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
This thesis will investigate a connection between liminality and magical figurines in the Greek world. It will try to gain a better understanding of ancient society and how they dealt with a...Show moreThis thesis will investigate a connection between liminality and magical figurines in the Greek world. It will try to gain a better understanding of ancient society and how they dealt with a concept such as liminality. By taking Hecate as an example, it investigates liminality in connection to magical dolls. In this research, we will be Hecate as an example since she is widely regarded as the goddess of magic/ghosts or liminality. I will try to solve this problem by first gaining a general understanding of magic, magical objects and the practitioners of these rituals. I will then use specific examples of magical figurines and data of all these figurines in Greek contexts and put them into this magical framework. I found that liminality has a clear connection to where the dolls were buried or placed. Most dolls were placed in places of liminality, such as graves, bodies of water, crossroads, or door openings. Liminality was also involved in why these dolls were created and buried. In most rituals, liminal beings such as ghosts and demons or even Hecate herself were invoked to carry out the invocations accompanying the doll, whether this was erotic, harmful or helpful. Liminality impacted how people deposited magical dolls and the ritual connected to them. Looking for similar links to curse tablets, to which magic figurines are closely related in function, and other magic items could be helpful in understanding artefacts and the impact concepts as liminality had on society. Further research should look into the connection between concepts such as liminality and look at their connection to artefacts such as magical dolls or curse tablets.Show less
The existing secondary literature sees medieval lapidaries in a medicinal context. This essay argues that lapidaries and medicinal practice are two different “separate” fields. The essay shows how...Show moreThe existing secondary literature sees medieval lapidaries in a medicinal context. This essay argues that lapidaries and medicinal practice are two different “separate” fields. The essay shows how some lapidary descriptions fit in medicinal theory, but it also shows that in normal life processes stones are used in a different way. The stones that were used as medicines don’t match the lapidary descriptions.Show less
