Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
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This thesis examines all the material (reliefs, stelae, a statue and a papyrus) that in the past and/or the present have been/are connected to (the Memphite lost tomb of) Hormin. Hormin served as...Show moreThis thesis examines all the material (reliefs, stelae, a statue and a papyrus) that in the past and/or the present have been/are connected to (the Memphite lost tomb of) Hormin. Hormin served as the Overseer of the Royal Appartments of Memphis under the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II. Based on criteria such as style, the Hormin material is defined and the origins of the incorrect connections to Hormin are investigated. Next to this, all the information is gathered in the Hormin material in order to attempt to reconstruct the life and career of Hormin. Moreover, the nineteenth century discovery and exploitation of the tomb, resulting in the material being spread over at least five museums (Bologna, Paris, Cairo, Leiden, Berlin), is examined. This information assists in deciding what can be said of Hormin's lost tomb and what not (architecture of the tomb; further material that can still be found in the tomb etc.). This thesis highlights the issues involved when studying New Kingdom Saqqara, especially material without a tomb context.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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The aim of this thesis is to achieve a wide study of Sheik Abd el Qurna during the XVIII Dynasty, not only through traditional approaches –quantitative analysis and prosopographical research–, but...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to achieve a wide study of Sheik Abd el Qurna during the XVIII Dynasty, not only through traditional approaches –quantitative analysis and prosopographical research–, but also through the landscape archaeology perspective in order to understand the development and the importance of this area. In order to do so, the methodological approach must be multidisciplinary. Quantitative analysis will be applied in order to understand the architectural development of the tombs. The prosopographic analysis will contribute to the identification of social relations and influences within the necropolis. Lastly, the landscape archaeology perspective will help us to understand the necropolis as an holistic element within ancient Egyptian beliefs. Understanding the necropolis as a whole, where all tombs shaped a large complex that ended up working as a sacred space, is necessary in order to give a semiotic meaning to landscape; a perspective not deeply studied yet. The symbolic complexity of Ancient Egyptians has been widely studied through its iconography or through its artistic elements but we have forgotten their own environment. Landscape is foremost a symbolic construction, a reference system where the different activities of a community acquire sense. Landscape is not a pre-existing reality, but a social and historically shaped one. This multidisciplinary approach will contribute to the understanding of the whole necropolis and also the role that Sheik Abd el-Qurna played in its development. Linking together the great material record of the funerary area with the symbolic thinking of Ancient Egyptian will create a wider insight into the Theban necropolis.Show less
In one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified...Show moreIn one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified by the goddess Ma'at - were the cornerstones of Ancient Egyptian religion and society. The Greek Ptolemies, who ruled over Egypt between 323 and 30 BC, would become famous for their advanced and intricate bureacracy, which also featured a highly effective law enforcement system. The Romans, more than any, prided themselves on their laws, which remain influential in modern societies to this day. This thesis sets out to discover the manner in which criminal justice in Egypt developed from the times of the New Kingdom, through the Ptolemaic era, and under Roman rule. Not only for the abovementioned anecdotal reasons, but also because the capability to deal with crime and to maintain order can serve as an indicator for a successful administration in general. Because criminal law forms an integral part of a legal system as a whole, which, in turn, is inseparable from the general administrative system of a country, all of these will be taken into account. The following questions will be answered in this thesis: how were the various legal and administrative systems organized?; which actions were considered to be crimes by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans?; who possessed the legal authority to deal with these matters?; and in what manner were criminal transgressions dealt with in practice? In the end, the aim is to not only find out how criminal justice developed in the course of nearly two millennia, but also to offer an explanation as to why these developments took their specific course.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Childhood to Adulthood: A Rite of Passage in the New Kingdom The primary rites of passage in ancient Egypt are funerary rites. However, it is possible to see some rites of passage from childhood...Show moreChildhood to Adulthood: A Rite of Passage in the New Kingdom The primary rites of passage in ancient Egypt are funerary rites. However, it is possible to see some rites of passage from childhood into adolescence and further into adulthood. This rite of passage was a process rather than a specific instance. This process includes a period of separation, a period of transition and a period of incorporation. Many of these were not clearly documented. In this thesis, the following questions are addressed: Are there any rites of passage from childhood into adulthood during the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt? If so, was there a distinct age or age range that these rites occurred during? Were these rites celebrated publicly as a ceremonial rite or privately?Show less
