) het hoogste percentage niet-volwassenen en mannen bevat. De lengten zijn het langste van de mannen en vrouwen, indien met de methoden van Trotter gemeten, in de civiele context van de Late Middeleeuwen. De mannen zijn het langste, indien met de methode van Breitinger gemeten, in de religieuze context van de Late Middeleeuwen. Betreffende het ziektebeeld van de vroegere samenlevingen zijn, indien men kijkt naar beide perioden, de ziekte aantallen gelijk. Wanneer er echter gekeken wordt naar de verschillende contexten, hebben de contexten van de Late Middeleeuwen de meeste hoogste percentages. Aangezien niet alle skeletassemblages in dit onderzoek zijn meegenomen zou een uitbreiding van de geselecteerde dataset met meerdere sites bevorderlijk zijn voor dit onderzoek. Verder zou het onderzoek uitgebreid kunnen worden met de toevoeging van onderzoek naar DNA en Isotopen en onderzoek naar het gebit.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This research explores the potential effects of coming in contact with archaeology through active engagement for audiences with dementia, specifically with regard to wellbeing. The thesis is set up...Show moreThis research explores the potential effects of coming in contact with archaeology through active engagement for audiences with dementia, specifically with regard to wellbeing. The thesis is set up as an explorative research, which serves to test whether there are indications for a positive effect on wellbeing which warrant further systematic studying on a larger scale. Dementia is a term used to denote a syndrome that causes the progressive decline of cognitive ability, severe enough to interfere with an individual’s daily life. Dementia is often accompanied by negative psycho-social affects and has an adverse impact on quality of life and wellbeing. Currently, the prevalence of dementia is steadily increasing. While dementia causes severe psychosocial impact on individuals living with the syndrome, it has primarily been studied from a neuro-medical viewpoint. Understandings of the psychosocial consequences of the syndrome and implications with regard to wellbeing and quality of life are topics that have begun to emerge only recently. An involvement of other disciplines than the neurological and medical field can enrich the way dementia and its effects on the wellbeing of individuals are approached. This research reviews heritage-in-health and archaeology-in-health interventions and lays out a theoretical framework for the introduction of archaeology in dementia care, embedded in meaningful activity theory, existing therapies relevant in the context of dementia and person-centered dementia care. The ideas put forward in this thesis are tested in a small-scale quasi-experimental intervention. This research concludes that an active involvement in archaeology can facilitate high levels of engagement and can bring about quality moments, indicating a positive influence on wellbeing. Further research into these effects is warranted in order to gain a full understanding of archaeology’s potential to contribute to wellbeing in the context of health problems, and this research presents several avenues to pursue.Show less
There are only a few other things in this world that can bring as much wonder and amazement to our way of life than tourism. Not only can tourism broaden the perspective of travellers, but it also...Show moreThere are only a few other things in this world that can bring as much wonder and amazement to our way of life than tourism. Not only can tourism broaden the perspective of travellers, but it also helps contribute to the economy of many countries that may otherwise struggle in financially tough times. Yet, still, despite all the benefits, travellers, visitors, and tourists (TV&T) do take a toll on our common global heritage. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative type thesis is to uncover certain negative physical and social impacts of tourism on heritage sites around the world and on various ethnic groups and/or Indigenous Peoples. The research for this thesis led to the discovery that heritage sites have been either directly or indirectly negatively impacted by TV&T and/or the greater tourism industry in many ways. The physical impacts were found to be in the forms of TV&T producing vandalising graffiti and erosion caused by their movements, their impact on the microclimate of caves containing ancient wall art, touching or keeping pieces of cultural heritage artefacts and the greater tourism industry initiating the placement of both temporary and permanent forms of construction. It was also discovered that TV&T and/or the greater tourism industry has caused various negative social impacts on the perceived sense of sanctity of various heritage sites and to the Indigenous Peoples living among them in the forms of ‘Naked Tourism’ and overcrowding at Machu Picchu and the city of Venice, Italy. Lastly, an exploration into the social impact of the commodification of Indigenous Peoples by the greater tourism industry led to the realisation that this can and has led to the exploitation of many of these peoples and the change in the significance of many of their cultural materials.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This study aims to investigate how evidence from human dentition contributes to the knowledge of cultural practices of the Prehispanic indigenous society of Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico. As such, it...Show moreThis study aims to investigate how evidence from human dentition contributes to the knowledge of cultural practices of the Prehispanic indigenous society of Monte Albán, Oaxaca, Mexico. As such, it focusses on the expression of gender through the analysis of dental modifications. The study is twofold, as it focusses on the one hand on the dental modifications of the individuals found in the archaeological record of the city of Monte Albán, while on the other hand, it deals with the theoretical struggle to relate the biological body to socio-theoretical understanding of gender and the expression of this concept. A theoretical standpoint is chosen where the body is seen as a material culture, and changes to the body – temporal and permanent – are made to express certain cultural values, such as gender. It is assumed that the concepts of sex and gender are related, but not equal. Statistical analysis is conducted to test if there is a difference in the use of dental modifications between men and women, and the exploration of ethnohistorical sources dating from the Colonial period, are used to interpret these results. This exploratory data analysis has established that dental modifications in the skeletal assemblage of Monte Albán is indicative of different gendered identities, however future research is necessary to understand the full extent of the expression of gender through dental modifications discovered in the archaeological record of Monte Albán, and several propositions are made to aid this future research.Show less
