In the 1980s, archaeological studies near the village of Valkenburg, South-Holland, unearthed the skeletal remains of individuals buried at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery during the Roman period...Show moreIn the 1980s, archaeological studies near the village of Valkenburg, South-Holland, unearthed the skeletal remains of individuals buried at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery during the Roman period. Part of multiple Roman fortifications along the Limes dating from 40 A.D. onwards, the cemetery was likely used as a burial ground for inhabitants of the Valkenburg fort or nearby vicus, a civilian settlement. The cemetery comprised at least 250 cremated individuals as well as 47 inhumations, which is a striking find that contradicts the common Roman practice of cremation. Due to these inhumated skeletal remains, the site provides an unique opportunity to employ osteoarchaeological analysis to reconstruct the lives of individuals that lived in the Roman Frontier region. This thesis utilizes cross-sectional geometry and bilateral asymmetry analysis to infer activity patterns among individuals at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery, as current research on the differences in bone geometry between different demographic groups within Roman communities in the Lower Rhine area is limited. The study further investigates the factors and potential activity patterns that might influence those variations, such as biological age and sex. To do so, it builds on the initial osteoarchaeological study conducted by Lonnée and Maat (1998), who reported the estimated sex and age-at-death of each individual. Following this, each relevant bone in the upper and lower limbs was measured on various points to generate the indices for each point of measurement, as well as calculate the percentage directional asymmetry (DA%) and absolute asymmetry (AA%). The resulting values were then compared statistically between the biological sexes and age-at-death categories. While statistical significance is limited, the interpretation of data highlights the potential of these analyses in inferring activity patterns. Results from the analysis indicate that males tend to display more robust and symmetric upper and lower limbs than females, which are likely attributable to biological factors or a wider range of activities in males. Age-at-death categories exhibited inconsistencies with patterns described in other study, which is possibly due to natural variation or the limited preservation and availability of the skeletal material. Despite the limited number of individuals that could be examined, this thesis contributes valuable insights into the application of cross-sectional geometry and bilateral asymmetry analysis in osteoarchaeological studies, complementing historical data and broadening our understanding of activities in Roman frontier regions.Show less
This thesis explores the evidence for Roman archaeology on the Nijmegen moraine east of the city. This area is poorly researched compared to the city of Nijmegen in the west and the newly...Show moreThis thesis explores the evidence for Roman archaeology on the Nijmegen moraine east of the city. This area is poorly researched compared to the city of Nijmegen in the west and the newly discovered auxiliary forts in Germany to the east. Roman fortifications were hypothesized to have existed on the higher peaks of the moraine, offering a commanding view over the wider area and connecting west to east. An analysis of the available literature indicates this part of the moraine might hold more Roman archaeological remains than is currently known, including villae and fortifications on the high peaks. In an attempt to predict and locate these, the AHN3 height map of the Netherlands is used for a visibility analysis and LiDAR visualization analysis of the area. The visibility analysis shows that several high peaks, most notably the Duivelsberg, are ideal locations for a watchtower which could act as a missing link in a signalling system between the fortifications in Nijmegen and those in Germany. LiDAR analysis indicates that several areas on the moraine likely contain undiscovered archaeological remains, including World War Two battle remains, prehistoric barrows, and urnfields. The research also demonstrates the strengths and shortcomings of using these digital methods to locate new archaeological remains. It is concluded that the moraine is a highly attractive area for future archaeological research into Roman Nijmegen or other periods.Show less
This research is the follow-up of a research previously carried out on the structures and traces of the Valkenburg Marktveld excavation. These have been in part re-examined in order to make the...Show moreThis research is the follow-up of a research previously carried out on the structures and traces of the Valkenburg Marktveld excavation. These have been in part re-examined in order to make the findings more up to date. For this research the original excavation documentary has been utilised. The publications by the original excavators and the books and article by Robert van Dierendonck have been used as the current standard. New research has been used and compared to the old data, such as the 2018 article of rural granaries by Javier Dominguez. A summary of Dutch Roman military granaries has been compiled. This list has been used to compare the different granaries and to test their capacity, using several methods. Three new methods are proposed and one of these methods is also tested. For the first time, the wells of the military area have been examined in some detail. The results show relative late dates, that indicate a use in the second century AD. Sadly, well 47 could not be dated more specific than between 75 and 260.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
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In deze scriptie wordt aan de hand van de beschikbare geschreven bronnen onderzocht hoe en waarom er door Romeinse schrijvers over Nederland is geschreven om een idee te verschaffen van het beeld...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt aan de hand van de beschikbare geschreven bronnen onderzocht hoe en waarom er door Romeinse schrijvers over Nederland is geschreven om een idee te verschaffen van het beeld dat Romeinen hadden van het gebied. Met ondersteuning van historisch en archeologisch bronmateriaal wordt bekeken in hoeverre Nederland belangrijk was voor de Romeinen en welke rol het speelde als deel van het Romeinse rijk in de periode van ca. 50 v.C. tot ca. 100 n.C. Voor het historisch en archeologisch onderzoek zullen meer algemene studies naar Romeins Nederland worden gebruikt samen met enkele specifieke publicaties over Romeinse vondsten op verschillende plaatsen in Nederland. De nadruk in deze scriptie ligt op de verschillen tussen beschrijvingen uit de periode en historische feiten en de aspecten die Romeins Nederland een rol van betekenis zouden kunnen geven, zoals de Rijn en het gebruik van inheemse hulptroepen.Show less
In de Romeinse provincie Germania inferior worden regelmatig (onderdelen van) militaire ruiterhelmen gevonden, die in de tweede en derde eeuw na Christus kunnen worden gedateerd. Deze vondsten...Show moreIn de Romeinse provincie Germania inferior worden regelmatig (onderdelen van) militaire ruiterhelmen gevonden, die in de tweede en derde eeuw na Christus kunnen worden gedateerd. Deze vondsten komen vrijwel uitsluitend uit voormalige waterlopen, de zogenaamde natte contexten. Langs de West-Nederlandse limes zijn bij Woerden en Bodegraven en in het Kanaal van Corbulo bij Leiden twee helmen en een gezichtsmasker gevonden. Het gezichtsmasker is als enige tijdens een opgraving gevonden, zodat precies bekend is wat er bij is gevonden en waar het precies lag. Deze vondstcontext is nader onderzocht om aan de hand hiervan de betekenis van de deposities van de andere vondsten in de regio te kunnen achterhalen.Show less
