This research studied the conceptualization of the functionality of power objects in the ancient world. With the help of emerging research fields on material agency and ancient emotions,...Show moreThis research studied the conceptualization of the functionality of power objects in the ancient world. With the help of emerging research fields on material agency and ancient emotions, instructions for making amulets have been studied to understand why ancient individuals put trust in certain objects that could, as they believed, influence their lives. This research has shown that the concept of protective circles can help to gain a better understanding of the believed functions of amulets and other power objects.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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The thesis presents descriptions, editions, translations and notes of ten unpublished Greek papyri (nine documentary, one literary) from the 2nd and 3rd century AD from Soknopaiou Nesos, Egypt. The...Show moreThe thesis presents descriptions, editions, translations and notes of ten unpublished Greek papyri (nine documentary, one literary) from the 2nd and 3rd century AD from Soknopaiou Nesos, Egypt. The documentary texts are then placed in their historical context, concerning administrative affairs, religious sacrifice and custom's duties; as well as in their archaeological context, as all papyri have been found in a single street (II-200) during excavations by the University of Michigan in 1931-32. The thesis provides new information on several published papyri from Soknopaiou Nesos, on the ancient village itself, and on the possible nature of street II-200.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
A mother, a wife, a queen, a healer, a magician, a resurrector of the dead, Isis embodied a variety of ideal characteristics for many different people, but to who did she mean what? This thesis...Show moreA mother, a wife, a queen, a healer, a magician, a resurrector of the dead, Isis embodied a variety of ideal characteristics for many different people, but to who did she mean what? This thesis intends to unravel the meanings ascribed to Isis in two distinct geographical locations, in terms of both temple and funerary contexts. Through the means of this investigation I will examine the processes by which Isis was worshipped in the Dakhleh Oasis and in Thebes, during the Roman period in Egypt. Isis was a multifaceted goddess whose worship was adopted by a whole variety of ethnicities throughout the Roman Empire, although she did not necessarily mean the same thing to these people. The thesis intends to gain an understanding of how and why Isis was being worshipped in the Dakhleh Oasis and in Thebes, and if they were in any way related. It will examine temples scenes, Isaic material culture and tomb depictions of Isis in the Dakhleh Oasis. Furthermore, pertaining to Thebes, temples scenes, evidence from the ‘cachette de Karnak’ and the ‘Soter group’ of Roman Egyptian coffins will be examined. The primary aim of this thesis is to establish a regional understanding of Isis in the Dakhleh Oasis, to thus make it possible to compare this data to other regions, one of which will already be undertaken here, Roman Thebes. The themes which underpin this thesis underpin this form of archaeological investigation as a whole, religious connectivity and mutual understanding, alongside evidence for innovation, globalisation and syncretism. This thesis aims to provide a detailed analysis of two specific datasets and demonstrate how comparable these can be, it will provide a regional understanding of an extremely diverse goddess whose relevance has taken off within recent years, and in part whose veneration still remains a mystery.Show less