This thesis aims to give a clear understanding of the difficulties in brick research and to suggest new options on behalf of local production. To do this, the second part of this thesis will...Show moreThis thesis aims to give a clear understanding of the difficulties in brick research and to suggest new options on behalf of local production. To do this, the second part of this thesis will compare clay samples with early brick structures in their vicinity (using X-Ray Fluorescence). This will –hopefully- give an indication of the locality of brick production in the earliest period (end of the twelfth into the thirteenth century and first half of the fourteenth century). The thesis forms the connection between archaeological and building history debates.Show less
Archaeology on television has been a widely debated subject amongst academic archaeologists. Perhaps the dilemma that archaeologists face is that archaeology – its practice, its interpretations and...Show moreArchaeology on television has been a widely debated subject amongst academic archaeologists. Perhaps the dilemma that archaeologists face is that archaeology – its practice, its interpretations and the archaeological record it studies – is much like television, in that they both require high degrees of involvement to give them meaning. Thus concerns arise over the validity and ambiguity of the television programme’s information, and the archaeologist’s authority in discerning the past. However, should archaeologists be concerned about portrayal of archaeology in television documentaries? To provide answers to this question, the presentation of archaeological research, sites, objects and researchers in nine documentaries on the National Geographic Channel in the Netherlands in 2013, that were produced in 2012 and 2013, were analysed through ethnographic content analysis. The documentaries mainly focused on the practice of research, including the scientist’s fascination with research. Sometimes research methods were repeated before the camera after it initially had taken place, or they were shown ‘live’ and its results were analysed first-hand. However, the appearance and discussion of the research processes varied per type, possibly due to the structure of the method. In particular, archaeological fieldwork is a difficult process to capture on film, but the process of archaeological interpretation was often embedded in the entire storyline. Amongst other researchers, archaeologists appeared few in number. However, the archaeologists had a specific authoritative role as guides in understanding the past, and they would appear several times in a documentary to provide context or to interpret research results. It was found that certain narrative styles enabled, or disabled, involvement in the research and interpretation processes. There were many cases in which archaeology was presented in an open, yet informative way, while regarding the archaeologists (and researchers in other fields) as authorities. However, research can also be faked or appear unauthentic and authority can be abused. Therefore in communicating archaeology to the public a high degree of transparency is key.Show less
Since 1983 several rescue excavations have been performed in the lignite mine of the German town Schöningen. During one of those excavations the world famous, 300kyr old hunting spears were found....Show moreSince 1983 several rescue excavations have been performed in the lignite mine of the German town Schöningen. During one of those excavations the world famous, 300kyr old hunting spears were found. The site hosting these spears has been the subject of extensive research ever since and excavations still take place to this day. The other sites did not get much attention anymore and there are still many questions unanswered. In this bachelor thesis research has been carried out on the zoological assemblages of the Schöningen 12 sites and what they can tell us about the former climates and environments. Since not much research had been done yet on the faunal compositions many bones still had to be determined and entered into the database of Schöningen. After the completion of this task the climatic and environment preferences of all identified species were studied. Using the results points were divided over the preferred climates and environments. These were then used to create graphs to make the former climates and environments more visible. Not all sites yielded enough complete material to be used for further research. Comparisons of the faunal results of the resourceful sites with earlier research on the geology and botany of Schöningen show that during the sedimentation of layer II-1 the climate was on the warm side and the area was a mix of forest and open ground. Through time the area gradually cooled down and become more open, the latter was also visible in the faunal assemblages of the Schöningen 13 sites. Only the faunal composition of Schöningen 12 II-4 does not support this change, since only one individual of Bos primigenius has been encountered. Despite the fact that this zoological study did not add much new information to the knowledge about the former environments, it does confirm the conclusion drawn by geological and botanical research. At the same time this is the first time a complete overview of the zoological remains of Schöningen 12 that are stored in Leiden.Show less
This thesis focuses on the visualisation of the stories behind objects in the ethnological and archaeological museum. Objects form a fundamental part of our daily life, but we do not always know...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the visualisation of the stories behind objects in the ethnological and archaeological museum. Objects form a fundamental part of our daily life, but we do not always know the full stories behind them. Some objects possess an intriguing story about their use in indigenous communities or their impact on an historic civilization, but the stories that are sometimes of even more interest are the object biographies. These biographies consist of the people, places and events the objects encountered on its way to a (museum) collection. The research done for his thesis will provide new insights into the visualisations of stories behind object in the 20th and 21st century. Furthermore it will discuss some case studies that show how stories, and what kind of stories, are being visualised in the modern day ethnological and archaeological museum. The research reflects the combination of a literature study and case studies. These case studies have been exercised within the National Museum of Ethnology and the National Museum of Antiquities. The selected objects within the case studies have been extensively researched in terms of their history, method of collecting, biographies and presence within the exhibition. These objects are: the Lombok Treasure, the Singosari statues, the golden helmet of de Peel and the Cypriot head. The results of the research showed that the visualisation of the stories behind objects has never been the same and is still shifting, which provide a diverse array of objects and stories. Object biographies were sporadically present in museum exhibitions, but they were never fully embraced. Nowadays this becomes more and more present in museums and new exhibition techniques, such as multi-media and interactive platforms that are implemented to tell and show those hidden stories.Show less
