Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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This thesis examines how activism, based on the development of the Rights of Nature movement, influences the relationship between Dutch people and the North Sea as a food source. It investigates...Show moreThis thesis examines how activism, based on the development of the Rights of Nature movement, influences the relationship between Dutch people and the North Sea as a food source. It investigates the effects of the Rights of Nature on the sea’s utilization and the responses of Dutch people to the development of the Rights of Nature for the North Sea. It highlights the need for a shift toward more sustainable practices and a new balance between ecological preservation and socio-economic considerations, contributing to understanding the dynamics between the Dutch people and the North Sea in the framework of the Rights of Nature.Show less
During the last ice age, the North Sea was a dry land. Following the deglaciation, it became inundated because of the rising sea levels roughly 8 millennia ago. The North Sea region was inhabited...Show moreDuring the last ice age, the North Sea was a dry land. Following the deglaciation, it became inundated because of the rising sea levels roughly 8 millennia ago. The North Sea region was inhabited by humans and animals and provides major archaeological insights. In this thesis, an analysis of the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes of 14C dated skeletal remains from the North Sea is performed. The research question is to evaluate the potential outcome for paleo-ecological reconstructions during the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene, and contributions regarding human societies - in particular subsistence. The material consists for the most part of mammal skeletal remains, dating from the maximum of the 14C range (ca. 45,000 BP) to the Early Holocene. An overview of the data generated on the basis of all available measurements is given, focusing on stable isotopes. The data are discussed from various perspectives, such as the composition and biases of the database that is used in this thesis. An interesting observation is the difference in diet between Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene terrestrial mammals. This is caused by differences in the consumption of vegetation and suggests a change of landscape during this timerange. The isotope analysis of the North Sea material does confirm pre-existing hypotheses regarding dietary differences between animals. It also confirms the picture of how the North Sea area looked like many years ago: terrestrial and marine ecosystems dominated the Late Pleistocene landscape, after which it became more wet during the Early Holocene with the emergence of freshwater environments, the expansion of the marine environment and subsequent gradual disappearance of the terrestrial ecosystem. The potential of applying stable isotope research for paleo-ecological reconstructions is therefore clearly shown, even when it is based on a relatively limited sample of animal bones available.Show less
The archaeology of the Early Mesolithic period in the North Sea area is relatively still unknown. Human bone material from this area is fished and dredged at different locations in the North Sea,...Show moreThe archaeology of the Early Mesolithic period in the North Sea area is relatively still unknown. Human bone material from this area is fished and dredged at different locations in the North Sea, for instance the Brown Bank and the Eurogeul. This material is researched on the age of the bone, performed with the 14C dating method, for which the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) automatically are measured. These isotopes provides the possibility to reconstruct the palaeodiet of these people. The main question of this thesis is whether or not a diet is seen in the data of these samples, and if so, what the character of this diet was. The results of the majority of the samples show a diet mainly based on freshwater resources, with additions of terrestrial or marine resources. This corresponds with known data from other archaeological sites in Northwest Europe in the Early Mesolithic. These indicate a broad-spectrum economy; an economy mostly based on one specific resource, with additional food supply of other ecosystems. Although this analysis provides more information about the Early Mesolithic of the North Sea area, this dataset is small and there is no context of the material. The absence of faunal remains is in this sense a problem. However, this can be solved by using the stable isotopes of faunal remains from a broader context, such as remains from the North Sea in its entirety, the Netherlands and Denmark. Future research can possibly provide more and detailed information about these people of this area.Show less
