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
The natural process of death is feared by plenty of people, but death is also popularized. The topic of death has a prominent place in popular culture. Crime TV-shows have been extensively covering...Show moreThe natural process of death is feared by plenty of people, but death is also popularized. The topic of death has a prominent place in popular culture. Crime TV-shows have been extensively covering this topic for quite some time. The way that crime shows address death is different from humanity’s fundamental understanding of death: to treat the dead with respect and value the persons they once were. In essence, crime TV-shows have created a different understanding of death. Because of its popularity, it can be questioned whether crime TV-shows affect other cultural forms. Art, just as crime shows, has an extensive history within the theme of death. Since death is a recurring topic in both art and crime TV-shows, it is of significance to research if and how these two cultural forms are connected. Consequently, this paper researches to what extent the new understanding of death, created by crime TV-shows, is reflected in contemporary art. Three case studies of contemporary artworks are discussed to illustrate to what extent the new understanding of death is reflected in art. These include The Class (2005) by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Cleaning (2009) by Teresa Margolles, and 48 Star Flag (1990-2005) by Andrew Krasnow. The topic of death in these artworks is very literal since human remains are used in the creation of the artwork. Each of the three artworks sheds a light on a different aspect of the dead human body, namely corpses, blood, and skin. The paper discusses to what extent the artworks relate to crime TV-shows, which provides a deeper understanding of how the artworks reflect the new understanding of death.Show less
This master thesis focuses on human remains collections from the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro and the Musée de l’Homme that became a part of the Musée du Quai Branly ethnographic collections...Show moreThis master thesis focuses on human remains collections from the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro and the Musée de l’Homme that became a part of the Musée du Quai Branly ethnographic collections in Paris. This thesis explores museum presentations and arrangement of human remains, referring to ways of displaying human remains in the Musée d’ethnographie du Trocadéro, the Musée de l’Homme and the Musée du Quai Branly. It examines the history of the museums and the history of human remains collections from South America and Oceania and their changing role in museum exhibitions, as well as the transition between two categories of objects: objects of culture and objects of nature. The main source for this analysis was the archival photographic collections of the Musée de l’Homme. This thesis argues that the categorisation of human remains as objects of culture or as objects of nature correlates with the ways they are displayed. The way in which human remains are categorised is related to the shifts in disciplinary practice and prevalent theories within the discipline of anthropology. I shall argue that these shifts are visible in the display of human remains in ethnographic museums. Moreover, I argue that these shifts in theory and practice correlate with the opposition of nature and culture and their visualisation through the museum display of human remains.Show less
In the municipality of Oegstgeest (NL), an early medieval settlement was excavated spanning an area of circa eight hectares. The excavation revealed both the core habitation areas and the periphery...Show moreIn the municipality of Oegstgeest (NL), an early medieval settlement was excavated spanning an area of circa eight hectares. The excavation revealed both the core habitation areas and the periphery of the settlement. Among the thousands of features and finds related to the daily activities of the inhabitants, 27 contexts were excavated that contained human remains, of which nine contained (partially) complete individuals, and 18 secondary deposited remains. The human remains and their associated contexts are the focus of this research. The human remains were subjected to various analyzes, which provided different views on the lives and deaths of the inhabitants of early medieval Oegstgeest. Based on the analysis of the geographical location of the remains, it was argued that the choice for burial location was influenced by the presence of landmarks with a liminal character, such as boundary ditches. The analysis of the burial features, and the position of the corpse therein, revealed a variety of body positions and sepulchers. The osteological analysis of the bones indicated that a minimum of thirteen individuals was represented in the assemblage. The primary inhumations consisted of both male and female individuals with a varying age-at-death. The demographic composition of the deviant burials and secondary deposits was highly homogenous, consisting almost exclusively of adult male individuals. Few pathological conditions were identified, but a relatively large number of bones (from secondary deposits) exhibited perimortem sharp force trauma and scavenging marks. From five individuals strontium and/or stable oxygen isotopes were analyzed to determine the area in which they were born. The results indicated that four individuals were not born in the coastal region of the Netherlands. It was possible to state that the five individuals were born in four different areas. Based on the isotope results, it was argued that early medieval migration flows were more diverse than previously thought. The final part of the thesis discussed cultural explanations for the phenomena that were observed in the assemblage of human remains. For the secondary deposits it was proposed that they were the product of an excarnation ritual. Possibly the wolf, raven and eagle - important animals in early medieval mythology- fulfilled a role in the excarnation process. Alternatively, the secondary deposits and deviant primary deposits might be the product of ritual offerings to specific Celtic deities. Sun or wheel symbols found in the settlement (such as in a deposit of human bones and on a silver bowl), were possibly also linked to a Celtic religious cult. The cremated remains of one individual, found in the fill of disused well, were interpreted as a foundation- or closure deposit. For the primary inhumations, which were exclusively found near the boundaries of habitation areas, it was proposed that they possibly served as territorial markers. Depositing deceased relatives at the periphery of the household estate might have strengthened the ancestral affiliation, and thereby the claim on the territory.Show less
This research will address the role of human remains collections within an ethnology museum as viewed by the museum personnel – curators, museum managers, catalog and reserve managers as well as...Show moreThis research will address the role of human remains collections within an ethnology museum as viewed by the museum personnel – curators, museum managers, catalog and reserve managers as well as education and public relations departments-. The research focuses in the specific case study of the personnel at the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde in Leiden, The Netherlands. It has been conducted on the base of individual interviews and groups interviews with the museum personnel. The field work for this thesis took place over five months, and focused on the “Pre- Columbian mummy collection”. The aim of this research was to present a case study of what curators in the Netherlands think in regards to human remains in collections and their use in exhibits and the relation between these opinions and the institutional policies followed in regards to human remains at the Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde. The results show that personal and professional opinions of the museum personnel are closely related to museum policies and influenced by museum practices of repatriation and consultation with source communities. However, it became apparent that guidelines regarding the display an use of skeletonized human remains such as skulls and objects manufactured with human remains need to be discussed and agreed upon.Show less
