This MA thesis focuses on ceramics from the Bronze and Iron Ages in the southern Netherlands (2000-12 BC) and their use for dating purposes. Researchers used to define and subsequently date types...Show moreThis MA thesis focuses on ceramics from the Bronze and Iron Ages in the southern Netherlands (2000-12 BC) and their use for dating purposes. Researchers used to define and subsequently date types on the basis of characteristics, which is known as a typo-chronology. Around the mid-20th century, absolute dating, and 14C dating in particular, was developed. The legacy of typo-chronology was kept alive, however, and only sporadically questioned by researchers that reverted to absolute dating. In many cases, this questioning was also carried out for narrower time periods. This thesis brings typo-chronologies and absolute dating together within the context of a wider time period, in order to discover the current status of research for this wider time period and to find out how/where research is currently lacking. This endeavour was started by initially compiling an overview of the applicable typo-chronologies considering a handful of variables relating to shape, decoration and material. Subsequently, a compilation of research was made that compares ceramics to absolute dating. Aside of this, a dataset of ceramic assemblages tied to absolute dating was created and discussed. The combined data was used for discussions and conclusions. Finally, the combined results were used to create a physical reference collection with a manual containing a lot of tables and imagery. The main conclusions are that some periods (e.g. Late Bronze Age) are typologically overshadowed by other periods (Iron Age). The vast amount of detail of the leading Iron Age typo-chronology generally causes researchers to make mistakes. Recommendations include paying more attention to some periods and types of ceramics in order to fill voids of knowledge created by focus and disregard. Better compilations and visualisations (e.g. 3D scans) of absolutely dated examples are also recommended.Show less
This MA thesis focuses on ceramics from the Bronze and Iron Ages in the southern Netherlands (2000-12 BC) and their use for dating purposes. Researchers used to define and subsequently date types...Show moreThis MA thesis focuses on ceramics from the Bronze and Iron Ages in the southern Netherlands (2000-12 BC) and their use for dating purposes. Researchers used to define and subsequently date types on the basis of characteristics, which is known as a typo-chronology. Around the mid-20th century, absolute dating, and 14C dating in particular, was developed. The legacy of typo-chronology was kept alive, however, and only sporadically questioned by researchers that reverted to absolute dating. In many cases, this questioning was also carried out for narrower time periods. This thesis brings typo-chronologies and absolute dating together within the context of a wider time period, in order to discover the current status of research for this wider time period and to find out how/where research is currently lacking. This endeavour was started by initially compiling an overview of the applicable typo-chronologies considering a handful of variables relating to shape, decoration and material. Subsequently, a compilation of research was made that compares ceramics to absolute dating. Aside of this, a dataset of ceramic assemblages tied to absolute dating was created and discussed. The combined data was used for discussions and conclusions. Finally, the combined results were used to create a physical reference collection with a manual containing a lot of tables and imagery. The main conclusions are that some periods (e.g. Late Bronze Age) are typologically overshadowed by other periods (Iron Age). The vast amount of detail of the leading Iron Age typo-chronology generally causes researchers to make mistakes. Recommendations include paying more attention to some periods and types of ceramics in order to fill voids of knowledge created by focus and disregard. Better compilations and visualisations (e.g. 3D scans) of absolutely dated examples are also recommended.Show less
The aim of the present research is to examine sugar cane production centers in medieval Cyprus with an in-depth exploration of the technology employed in sugar production including a comparison...Show moreThe aim of the present research is to examine sugar cane production centers in medieval Cyprus with an in-depth exploration of the technology employed in sugar production including a comparison with other production sites around the Mediterranean. The objectives of this investigation are to trace the technological innovation, the knowledge transfer and exchange networks which existed at the time. In addition, the present study investigates the relationships of the owners, and the status of the workforce. Finally, theories related to capitalism and globalization and how they were implemented in sugar production are put forward. The research question is investigated by examining archaeological data of the sugar production sites using online literature in combination with written sources including trade documents, travelers' accounts and state archives. This study exposes that technological knowledge in sugar production derived from the East, but no compact “package” existed. Horizontal water mills were introduced throughout Cyprus from the East (the Levant), while a vertical one at Kouklia and the presses were introduced by the Crusaders. Concerning the pottery making technology, there was a widely used repertoire which was implemented by the Crusaders who owned most of the sugar production centers in the Mediterranean. However, a degree of flexibility in typology choices did occur. The relationship between owners of sugar production sites relied heavily on diplomacy. The workforce was diverse with francomati, parici and, at one point, slaves all employed. The economic system was a hybridization of capitalism and feudalism. Finally, the study shows that sugar production followed Jennings’ model of globalization to an extent. This study of sugar production in medieval Cyprus elucidates technological, social and economic dimensions of human life.Show less
