Magic has been a much-debated topic over the last centuries. This thesis discusses the disappearance and return of magic in academic discourse and evaluates it through a theoretical framework for...Show moreMagic has been a much-debated topic over the last centuries. This thesis discusses the disappearance and return of magic in academic discourse and evaluates it through a theoretical framework for scientific inquiry. Finally, it aims to evaluate the use of magic as an interpretative theme in archaeology. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw many new theories and approaches to the subject. Influential anthropologists and sociologists released theories that were mainly based on evolutionist ideals. The rejection of these ideals, the problematic classification of witchcraft, sorcery and magic, and its adoption in modern media contributed to the disappearance of magic in academic discourse. In archaeology, these changes can be seen by studying Palaeolithic art. The return can be seen from 1990 to 2010 by its adoption in more archaeological research. These studies primarily focussed on the Mediterranean and failed to incorporate materiality fully. The full return of magic can be observed in the 2010s when publications specifically focused on the materiality of magic over a larger geographical and cultural area. This return resulted from a paradigm shift in anthropology where magic was now studied from a magical Worldview or consciousness instead of a rational Western worldview. An increase in material culture studies with the adoption of object agency and recognising the marginalisation of magic also contributed to the return. Object agency also contributed significantly to recognising the importance of portable artefacts in Palaeolithic art. The rise of material culture studies, its adoption of Latour’s Actor-Network Theory, and the shift in anthropology can be explained as two paradigm shifts vital for the return of magic in academic discourse. Magic can serve as a quality of practices and materials that can highlight certain features of materiality, potency, and verbal or ritual performance that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Magic is a tool to understand ancient practices and materials better. Archaeology has much to contribute to studying magic through material studies and archaeological contextsShow less
During the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4000 – 2400 BCE) Cyprus was home to several highly distinctive styles of anthropomorphic figurines. These figurines were produced using clay and different types...Show moreDuring the Chalcolithic period (ca. 4000 – 2400 BCE) Cyprus was home to several highly distinctive styles of anthropomorphic figurines. These figurines were produced using clay and different types of stone. Picrolite, was the most common type of stone used for figurines. The figurines feature carved or painted figurative elements which are thought to represent concepts such as dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint. There is no way to study the dress, hairdo, tattoos, and body paint worn by the Chalcolithic inhabitants of Cyprus directly. As such, these concepts can be studied within the confines of figurine studies, not necessarily in relation with the dress of the Chalcolithic population of Cyprus. In order to analyze the relationship between carved and painted figurative elements on picrolite and ceramic figurines and Chalcolithic bodies and their dress, jewelry, tattoos, or face and body painting, the following research question was established: “Do painted and carved elements on pottery and picrolite figurines from Chalcolithic Cyprus represent dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint?” To answer this question, a database was established, using Winkelmann’s (2020) extensive catalog of Cypriot figurines, as well as the catalog of the Souskiou Project (Peltenburg et al., 2019). All painted and carved figurative elements, as well as their locations on the figurines were entered in the database. The figurative elements were analyzed and compared using charts and tables and results were compared with previous works on the topic. This thesis illustrates that certain figurative elements, such as hair and decoration on the neck, occur on both ceramic and picrolite figurines. However, their occurrence rates may differ between ceramic and picrolite. Most figurative elements occur in standard locations on the body, suggesting these elements represent concepts in relation to this location (e.g., tassels, clothing, and body paint). While many suggest ceramic and picrolite figurines represent the same concept, figurative elements rarely overlap between the two materials. Certain figurative elements appear to correspond to body adornments known from the archaeological record, while some painted figurative elements resemble common RW ware motifs, suggesting a purely decorative function. It is very likely that painted and carved figurative elements represent dress, hairdo, jewelry, tattoos, and body paint.Show less
