Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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While methodological examinations and evaluations on post-depositional processes, sampling, surface collection, the definition of ‘site’ and other phenomena in intensive and extensive surveys...Show moreWhile methodological examinations and evaluations on post-depositional processes, sampling, surface collection, the definition of ‘site’ and other phenomena in intensive and extensive surveys already came to the fore in the 1980s, less theoretical and methodological attention seems to be given to the archaeological process that takes place from the collection of the finds on the surface to the modes of archaeological interpretation. Although ceramological analyses often play a large role in reconstructing the past, especially in survey archaeology, the capabilities of the ceramologist in the ascription of chronology, function and provenance are often limited, resulting in a dataset that consists of data on various resolutions. In this light, a certain tension between our aim, providing a detailed reconstruction of the past, and our actual capabilities has to be acknowledged. These data, however, are the data we have to work with. This thesis explores the limits of our capabilities and dataset by applying a wide range of distributive and quantitative methods from a chronological and functional point of view. Although the survey data appear to be often biased to some extent, each of the applied methods is also fundamentally biased and is giving its own character to the dataset under examination. In this light, it should be stressed that the ‘source criticism’, which is often argued for in research, should be accompanied by a certain ‘instrumental criticism’. What seems to be apparent on the basis of the methodological exercises that are carried out in this thesis is a clear need to examine the archaeological record on the surface in its own right and context, as some of the methods applied clearly gave a different character to our own dataset when compared to the datasets of, for instance, the Eastern Korinthia Archaeological Survey and Sagalassos. In this light, the complexity of the formation of the archaeological record and even our own datasets should be acknowledged and a wide range of quantitative and distributive methods should be carried out in further research to comparatively examine and evaluate the complexity we encounter from the ‘raw’ data revealed by archaeology.Show less
The hairstyles of the empresses of the Roman Empire, like Julia Domna and Sabina Tranquillina, are distinctive for every empress. Sometimes the changes are subtle but sometimes they are also major....Show moreThe hairstyles of the empresses of the Roman Empire, like Julia Domna and Sabina Tranquillina, are distinctive for every empress. Sometimes the changes are subtle but sometimes they are also major. Empresses were known for these hairstyles and influenced the provinces with them. The coins that were distributed throughout the empire had enough details on them to reproduce these hairstyles. That these hairstyles were actually reproduced is visible on the tombstones from Britain. Not all hairstyles are distinctive on a tombstone, either because of the state of the tombstone or because the hair was styled at the back of the head which is not visible on a tombstone. The hairstyles that are distinctive on tombstones are very well visible and can actually add towards dating the tombstone more precisely. Hairpins were not depicted on either the sculptures of the empresses or on the tombstones but it is known from sources from other regions that they were used abundantly. Hairpins are found in different amounts on every site. Military sites along Hadrian’s Wall do not have as many hairpins as civilian based sites. An exception is South Shields, but this is a military site that was not actually along Hadrian’s Wall. From the civilian based sites we have learned that hairpins were found everywhere. A great place to find hairpins is at baths, this is represented by the finds from Caerleon and Wroxeter. One important conclusion about the hairpins is that the materials vary more among the later dated pins than they do among the earlier dated pins. Other finds that have to do with hairstyles are hair, hairpieces and hairnets, which can also be found but are not as common as hairpins. There has been an amazing find of a bun with hairpins in York but this is an extraordinary find. Other regions have yielded more examples but unfortunately not yet in Britain. There is one find from Britain of an elaborate decorated headband which is also extraordinary. Changes in hairstyles and fashion are visible in the archaeological record through the remains that are left of these hairstyles and depictions.Show less
This thesis investigated the spatial organisation and functional patterning of the rooms of the Oppian pavilion of the Domus Aurea, which was built by Emperor Nero in AD 60-68. The study uses a...Show moreThis thesis investigated the spatial organisation and functional patterning of the rooms of the Oppian pavilion of the Domus Aurea, which was built by Emperor Nero in AD 60-68. The study uses a combination of an analysis of the decorative programme of the Domus as published by Meyboom and Moormann in ‘Le Decorazioni Dipinte e Marmoree Della Domus Aurea di Nerone a Roma’ (2013), and an analysis of the spatial organisation of the building using Space Syntax techniques. The Oppian pavilion has never been subject to a formal spatial analysis prior to this thesis. The new perspective the analyses offer on the pavilion allows to shed new light on an area until now hardly explored. The results achieved by this thesis suggest that the Oppian pavilion was very unlikely to have had residential functions. Concluding from the Visibility Graph Analyses performed, most of the rooms were visually highly integrated, presuming rather a public function. At least two big dining rooms were present: rooms 40 and 128. The spatial and decorative characteristics of these rooms complement and amplify each other. The two rooms, moreover, were included in a pattern of visibility lines, called an ‘enfilade’. The enfilade pattern emerged from room 45a and continued on to the eastern end of corridor 92, from there it continued its way to room 132, and from room 132 it went through the Pentagonal Courtyard garden (no. 80a) and the porticoed gallery (no. 21), to end in room 9. A noticeable fact is that the enfilade pattern is cut off where the ‘Second Pentagonal Court’ is thought to have started. Hence it is very likely that th e ‘Second Court’ had a function that was entirely different from that of the rest of the Oppian pavilion. The spatial analysis in this thesis was applied from the perspective of the entrances of the pavilion only. Future investigations of the Domus which focus on all individual rooms as the root nodes for convex spatial studies could well contribute to gaining even more new insights into the spatial organisation of the pavilion.