The archaeology of the Ottoman Empire has rarely been the focus of research and the period has often been neglected by scholars. Although a lot of information is available from the extensive...Show moreThe archaeology of the Ottoman Empire has rarely been the focus of research and the period has often been neglected by scholars. Although a lot of information is available from the extensive historical record of the empire, the archaeological data is scarce. Pottery from the Ottoman period, however, is the exception and it has been the subject of a large number of publications. The aim of this research was to analyse the pottery assemblages from three cities - Belgrade, Sofia, and Varna, during the Ottoman period, from the 15th until the 19th century. Since historical sources mention that the cities are economically and demographically very different from each other, the research aimed to see if these differences were visible in the archaeological record. For that purpose, publications of Ottoman period pottery from the three cities were studied. The number and characteristics of both imported and local pottery vessels were noted and the gathered data was added to a database. Finally, this database was analysed and the results were compared with written evidence of trade and population change. The results showed noticeable differences in the pottery assemblages, during periods of migration and economic decay. For both Belgrade and Varna, the ratio of locally produced pottery made in the Ottoman tradition seemed to increase during periods of Muslim migration into the cities. Unfortunately, lack of local pottery data from Sofia prevented similar analysis. The economic situation in the cities also seemed to correlate to the type and amount of the imported ceramics they received. The decline in the economic strength of the Ottoman Empire could possibly be identified with the decline of the variety in both local and imported pottery. Overall, this thesis proves that combining both archaeological and historical data could provide us with a remarkably detailed picture of the processes not only in the Ottoman Empire, but also in every historical state. Further research could include new cities and regions into the dataset. This could allow for a better understanding of the economic and demographic processes within the Ottoman Empire.Show less
This dissertation focuses on a 12th -13th middle-late Byzantine pottery assemblage from Alexander’s Hill at Sagalassos, SW Turkey. Excavations on Alexander’s Hill offered valuable information...Show moreThis dissertation focuses on a 12th -13th middle-late Byzantine pottery assemblage from Alexander’s Hill at Sagalassos, SW Turkey. Excavations on Alexander’s Hill offered valuable information concerning the last occupation phase of the site before the definite prevalence of the Seljuk Turks. Picking up the torch from past research, this dissertation continues with the in-depth study of the assemblage, which is consisted of sherds coming from coarse wares and glazed tableware. The aims of this research are first to investigate the provenance of the material comparing them to local clay sources of Sagalassos territory and specifically for the glazed samples, to explore whether or not there is a connection to the medieval glazed pottery workshops of Cyprus. The methodology followed for the completion of the project included a series of successive analyses, macroscopic, petrographic and chemical analysis (ICP-OES). The results and their comparison to local and Cypriot (glazed tableware) clay sources, suggested that the assemblage should be considered an import to the site. Furthermore, available data from Cypriot sites did not show any connections as well. Future research on other possibly non-yet discovered clay sources from Sagalassos’ territory and more data coming from more glazed tableware production centres in Cyprus would further develop research on the subject. This project contributes to the ongoing research in Sagalassos by shedding more light on this transitional time-period. In addition, the site can act as a proxy for the investigation of settlement development in medieval Anatolia.Show less
Ceramics are among the most commonly found materials recovered from the archaeological record. Ceramic objects can provide a variety of information about the life of people in the past. Therefore,...Show moreCeramics are among the most commonly found materials recovered from the archaeological record. Ceramic objects can provide a variety of information about the life of people in the past. Therefore, archaeologists have at their disposal a variety of (traditional) techniques to study pottery, in order to make inferences about the communities that used the pottery. Recently, analytical methods in the field of ceramic studies, such as residue analysis and microscopic use-wear analysis have developed. In this research, the applicability of use-wear analysis for ceramics is addressed. The methodology applied to this research integrates both use-wear analysis and experimental archaeology. The archaeological dataset consisted of ceramics from the Iron Age settlements of Mont Lassois and the Heuneburg and experimental vessels. The aim of this study was to create a reference