Drawing on research findings of a fish event horizon in England and extensive work on historical fish consumption in Belgium, this study aims to answer the question: How did fish consumption...Show moreDrawing on research findings of a fish event horizon in England and extensive work on historical fish consumption in Belgium, this study aims to answer the question: How did fish consumption develop in the northern Low Countries during the early and late medieval period (450-1500). This research is conducted using the Dutch Fish Bones (DFB) dataset, which includes the Number of Identified Specimens (NISP) of fish species and families from archaeological sites between 0-2000 CE. The DFB-dataset is subjected to aoristic analysis in 25-year bin categories to create a diachronic timeline. Despite potential biases and limitations, coherent with the presence of uncertainty within each assemblage and the underrepresentation of certain fish species due to differential preservation and the collection methods employed in archaeological excavations, the study offers valuable insights into regional fish consumption dynamics. During the period from 450 to 650, both inland and coastal regions displayed a preference for locally sourced fish. Freshwater eels, cyprinids, and perches were the primary choices inland, while coastal consumption mainly consisted of demersal righteye flounders and small amounts of herring. From 650 to 950, the coastal region continued to heavily rely on righteye flounders, while freshwater fish remained popular inland. However, there was a gradual emergence of marine fish consumption during the "long eighth century," likely influenced by trade and commercial hubs. Between 950 and 1200, the consumption of marine, migratory, and freshwater fish declined in the northern Low Countries, potentially due to the Medieval Warm Period and changes in fish populations. Despite this decline, there was a slight increase in codfish consumption, which may be linked to the growing trade of Norwegian stockfish. Urban areas witnessed a shift towards marine consumption between 1200 and 1375 in a period that can be called a gradual ‘fish event horizon’, rural areas, in contrast, exhibited a delayed increase in marine fish consumption almost a century after urban consumption surged. The development of markets and trade hubs played a crucial role in making marine fish more accessible in inland regions. The rapid growth in smelt consumption during the fourteenth century reflects the broader trend of rising fish consumption, fuelled by urbanization, population growth, and dietary restrictions. The formation of the Zuyderzee facilitated trade of the Hanseatic cities by providing an open waterway to the North Sea. However, human interventions disrupted the distribution of fish species, leading to a decline in freshwater eels. During the late fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, fish consumption experienced significant expansion phases. Herring, cod, and righteye flounders were consumed in larger quantities, driven by technological advancements in fishing techniques and equipment. The herring industry of the northern Low Countries grew rapidly, with Dutch vessels dominating European trade. Between 1650 and 1800, overall fish consumption declined due to conflicts, economic difficulties, and political instability. However, throughout the centuries following the fish event horizon, the pattern of high marine fish consumption has remained steadfast and continues to be relevant in modern times. These findings illuminate historical fish consumption patterns in the region and provide a foundation for future research, including enriching the dataset, calling for additional meta-analyses and isotopic research, and addressing knowledge gaps, such as the significant decrease in overall fish consumption in the period 950-1200.Show less
Peru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress...Show morePeru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress and obstructed by the legacy left behind by Fujimori and Montesinos’ regime in the 1990s. With the purpose of contributing to a currently scarce pool of literature on intelligence studies in Latin America, this paper seeks to assess to which extent these authoritarian legacies continue to persist in Peru’s intelligence services after its official transition to democracy in 2000. Using press material, official documents, academic literature and further secondary sources, this paper collected information on scandals and controversies involving the intelligence services and its practices. By drawing comparisons to aspects mentioned in the historical context and conceptual framework, this paper was able to illustrate the extent to which authoritarianism still remains within the intelligence apparatus. Based on the results that show instability in combination with a general lack of interest in reform and hence a continuation of intelligence practices deemed undemocratic, illegitimate, disorganized, and highly politicized, it can be concluded that authoritarian legacies still remain in today’s intelligence services to a large extent. Furthermore, the paper reflects on its reliability and validity in regards to its research design and data, stating that due to Peru’s lack of legal frameworks concerning intelligence agencies, it remains challenging to clearly outline their structure and functions.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis analyses the development of Ryukyuan narratives of political legitimacy under the influence of the imperial Chinese tributary system. For centuries, the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was...Show moreThis thesis analyses the development of Ryukyuan narratives of political legitimacy under the influence of the imperial Chinese tributary system. For centuries, the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was annexed by Meiji Period Japan in 1879 and is today divided among Japan's Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, formed an important linking bridge between China and Japan, East Asia's two dominant political entities. Based on a close reading and partial translation of relevant passages from several historical documents, most notably the kingdom's two official histories Chūzan Seikan and Chūzan Seifu, the thesis investigates the socio-political shift in succeeding conceptualisations of Ryukyuan kingship, the monarch's political legitimacy, and the country's state doctrine that occurred from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.Show less
