This thesis investigates the application of computational methods in landscape archaeology, focusing on the Early Iron Age path network of Central Crete, particularly in the key sites of Lyktos,...Show moreThis thesis investigates the application of computational methods in landscape archaeology, focusing on the Early Iron Age path network of Central Crete, particularly in the key sites of Lyktos, Hersonissos, and other secondary ones in the same area. It addresses key methodological and theoretical issues by employing the Python programming language for geospatial analysis and incorporating phenomenological perspectives to enhance understanding of ancient human-environment interactions. Recent advancements in Landscape Archaeology have been significantly influenced by phenomenological approaches introduced by scholars like Tilley and Ingold, who influenced by the philosophers of phenomenology redefined the term “landscape” by emphasizing the embodied and experiential aspects of it. Based on their work, archaeologists like Llobera and Wheatley challenged the quantitative treatment of landscapes and further explored the dynamic relationship between humans and their environments, highlighting the importance of movement and perception in landscape archaeology. Geographic Information Systems have been instrumental in landscape studies, but often reduce landscapes to static and quantitative data. This thesis critiques these limitations and proposes a novel methodological framework using Python for Least Cost Path analysis. This approach offers greater flexibility and insight into the computational processes behind geospatial analysis, addressing issues of conventional GIS tools by providing a detailed and customizable examination of movement patterns. The main research questions are if Python-based LCP analysis can produce results comparable to those from traditional tools like QGIS and if this computational approach, enhanced by phenomenological perspectives can offer deeper insights into the social and path network of Early Iron Age Crete. The findings reveal that Python is a robust tool for geospatial analysis, producing results similar to QGIS while offering enhanced flexibility and detailed examination of computational processes. This methodology highlights the importance of understanding the underlying processes behind geospatial tools and demonstrates Python’s potential for archaeological research. By integrating phenomenological ideas, this thesis interprets the computational results within a broader archaeological context. This approach considers different parameters of how ancient people might have perceived and navigated their surrounding landscape. The analysis uncovers a potential socio-cultural network in Central Crete, with modeled paths suggesting continuity with the earlier Minoan path network of the area and offering insights into connectivity and movement patterns of the Early Iron Age. Overall, this research shows that Python-based methods provide a valuable alternative methodology to traditional GIS and a nuanced understanding of ancient human-landscape interactions.Show less
In a globalizing world, where experiencing new cultures is on a lot of bucket lists, the study of cultural interaction has become very popular. In our modern day and age, we like to project this...Show moreIn a globalizing world, where experiencing new cultures is on a lot of bucket lists, the study of cultural interaction has become very popular. In our modern day and age, we like to project this etic phenomenon of our modern day globalization onto the ancient world. And not without avail, research has found that cultural interaction did indeed take place in the ancient world, although we need to keep in mind that the emic perspective might have been a bit different from our own. A lot of intercultural interaction took place in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. During this period ships filled with luxurious gifts and exotic merchandise were plying the seas. However, this transfer of material culture did not only occur through trade or gift exchange, but also through warfare and travelling craftsmen. The transfer of non-material culture also took place, for example through the transfer of techniques and ideas. This could also take the form of motif transference. This thesis examines the phenomenon of motif transference between the Aegean, the Near East and Egypt during the Bronze Age. Besides the acculturation between two cultures, it is also possible for cultural interaction to take place between three or more cultures. This is reflected in the art of the Bronze Age, in which some motifs were shared by the artistic traditions of the Aegean, the Near East and Egypt. The transfer in style as well as technology and iconography created a new level of hybridity that lasted until the end of the Late Bronze Age and which is often called the international style. But the objects which are considered to belong to the international style, were not the only ones displaying a common style. Throughout the Eastern Mediterranean frescoes were found with motifs from the Aegean artistic tradition, which were produced during the Middle and Late Bronze Age. They are found in geographically important cities, which were located along important trade routes. These paintings were found at Alalakh, Miletus and Hattusa in Turkey, Qatna in Syria, Tel Kabri in Israel, Tell el-Dab’a, Malkata and Amarna in Egypt and display hybrid influences in iconography as well as technology. The goal of this thesis is to determine if the much-debated international style at present has a too narrow definition, which might need to be expanded to include these frescoes. This study tries to determine whether or not the palatial art found in the Eastern Mediterranean can be seen as a part of the international style.Show less
The guard houses of Minoan Crete are often said to be defensible buildings, based on their location and architecture. However, were they really defensible? To answer the question of how defensible...Show moreThe guard houses of Minoan Crete are often said to be defensible buildings, based on their location and architecture. However, were they really defensible? To answer the question of how defensible these buildings were, three different methods were applied to a sample of guard houses. These methods were Least Cost Path analysis, the calculation of a Defensibility Index value, and Space Syntax with Visibility Graph Analysis. These methods have never been tried before and the results give new insight in how defensible these guard houses actually were. Not only from the outside, but from the inside as well. The results have confirmed that these guard houses are generally defensible buildings, although the defensibility differs per building and per method. In the future, a higher quality DEM and better datasets, that fix most of the flaws in the results presented here, will provide an even more accurate perspective on these guard houses.Show less
