In the 1980s, archaeological studies near the village of Valkenburg, South-Holland, unearthed the skeletal remains of individuals buried at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery during the Roman period...Show moreIn the 1980s, archaeological studies near the village of Valkenburg, South-Holland, unearthed the skeletal remains of individuals buried at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery during the Roman period. Part of multiple Roman fortifications along the Limes dating from 40 A.D. onwards, the cemetery was likely used as a burial ground for inhabitants of the Valkenburg fort or nearby vicus, a civilian settlement. The cemetery comprised at least 250 cremated individuals as well as 47 inhumations, which is a striking find that contradicts the common Roman practice of cremation. Due to these inhumated skeletal remains, the site provides an unique opportunity to employ osteoarchaeological analysis to reconstruct the lives of individuals that lived in the Roman Frontier region. This thesis utilizes cross-sectional geometry and bilateral asymmetry analysis to infer activity patterns among individuals at the Valkenburg-Marktveld cemetery, as current research on the differences in bone geometry between different demographic groups within Roman communities in the Lower Rhine area is limited. The study further investigates the factors and potential activity patterns that might influence those variations, such as biological age and sex. To do so, it builds on the initial osteoarchaeological study conducted by Lonnée and Maat (1998), who reported the estimated sex and age-at-death of each individual. Following this, each relevant bone in the upper and lower limbs was measured on various points to generate the indices for each point of measurement, as well as calculate the percentage directional asymmetry (DA%) and absolute asymmetry (AA%). The resulting values were then compared statistically between the biological sexes and age-at-death categories. While statistical significance is limited, the interpretation of data highlights the potential of these analyses in inferring activity patterns. Results from the analysis indicate that males tend to display more robust and symmetric upper and lower limbs than females, which are likely attributable to biological factors or a wider range of activities in males. Age-at-death categories exhibited inconsistencies with patterns described in other study, which is possibly due to natural variation or the limited preservation and availability of the skeletal material. Despite the limited number of individuals that could be examined, this thesis contributes valuable insights into the application of cross-sectional geometry and bilateral asymmetry analysis in osteoarchaeological studies, complementing historical data and broadening our understanding of activities in Roman frontier regions.Show less
This research set out to determine whether or not a distinction could be made between three different kinds of (pre)historic societies, namely terrestrial hunter-gatherers, marine hunter-gatherers...Show moreThis research set out to determine whether or not a distinction could be made between three different kinds of (pre)historic societies, namely terrestrial hunter-gatherers, marine hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists based on the level of activity. What was examined was that, within terrestrial hunter-gatherers, the lower limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to long-distance traveling and running. Within the marine hunter-gatherers, the upper limb showed greater diaphyseal strength due to the fact that their way of transportation would mainly involve either swimming or the use of watercrafts. Also they do not need to be as nomadic as terrestrial hunter-gatherers. Both terrestrial and marine hunter-gatherers show a great level of sexual dimorphism within their skeleton due to different jobs performed by men and women. Within agricultural societies there is a decrease in diaphyseal strength of the long bones, whether these are from the upper limb or from the lower limb, and their shape changes from more oval to more circular. Another notorious change witnessed within the transition to agriculture is that there is a decrease in sexual dimorphism. This topic is still in a primal phase of investigation and telling activity patterns from bone is still very difficult.Show less
This thesis presents a study of the Neolithic assemblage of tools and implements from the megalithic temple complex of Tarxien, Malta. This complex was built and used by a Neolithic society between...Show moreThis thesis presents a study of the Neolithic assemblage of tools and implements from the megalithic temple complex of Tarxien, Malta. This complex was built and used by a Neolithic society between 3600-2400 BC. The Maltese archipelago boasts over 30 similar megalithic complexes, spread across the islands. For over a century, these megalith complexes have been intensively studied, but while there is a general consensus that these so-called temples held ritual or religious functions, many contradicting hypotheses about the origin of the complexes and their societal significance have been formulated by various scholars. These theories have been discussed to create a referential framework for this thesis and to emphasise how little attention has been paid to Neolithic tools and implements in earlier studies. In order to make a contribution to this debate, this study concentrated on this neglected group of artefacts: the Neolithic tools and implements from Tarxien. By means of a systematic analysis of these tools and implements this thesis was able to identify a number of activity patterns that might have played a role inside Tarxien. Based on the results achieved in the process of this thesis, it can be claimed that the temples did not only fulfill ritual and/or religious purposes, but a number of other activities can be associated with the Temple complex. Various activities, such as preparing food and the production of materials and other goods have been present at the site and it seems very likely that the complex was inhabited by a (small) group of people. Furthermore, based on the archaeological evidence examined by this study, it seems possible that the complex held a central function concerning the storage and (re)distribution of food (and/or other goods).Show less