Figurines are some of the most commonly found artefacts in Neolithic sites across the Near East. These objects have often stimulated colourful interpretations, focussing primarily on stylistic...Show moreFigurines are some of the most commonly found artefacts in Neolithic sites across the Near East. These objects have often stimulated colourful interpretations, focussing primarily on stylistic elements of the anthropomorphic subjects. Such elements, like their perceived femaleness accompanied by voluptuousness, have historically been deemed as directly linked to concerns with fertility and pregnancy, which led to the assumption of the figurines being ritual objects and representations of deities, often labelled as ‘mother- goddesses’. These interpretations essentially generalize the entirety of the figurine assemblages of the Neolithic world, and erase the possibilities of in-depth analysis of these objects. This thesis takes on a different approach, with the belief that a comprehensive analysis that aims to understand these objects should first of all focus on the assemblage of a single context (namely a single site in a given chronological frame), covering the full ‘life-span’ of the figurines within such spatial, chronological, and cultural boundaries, starting from the context of deposition, the process of manufacture and the possible uses. Stylistic observations should only be considered in association to these aspects just mentioned, in the case of possible patterns highlighting the meaning and uses of these objects. A comparative analysis of two or more assemblages could be introduced at a second stage of analysis, within pertinent geographical and chronological boundaries, in order to highlight possible differences and similarities. This approach is what was applied for the research of the figurines of two Neolithic sites of the Lake District in Western Anatolia: Hacilar and Höyücek. These sites, broadly dated to the Late Neolithic period (ca. 6,400 – 6,000 BC), present a significant corpus of figurines, which amount to 72 for Hacilar, and 84 for Höyücek, with the aims of investigating their contexts of deposition and their manufacturing processes in order to highlight possible meaning and uses that were associated to these emblematic objects withi the individual sites and in a broader regional context. The structure of this research will start with an introductory chapter on the Neolithic in the Lake District (Chapter 1), followed by a theoretical chapter that will discuss the history of figurine studies, and will frame the theoretical approach preferred for this research. The datasets of Hacilar and Höyücek will be discussed in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, which will then be compared in their results in Chapter 5. Finally, the conclusions of this research will be presented in Chapter 6. This research has shown that the figurines of Hacilar and Höyücek had highly dynamic meanings and uses, even within the same sites, which on the one hand shows how inherently flawed the past research has been, and on the other it opens up new avenues of research around aspects like the manufacturing process, which have barely been actively studied in figurines.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
Figurines are a common find on many Near Eastern Neolithic sites. As figurines have been interpreted as the material manifestation of changing perceptions and interactions between people and the...Show moreFigurines are a common find on many Near Eastern Neolithic sites. As figurines have been interpreted as the material manifestation of changing perceptions and interactions between people and the environment, they were deemed instrumental for our understanding of Neolithic societies. Traditionally researched through visual approaches, the focus has predominantly been on anthropomorphic figurines and their perceived femaleness. Through these approaches figurines have been studied as ritual objects, art and symbolic expressions and were linked to concepts of fertility, child-birth and divinity and as such have been also labelled as ‘mother goddesses’. These approaches have been generalising, glossing over variability and offering generalising interpretations. Furthermore, they neglected a large corpus of zoomorphic figurines, more ambiguous shapes and fragmented objects. This thesis takes another approach, positing that, in order to understand how figurines operated in society, we need to understand how figurines were made, used and deposited. Two research aims were formulated. Firstly, to carry out a case-study in which figurines were studied as a cohesive set, with no bias towards a certain type or only complete objects. Second, to ascertain whether or not categories established by visual analysis are recognisable in the archaeological record when looking at figurine materiality and aspects of production, use and deposition. The data set of this thesis consists of the 280 figurines from one part of the excavations at Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), named Operation III, spanning four levels of habitation and dating from ca. 6455 to 6225 BC. This thesis starts by offering a detailed argumentation detailing the problems inherent in three main ways figurines have been studied, namely: as art, symbolic expressions and ritual objects. Subsequently it offers new avenues for figurine research, highlighting the necessity to engage with the materiality of figurines, combining discursive and non-discursive knowledge and stating that the ‘meaning’ of figurines is not solely constituted by their visual imagery but is also inherent in the processes of production, use and deposition.It continues with an overview of the site of Tell Sabi Abyad; its excavation history, the nature of settlement in Operation III and detailed contextual and depositional information for the figurines used in this case-study. It also takes a broader perspective, contextualising Tell Sabi Abyad in the broader perspective of Late Neolithic Upper Mesopotamia. The next chapter is dedicated to a detailed analysis of the data set starting with establishing a typology. Subsequently, it examines the contextual settings of figurines and related finds, figurine materiality, markings, fragmentation and finally spatial patterning and patterns through time. The analysis showed that figurine making is a highly idiosyncratic practice. There is much variety in the form of figurines within types, Furthermore, types of figurines can be very restricted in time; sometimes almost restricted to a single settlement level. There is variety in figurine use as evidenced by their use wear. Sometimes they seem to have been intentionally cached, but mostly they were discarded after use. This idiosyncrasy has implications that reach beyond the site under study. The over-arching and generalising statements made about figurines do not hold up to close scrutiny at this site, which either makes Tell Abi Abyad an exception, or it means that this type of research will reveal that in fact these generalising statements are false for other sites as well. This will mean we need to drastically alter the current perceptions of how figurines functioned in specific communities and what they ‘meant’ to the people making and using them.Show less
Figurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly...Show moreFigurines have been the subject of many archaeological studies and publications since the early 20th century. Studies in the past tended to be universalistic in nature and studied figurines mostly as art objects. In recent years there has been a move towards more contextualised research and a move away from universalistic explanations. However, there are still some shortcomings in figurine literature. Site publications often lack synthesis into a larger temporal and geographical framework. Also figurines are sometimes still presented out of context and treated separately, as if they fall into a singular, special category, instead of being part of the artefact assemblage as a whole. New interesting themes in figurine theory have emerged, but these have to be critically reviewed and assessed for their practical use. Turning to other fields like sociology and psychology can lead to interesting viewpoints, but can also result in generalising statements which, in the end, do not help with interpreting an individual dataset. In this thesis some of the new themes in figurine theory have been chosen, namely: fragmentation, figurines and fire-related contexts, miniaturisation and schematisation and finally, materiality. The literature on these themes has been reviewed and subsequently the value and usability of these themes has been assessed by applying them on a case study – the (Early) Halaf figurines of Tell Sabi Abyad, Operation III. The case-study showed that these themes can lead to new insights, but only when taking a more contextual and practical approach. Some new research questions were also formulated which can be dealt with in future research.Show less
Since the turn of the century, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of depictions and exhibitions featuring Japanese prehistoric figurines, better known as dogū. These artefacts from...Show moreSince the turn of the century, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of depictions and exhibitions featuring Japanese prehistoric figurines, better known as dogū. These artefacts from the Jōmon Period (about 15.600 to 3200 years BP) with a supposed ritual purpose increasingly show up in and outside of archaeology. In this paper I look for a possible explanation for this recently heightened interest. This is done by asking two questions: 1. Where are dogū present, and 2. how can this be explained? Going from Japan’s identity and the nature of their connection with the past, in this paper I look for the ulterior motives and goals behind the presence of dogū where they are most often seen: museums, art, popular culture/media. The first part, an analysis of dogū in Japan, shows that Japan’s view of its Jōmon past has changed since World War II. Out of nationalism a link is created with a past in which Japan was supposedly still unique and pure. Dogū reflect this and have thus come to represent Jōmon heritage. Good characteristics and aspects are selectively emphasized. In this way a generalizing story is created, that unfortunately negatively impacts the diversity that existed in the past. On the other hand, the mysticism and mysterious nature of dogū are a source of inspiration for artists and popular media such as anime, manga and videogames. The second half investigates the presence of dogū in the West, which can be largely attributed to several researchers who publicize across country borders and have brought dogū to Western museums. A case study of the ‘Power of Dogū’ and ‘Unearthed’ exhibitions offers insight into the goals behind this kind of exhibition. The Jōmon period and its dogū are used to represent the cultural traditions of Japan. In the debate on world heritage too dogū are used to promote the Jōmon period, as evidenced by my case study of a debate on Jōmon heritage in Paris.Show less
This paper utilizes unpublished excavation data from Leiden University’s excavation at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria to examine two types of figurines from the site’s Late Bronze Age Middle Assyrian...Show moreThis paper utilizes unpublished excavation data from Leiden University’s excavation at Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria to examine two types of figurines from the site’s Late Bronze Age Middle Assyrian occupation in the late 13th and 12th centuries BCE. Beyond the contextual and analytical presentation of new material to the archaeological community, it reestablishes an understudied typology through the promotion of a geographical, chronological, cultural, and functional frameworks. This study uses the figurines as a base to explore issues inherent in their find contexts and preservation. After establishing typologies and object catalogs, it explores the archaeological visibility of intentional material disregard, the dynamism of contemporary value attributions to representative material culture, and the interplay of ancient peoples with their local histories. In highlighting the functionality of a symbolic material culture that existed outside the settlement’s imperial sphere, this thesis uses the figurines to reveal the cosmopolitan nature of the common people at Tell Sabi Abyad.Show less