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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The focal point of this thesis is the relationship between women and jewellery in the Roman Empire. This relationship is surrounded by positive and negative values, e.g. the responses of ancient...Show moreThe focal point of this thesis is the relationship between women and jewellery in the Roman Empire. This relationship is surrounded by positive and negative values, e.g. the responses of ancient authors range from more positive comments to extreme criticism. The central research question was: What social norms, relations and values does jewellery signify regarding women in the Roman Empire? The central aim is to differentiate and investigate the social norms, relations and values that were associated with the relationship between women and jewellery. In order to do this, jewellery finds and sculptural representations of jewellery from Rome (defined as core) and Palmyra (defined as periphery) in the first two centuries AD were studied. These two categories of evidence were analysed separately per region and then compared. Comparative investigation of the material in both regions increases understanding of the signifying function of jewellery with regard to the prevailing social norms. In visual culture other values, social norms and relations come forward than in the jewellery finds. Four central aspects regarding the finds and representations were focused on: types of jewellery, context, social position of the owner/portrayed, and the expression of gender. These aspects followed from the framework that was developed to study the relationship between women and jewellery, which included the concepts gender, sculptural representations and core-periphery. The research problem this study intended to solve was that archaeological evidence has been rather neglected in the study of women and jewellery. The systematic quantitative and qualitative analyses of the jewellery finds and sculptural representations of jewellery from Rome and Palmyra, attempted here for the first time on exemplary sample sets, as well as the comparison between them, have brought new insights to this field of study.Show less
In this thesis, 19 strigils found on the Kops-Plateau in Nijmegen will be described and analyzed. A catalogue of the finds and distribution maps are to be found in the file. The strigils are...Show moreIn this thesis, 19 strigils found on the Kops-Plateau in Nijmegen will be described and analyzed. A catalogue of the finds and distribution maps are to be found in the file. The strigils are analized by means of looking at their context, distribution, and physical characteristics. A general introduction into the artefact is given and attention is paid to current research questions and methods in using this group of material.Show less
Een van de klassen aardewerk die veelvuldig bij archeologisch onderzoek in het Middellandse Zeegied wordt aangetroffen is African Red Slip Ware (ARSW). Dit wijdsverspreide Tunesische tafelwaar kan...Show moreEen van de klassen aardewerk die veelvuldig bij archeologisch onderzoek in het Middellandse Zeegied wordt aangetroffen is African Red Slip Ware (ARSW). Dit wijdsverspreide Tunesische tafelwaar kan belangrijke inzichten verschaffen in de lokale(Laat-)Romeinse economie, terwijl juist deze laatste fase van distributie vrijwel niet wordt onderzocht. Deze studie naar de distributie van ARSW in Boeotië laat het potentieel zien van onderzoek naar de verspreiding van dit aardewerk op een lokale en regionale schaal. Naast een indicatie voor status en economische activiteit blijkt het aardewerk ook te kunnen worden gebruikt om het karakter van verschillende sites aan te duiden. De relatief strikte dateringen van verschillende vormen uit Hayes zijn typo-chronologie maken het mogelijk om naast de ruimtelijke distributie ook de chronologische ontwikkeling van de distributie van het aardewerk in verschillende regio's te onderzoeken. Dit resulteert in een aantal parallelle (chronologische/ruimtelijke) ontwikkeling, maar vooral in regionale verschillen die kenmerkend zijn voor de Laat-Romeinse periode in Griekenland.Show less
In deze scriptie staat de volgende hoofdvraag centraal: Wat zijn de overeenkomsten en verschillen tussen het paardentuig dat is aangetroffen op de Romeinse vindplaats te Naaldwijk en de Romeinse...Show moreIn deze scriptie staat de volgende hoofdvraag centraal: Wat zijn de overeenkomsten en verschillen tussen het paardentuig dat is aangetroffen op de Romeinse vindplaats te Naaldwijk en de Romeinse vindplaats aan de Scheveningseweg in Den Haag? In de Romeinse periode was het landschap van West-Nederland dynamisch. Bewoning was in de hooggelegen gebieden gelegen. In de hooggelegen gebieden en de duinen zijn de omstandigheden voor de conservering van het paardentuig niet ideaal. De vindplaats in Naaldwijk was gelegen op een haakwal. Er is in 2004, 2007 en 2008 opgegraven. Er zijn zes bewoningsfasen te onderscheiden. Daaruit blijkt dat het om een ruraal inheemse nederzetting gaat. In de 6e bewoningsfase werd er Romeins materiaal uit de omgeving hergebruikt. De vindplaats aan de Scheveningseweg was gelegen op een strandwal. Er is van 1984 tot 1987 vlakdekkend opgegraven. Er zijn twee bewoningsfasen te onderscheiden. De 1e fase betreft het een boerenerf. In de 2e fase gaat het om een militaire vicus. Romeins paardentuig kan in militaire of civiele context zijn gebruikt. In de typochronologie is het paardentuig op basis van de typochronologie van Nicolay beschreven. Aan de hand van de archeologische context waarin het materiaal is gevonden kan worden bepaald hoe het paardentuig is gebruikt. In Naaldwijk zijn 21 stuks paardentuig aangetroffen, aan de Scheveningseweg dertien stuks paardentuig. Aan de Scheveningseweg is relatief gezien de hoeveelheid paardentuig veel hoger. Ook is de samenstelling is anders dan in Naaldwijk. Het paardentuig uit Naaldwijk is iets breder gedateerd. Deze duidelijke verschillen zijn te verklaren door de militaire context van de Scheveningseweg enerzijds en de civiele context van Naaldwijk.Show less