The Palaeolithic locality Schöningen (Germany) is known particularly well for its magnificently preserved hominin crafted spears and the remains of large mammals with traces of butchering and...Show moreThe Palaeolithic locality Schöningen (Germany) is known particularly well for its magnificently preserved hominin crafted spears and the remains of large mammals with traces of butchering and marrow exploitation. The Palaeolithic sites in the Schöningen area yielded also several other find categories such as botanical remains, fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds. This thesis reports on the investigation of the avian remains from Schö 13 II-4, the site where they found the wooden spears. Most (≥70%) of the bird remains are from that site. For the identification of the bird remains three different comparison collections as well as the literature have been consulted. At least five species have been identified; four different ducks and a member of the Phasianidae family. The avian assemblage seems to have natural origins; there are no distinctive anthropogenic marks on the bones and the quantity of the elements is one to be expected after a natural death. The avian fauna does not contradict previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions i.e. the occurrence of open water, temperate climate conditions and a somewhat sheltered type of vegetation.Show less
This Master thesis on archaeology and cultural heritage management of the Caribbean and Amazonia was written at the University of Leiden, Faculty of Archaeology. The special emphasis in this...Show moreThis Master thesis on archaeology and cultural heritage management of the Caribbean and Amazonia was written at the University of Leiden, Faculty of Archaeology. The special emphasis in this research is on finding out which role the Amerindian past and archaeology play in a Surinamese image of the past. The research design in the first place needed to reveal the past perception of individual people with a Surinamese Caribbean background. The interviewees who participated in this research however were Surinamese migrants who are living since many years in the Netherlands. The approach taken to reveal the past emphasis of individuals from the Surinamese community was through holding semi structured open interviews. The Surinamese community in the context of this research consists of groups of people that share their experience and memory on Suriname within communication, both in the Netherlands and their mother-country. It is within this community that an image of the Surinamese past is being constructed. A key note to the research is that the past is a present construct. From this point of departure multiple pasts do exist. People in their own diversity, within different environments, have to deal with personal socio-cultural realities. This implicates that a meaningful past for Surinamese people needs to be constructed from their individual and community perspectives. This research applied insights from memory theory, archaeological theory, heritage theory and a more anthropological example to show that such a construct asks for people’s balanced historical involvement and community concern. Community concern demands reciprocal involvement that should accomplish mutual understanding. The goal of this thesis is to show that archaeology can be a tool in accomplishing shared understanding and concern from doing research after past happenings and cultural environments. The thesis further advocates engaged archaeology as a tool to create shared understanding. Engaged archaeology does not only imply that an archaeologist should listen to society and people’s concern in order to find topics for research. It even more asks for stimulating participation of people in past interrogation and creating an open critical attitude towards personal perceptions and those of others. The role of the archaeologist in this process of past communication is one of being an example to people with respect to care about archaeological heritage and involvement in both the past and people’s present environment. As an archaeological professional, who executes a profession that primarily is concerned with people, the archaeologist’s task is to facilitate involvement and provide society with critical questions on people’s past supposition. The practice of archaeology in itself needs to be a research environment where people communicate their understandings and from this realize a more inclusive community of involved people that show interest in their surroundings and each other. There can be worked towards a more stable future from contemporary knowledge or understanding about the past. Besides the interview technique, in order to find out more on people’s past concern this research aimed for application of methods from the social sciences. These were methods like discourse analysis and grounded theory. From the interrogation a better understanding of contemporary Surinamese community was accomplished. It made clear that Amerindians in Suriname in general were perceived as being unchanged. From a Western colonial perspective they did not bring about much development and their culture was regarded primitive. Their political, economic and cultural significance was neglected within the culturally diverse and divided Surinamese colonial community. From contemporary and continuous political and societal shifts reorientation on those people who are indigenous to Suriname as well as on other groups in society however is needed in order to create communality. The recommendation to Surinamese society is that ongoing conceptualization on the past and people in society, is necessary in order to accomplish a stable community.Show less
