This bachelor dissertation has aimed to answer the main research question: Did the fusion of Germanic and Roman norms, and legislative practices have influence on the nature of, perspective on, and...Show moreThis bachelor dissertation has aimed to answer the main research question: Did the fusion of Germanic and Roman norms, and legislative practices have influence on the nature of, perspective on, and as a consequence deposition of mummy’s in bogs in the area of Northwestern Europe? To do so successfully and shed more light on the Germanic-Roman cultural fusion (in terms of jurisdiction) and possible sacrificial nature of bog mummies, sub-questions were included. By answering these, the legal system of Rome in the frontier zones and associated punishment was treated, the chronological and geographical dissemination of bog mummies was showcased together with their find contexts, handholds were offered to help identify possible victims of offering, and insight was provided on an increase, decrease or stable bog person deposition rate. By having answered the sub-questions, a general overview of the Iron Age and Roman Period/Roman Iron age in Northwestern Europe in relation to the subject was presented. To gain results, this research encompassed a broad comparative analysis based on literature research. The gained data on bog mummies was compiled in a database which can be found in the supplementary materials of this dissertation, and partially in the appendix. The results of this research were mixed. The deposition of bog mummies was likely influenced by the Roman jurisdictional concept of ‘delatio’, or private denunciation, but also by other effects of which the nature or grounds could not be established in this dissertation due to missing original sources and the database only relying on bog mummies. This indicates that further research is needed, and relevant as well, as this would mean that the more neglected human bog depositions should become a larger subject of research. Including these could namely result in a more complete context of the Iron Age and Roman Period/Iron Age, and with that the motivations for (and effects) on bog deposition.Show less
The city of Teotihuacan is located in central Mexico and is well known for its monumental lay-out and large pyramids. As is the case with most Mesoamerican cultures, the subject of human sacrifice...Show moreThe city of Teotihuacan is located in central Mexico and is well known for its monumental lay-out and large pyramids. As is the case with most Mesoamerican cultures, the subject of human sacrifice has played a large role in the research done into the site. This thesis first provides the reader with information about the site of Teotihuacan and the discussion about human sacrifice in the wider Mesoamerican region. The issues with colonial sources and definition will be discussed. What follows is a critical assessment of the evidence that has been put forth to support the existence of human sacrifice at Teotihuacan. This evidence is divided in two types: visual culture and human remains. The visual culture section focuses on two murals and the iconography of hearts. The human remains section focuses on the burial complexes of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, Moon Pyramid and Sun Pyramid. The conclusion includes both a summary of the findings and a warning for possible biases in Mesoamerican archaeology.Show less
In this thesis, the focus lies on the practice of human sacrifice and cannibalism in Aztec culture, and how they are represented in the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España and the...Show moreIn this thesis, the focus lies on the practice of human sacrifice and cannibalism in Aztec culture, and how they are represented in the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España and the Primeros Memoriales. Both documents have been written by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in sixteenth-century New Spain. The Historia General is one of the most cited works in the practice of archaeology and anthropology, regarding human sacrifice and cannibalism in the Aztec world. In general, the Historia General is cited in academic literature without any form of critical comment. By analyzing the first and second book of the Historia General and the Primeros Memoriales, and looking at the motivations behind these two colonial documents, it becomes clear that the Historia General is by no means an objective source of information, and uses human sacrifice and cannibalism as a colonial tool, in order to promote colonialism, the conquest of New Spain, the spread of evangelization and the eradication of the Aztec religion. Therefore, archaeologists and anthropologists should be cautious and critical when using the Historia General in their research on human sacrifice and cannibalism, and base their research on empirical data, for the most part. In doing so, the critical assessment of colonial works such as the Historia General, will lead to a decolonization of the practice of archaeology and anthropology.Show less
