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
Since the beginning of research on the Indus civilisation of northwest South Asia the issue of social and political organisation has been unresolved. Even basic things such as the bases for social...Show moreSince the beginning of research on the Indus civilisation of northwest South Asia the issue of social and political organisation has been unresolved. Even basic things such as the bases for social status and power are still unclear. The distribution of the Indus stamp seals and their iconography can give us some indication of social organisation within settlements. A more detailed analysis comparing them to different types of artefacts may result in a more nuanced understanding of social and economic hierarchies. This thesis will analyse variation in Indus seals across sites through analysis of an up-to-date corpus Indus stamp seals at the city of Mohenjo-Daro. The spatial distribution of the seals will be compared with the distribution of four types of artefacts linked to social organisation, trade and ideology: figurines, bangles, several types of beads and weights. This will also be reintegrated with architectural data. My hypothesis is that the distribution of seals within cities might be more indicative of their specific function in trade and administration than just the socioeconomic status of the owner. If this is the case, then variation in distribution may reflect different uses of the seals occurring in different areas of Mohenjo-Daro. There is a complex relationship between status, ideology and the expression of that status in the archaeological record. Studying one category of evidence, such as seals, bangles or architecture separate from each other will only give an incomplete picture; these types of data need to be combined to achieve a more complete understanding of them.Show less
In eastern West-Frisia extensive excavations have taken place in the late ‘60, ‘70 and ‘80. The result is that a lot of data is available, but many of these excavations have only been preliminary...Show moreIn eastern West-Frisia extensive excavations have taken place in the late ‘60, ‘70 and ‘80. The result is that a lot of data is available, but many of these excavations have only been preliminary published. Therefore not all information is available or correct. A model made by IJzereef and Van Regteren Altena (1991) of the West-Frisian Middle and Late Bronze Age is based on preliminary data from two sites. Due to more recent excavations, which have been published, there is reason to believe that ‘the model’ needs to be reviewed. This will be executed in this thesis by making an unpublished site publishable; this site is Medemblik-Schuitenvoerderslaan. The struggle of working with 45-year old excavation documentation will be discussed to give other researchers insight in how to deal with this kind of data. The result of this research is a brief overview of the West-Frisian Middle Bronze Age based on three recently published excavations, the elaborated data of an unpublished site and the original model by IJzereef and Van Regteren Altena (1991).Show less
Abstract On sites all over West-Frisia circular structures have been found. There are two types of these; pit circles and circular ditches. Both types are very similar and are found in round, oval,...Show moreAbstract On sites all over West-Frisia circular structures have been found. There are two types of these; pit circles and circular ditches. Both types are very similar and are found in round, oval, figure 8 and cloverleaf shapes. Their dimensions are very similar; an average diameter of approximately 4 m, an average depth of 25 cm and an average width of 25 cm and some of them are closed and others interrupted. They usually contain very few finds if any. What was the function of these circular structures in West-Frisia during the Bronze Age? The hypothesis was that they were used for the temporary storage of grain and possible other crops. This was concluded in an article called ‘cereal in circles’ by Buurman in 1979 and was based on a hypothesis from Bakker (1967; 1977; 2004). Their hypothesis is based on very little data; just a handful of sites with carbonized grain. It seems to be based mainly on an old landscape model and circumstantial evidence. Because of the project ‘Farmers of the coast’, old data is now being reviewed. It has risen some doubt on earlier findings, including this ‘cereal in circles’ hypothesis. Since the 1970’s a lot of new excavations have taken place and some of the old data that was never published has now been digitized. The data from those new excavations more or less confirm the old data. But that also means that there is still no evidence for grain as well. That means that now (2013) over a thousand circular structures have been excavated with just a handful of them containing carbonized grain, which does not really proof the storing of grain anyway. Although there is no real proof against the existing hypothesis, there is in my opinion now enough data not confirming the old theory that there should be at least doubt. It seems unlikely that all the circular structures held the same function. It is quite possible that the circular structures in West-Frisia were used for multiple purposes, which would explain all the different shapes and sizes. The most likely explanation would be that they were simply drains, but that does not explain why they are not found in the Late Bronze Age. All in all it is clear that the true function of the circular structures in West-Frisia during the Bronze Age is still an enigma and therefore a lacuna in our knowledge of this area. Only future research and excavations may solve this mystery. Show less