Chinese dynasties are often described in terms of “universal emperorship”, because their territory was vast and they had a large influence on the wider region. This has also been applied to the Han...Show moreChinese dynasties are often described in terms of “universal emperorship”, because their territory was vast and they had a large influence on the wider region. This has also been applied to the Han dynasty, which is the first major Chinese dynasty. However, there is much evidence suggesting that the Han empire used a more limited notion of empire, which challenges the theory of universal emperorship. Therefore, this paper explores the question: to what extent does the foreign policy of the Han dynasty reflect the principle of universal emperorship? To answer this question, historical evidence about the foreign policy of the Former Han dynasty is analyzed according to three aspects of universal emperorship: political emperorship, geographical emperorship and cultural emperorship. This case study yields the conclusion that the foreign policy of the Han empire does not reflect the theory of universal emperorship. Instead, the Han dynasty accepted the independence of other states, and sought for equal relations with their leaders. This result suggests that the association between Chinese empires and universal emperorship has to be revised.Show less
This project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant...Show moreThis project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant literature, speeches, manifestos, and figures are consulted . I contend that aesthetics held a significant role, directly affecting the formation and development of Fascist ideology. However, I further argue that aesthetics was not the nature of Fascism, only an important tool. Socio-political developments lead to my conclusion that aesthetics was a significant component of Fascism which imploded under political pressures in the 1930’s, becoming subservient to an ideological component best interpreted as a civic religion. As such, I dismantle the intuitive notion that aesthetics were simply reflective, with artists as coerced mouthpieces of a totalitarian regime. But I also dismantle the modern academic consensus that Fascism is inherently aesthetic – a politics of spectacle. This project therefore provides a theory on the relation of aesthetics and Fascist ideology, further illuminating the nature of Fascism and outlining how politics can be aestheticized – plus the potential dangers of this.Show less
While the ancient kingdom of Koguryŏ is commonly understood to be one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, over the course of the 20th century China has disputed Korea’s claim over Koguryŏ history and...Show moreWhile the ancient kingdom of Koguryŏ is commonly understood to be one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, over the course of the 20th century China has disputed Korea’s claim over Koguryŏ history and heritage. This paper argues that China, North Korea and South Korea are using the UNESCO World Heritage List to gain the upper hand in the dispute. This paper subsequently asks the question of "How has the UNESCO World Heritage List been used to prove ownership over the ancient cultural heritage of Koguryŏ/Gaogouli by China and Korea since the 20th century?” Using Discourse Analysis as well as Smith’s Authorized Heritage Discourse, the ongoing debate over Koguryŏ is analyzed. This paper also questions UNESCO's role in international disputes over the ownership of heritage and argues that the UNESCO World Heritage List is able to be used by countries for benefits other than the preservation of heritage. The main argument in this paper is that UNESCO's World Heritage List is used as a stage on which ownership over the ancient Koguryŏ/Gaogouli kingdom is publically proclaimed due to UNESCO’s international status as well as other benefits that come from a place on the World Heritage List.Show less
In this thesis, I discuss the range of numerals in South American languages, the strategies that languages use to form their numerals, and what cultural and historical causes can be given to the...Show moreIn this thesis, I discuss the range of numerals in South American languages, the strategies that languages use to form their numerals, and what cultural and historical causes can be given to the range of the numerals. The Quechuan languages consistently possess an infinite decimal system. This could be the result of the preservation of the high numerals after colonization that were used to keep track of administration in the extended Inca Empire. In the Arawakan family, both the range and the internal structure of the numerals differ. Just as for the Quechuan, the Arawakan people were involved in trade and war which could indicate a need of high numerals. However, unlike for the Quechuan numerals, they have not been preserved. During colonization, Arawakan groups fled from their original settlements and adopted other groups into their communities, which indicates substratum influence and explains the diversity of the Arawakan numerals. In the Guaporé-Mamoré linguistic area, numerals are mostly concentrated around a maximum of 20. The body-part system and a connection to company or loneliness are common in the numerals in this area.Show less
