Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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"The 'lively' streets of Olynthos in the 5th century BCE" is a spatial study of the North Hill of Olynthos in Northern Greece. The aim of the study was to reveal ancient movement flows and areas of...Show more"The 'lively' streets of Olynthos in the 5th century BCE" is a spatial study of the North Hill of Olynthos in Northern Greece. The aim of the study was to reveal ancient movement flows and areas of activity along the streets, while investigating the connection between private and public space. In order to achieve this goal, this study applied methods from space syntax at different scales, ranging from the entire street network of the city’s North Hill to smaller street segments and individual houses. Given the lack of spatial studies focused on ancient Greek urban contexts, the study presented here used methodological advancements previously applied to the Roman cities Pompeii and Ostia. The axial analysis of Olynthos at a macro-scale has revealed valuable information about movement through the city, and the visibility graph analysis and isovist map have suggested a larger underlying principle of ‘equality’ at work in the area’s construction. At the same time, an examination of the positioning of doorways at a micro-scale has provided insights into social control, 'privacy', and the distribution of shops within the settlement. As the material remains of Olynthos were significantly affected by the settlement’s destruction by Philip II in 348 BCE, this spatial study adds complementary information to the study of the material record.Show less
The Late Antique architectural remains on the acropolis of Koroneia’s city hill have not yet received the research attention they need in the current Ancient Cities of Boeotia project. This thesis...Show moreThe Late Antique architectural remains on the acropolis of Koroneia’s city hill have not yet received the research attention they need in the current Ancient Cities of Boeotia project. This thesis will delve deeper into the collapsed vaulted ceiling remains that have been found on the acropolis and provides a thorough description, coordinate measurements and plans, and begins the difficult task op interpreting these remains. It is attempted to reconstruct what the building was and draw parallels to other similar buildings. Research into the remains was conducted in the 2009 field season by architectural specialist Dr Inge Uytterhoeven, and the August 2012 field season saw the continuance of this research by students. For a field school on ground-based digital recording techniques, students were tasked with recording the remains of the large structure on the acropolis which had earlier been dubbed the ‘Bishop’s Palace’ by researchers. Over 200 Total Station measurements were taken, detailed descriptions and sketches were made, and over the course of two mornings the entire remains were carefully documented. Also, suggestions for the improvement of fieldwork and analysis methods and suggestions for further research are made in this thesis. In this thesis, special attention is paid to the recording and analyzing techniques used, and these are described in detail. Also, an attempt has been made to interpret the remains and compare them to other, perhaps similar, complexes. In close consultation with Dr Inge Uytterhoeven, the remains have been roughly dated to the 5th or 6th century AD, the Late Antique period on the Greek mainland. A look at both the remains and the period suggests that the most likely interpretation is an elite villa or house with a public character.Show less