Most Serbs hold strong opinions on Kosovo: they see Kosovo as a mythical cradle of the Serbian nation and, more recently, a place of mythical Serbian suffering. While these beliefs have reinforced...Show moreMost Serbs hold strong opinions on Kosovo: they see Kosovo as a mythical cradle of the Serbian nation and, more recently, a place of mythical Serbian suffering. While these beliefs have reinforced the Serbian nation, they also fuelled the Serbia-Kosovo conflict. Historiography has helped create and reinforce these myths and has as such played an important role in the conflict. This thesis researches myth-forming on Kosovo through the eyes of one Serb historian: Dusan T. Batakovic (1957-2017).Show less
The digital world and its relationship to history are ones of the most debated issues of our times as well as a major problem related to such relationship: the future of archives. In Italy the...Show moreThe digital world and its relationship to history are ones of the most debated issues of our times as well as a major problem related to such relationship: the future of archives. In Italy the debate is still in its infancy and this thesis places the case study of the Biblioteca IsIAO.Show less
In most countries' history classrooms, a textbook still plays a key role, and the narratives of these texts help to shape students' perceptions of their nation and others. A large body of American...Show moreIn most countries' history classrooms, a textbook still plays a key role, and the narratives of these texts help to shape students' perceptions of their nation and others. A large body of American research exists examining the historical narratives of ethnic minorities in the United States, including Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, but few studies have examined this question using a textbook sample from across the border aimed at mainstream secondary students. This research raised the question of inclusion of the ""other"" (Mexico in American texts and US in Mexican texts) for the period of the twentieth century. It did this through quantitative analysis of index entries, highlights, pictorial inclusion and text spacing, and also through a qualitative approach of positive/negative coding and using existing theoretical frameworks for narrative analysis. The findings indicated that Mexican texts include references to the US on over 30% of text pages, while US texts average 5% references to the southern neighbor. Additionally, by a 2:1 margin in both cases the coding reveals more negative references than positive, though this can also include victimhood of racial discrimination or economic imperialism. Still, the texts are generally more inclusive than those used in past studies and decades, and sparse but relevant emphasis on cross border cooperation may provide insight into future direction for transnational history provided to a broad audience of secondary students.Show less
This MA-Thesis follows the life of the Swedish diplomat in the Dutch Republic Harald Appelboom (1612-1674). An emphasis is put on the role of espionage in Appelbooms diplomatic career. The thesis...Show moreThis MA-Thesis follows the life of the Swedish diplomat in the Dutch Republic Harald Appelboom (1612-1674). An emphasis is put on the role of espionage in Appelbooms diplomatic career. The thesis argues that Appelbooms activities in intellegence were important in the development of his diplomatic career.Show less
Mahmud Tarzi was the first Afghan modernizer that helped to formulate the basic tenets of Afghan modernism and nationalism, through his successful news medium Seraj al-Akhbar (The torch of news)....Show moreMahmud Tarzi was the first Afghan modernizer that helped to formulate the basic tenets of Afghan modernism and nationalism, through his successful news medium Seraj al-Akhbar (The torch of news). In this thesis, I will focus on Mahmud Tarzi, as a writer and journalist and how he has sought to influence the social and political modernization of Afghanistan through his literature.Show less
This thesis delves into the relation between crisis and policy change in a historical context by exploring the Dutch emigration policies concerning South Africa before and after the Sharpeville...Show moreThis thesis delves into the relation between crisis and policy change in a historical context by exploring the Dutch emigration policies concerning South Africa before and after the Sharpeville massacre (1960). Most literature discussing the Sharpeville massacre and its aftermath take the decline in emigration in the years following the massacre as an evident consequence of the changing perceptions of South Africa, and place it in a holistic hypothesis of general denunciation. By analysing this from a policy perspective, the decline in emigration is better explained by a multitude of factors, then by a single event (i.e. Sharpeville) alone. It is undeniable that Sharpeville had an impact on how South Africa was being perceived in the Netherlands. And evidently, this must have discouraged people to emigrate there. However, this thesis argues that the structures, policies and practices of the Dutch emigration system have been overlooked in this context. The emigration apparatus played such an important role on Dutch emigration as a whole, that it had a crucial impact on the emigration to South Africa. Despite the obsevation that there was not a clear policy change after Sharpeville, their power as an institution to orchestrate the Dutch emigration proved to be an important factor when trying to explain the decline of Dutch emigration to South Africa.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
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Wat kan het Madaba-mozaïek ons vertellen over de functie van Jeruzalem als heilige stad binnen het Byzantijnse christendom? Een vergelijkend en samenvattend onderzoek naar de huidige stand van...Show moreWat kan het Madaba-mozaïek ons vertellen over de functie van Jeruzalem als heilige stad binnen het Byzantijnse christendom? Een vergelijkend en samenvattend onderzoek naar de huidige stand van zaken rondom het Mozaïek van Madaba.Show less