collection for use-wear traces on ceramics and to study whether use-wear observed on the experimental vessels could be related to traces on the archaeological ceramics, in order to infer about ceramic function in the past. Unlike other archaeological materials, use-wear analyses on ceramics has not been widely applied yet (Skibo 2015). Replicas of vessels from Mont Lassois and the Heuneburg have been created at the Material Culture Studies Laboratory at the University of Leiden. A series of experiments was carried out in order to replicate various domestic activities such as food preparation, the storing of pots and cooking. The use-wear traces created during the experiments as well as observed on the archaeological ceramics were analyzed by means of a stereomicroscope. Microscopic pictures were taken of the use-wear traces, and the vessels have been drawn to record the traces, in order to establish a vast reference collection. In order to get a better understanding of pottery use and the accumulation of wear on vessels, the use-wear traces on the experimental vessels were compared to the archaeological material from Mont Lassois and the Heuneburg. It was determined that similar use-wear traces could be observed both on the experimental as well as on the archaeological material. Use-wear analysis can provide more detailed information about the actual use of pottery in the past. Therefore, an important step in the chaîne opératoire, or life biography, of pottery can be studied. To conclude, in a multidisciplinary research use-wear analysis can greatly add to existing analytical methods, providing specific information on the handling of vessels and their corresponding gestures.Show less
This study has shown why the difficult to make and very expensive black fond was made on Delft black pottery between 1675-1725. This has been done by looking at different sources from the...Show moreThis study has shown why the difficult to make and very expensive black fond was made on Delft black pottery between 1675-1725. This has been done by looking at different sources from the seventeenth century as well as recent studies about this subject. The most recent sources are explaining how Delft black pottery was produced to make pottery that looked like Japanese black lacquerware and Chinese black porcelain. Sources form the seventeenth century are telling us that people in Japan as well as in de Dutch Republic were very fond of and fascinated by the colour black. In Japan black was seen as a gentlemen’s colour, and in Europe it was so rare that only the richest people of the Republic were able to afford black clothing. Because of the costs, the many problems the potters faced when manufacturing Delft black and the old sources, the contemporary ideas about the underlying meaning of this pottery seem too farfetched. Based on other sources from the seventeenth century, such as inventory lists and paintings, research has been done after collecting black objects before and in the years Delft black was made. When looking at the inventories and paintings, a remarkable increase is visible in the number of black objects that people possessed. Besides the increase of these black objects which shows us how fashionable it was around 1700, black was also a formal colour to wear, even when people possessed the coloured clothing that were much newer in fashion. Although Japan did not influence the Republic in their thought about ‘black as a gentlemen’s colour’, in both countries it was a status symbol. The colour black was in fashion in the Dutch Republic, which was the reason for the best potters of Delft to attempt to produce Delft black pottery.Show less
Animals have played a major role in the Halaf. Animals did not only figure in Halaf subsistence and the economy, but they also played a prominent role in symbolism. We encounter animals in...Show moreAnimals have played a major role in the Halaf. Animals did not only figure in Halaf subsistence and the economy, but they also played a prominent role in symbolism. We encounter animals in different material categories, as images in wall paintings, on Halaf Fine Ware ceramics, sealings, and as stamps for sealing, amulets, and figurines. Animal remains have been found alongside those of humans, or in other special or ritual contexts. How can we understand these animal representations and ‘ritual’ animal deposits? This preliminary study explores the meanings of animals in the Halaf by using a new approach that was never employed in this area before: Social zooarchaeology. Social zooarchaeology views animals not only as ‘good to eat’, but also as ‘good to think with’ as Lévi-Strauss so famously pointed out. This study investigates multiple case studies from various sites, like Domuztepe (Turkey), Tell Kurdu (Turkey), Kazane Höyük (Turkey), Fıstıklı Hüyük (Turkey), Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), Tell Khirbet esh-Shenef (Syria), Tell Arpachiyah (Iraq), Banahilk (Iraq), and Yarim Tepe I and II (Iraq). In order to interpret the various animal representations and ritual deposits, every material category and ritual animal deposit is considered in its depositional context and context of use. Furthermore, comparisons with the zooarchaeological record are made, and subsistence. Four main contexts can be recognized in which animals fulfilled symbolic roles, and these often overlap: 1) Domestic space, 2) ‘ritual’, including communal events, commensality and burial, and 3) administration, including storage, the marking of property, and the usage of objects as mnemonic devices, and 4) bodily adornment. It appears that animals might have functioned as a common spoken language in the sharing economy, figuring in complex narratives, myths, and rituals, enforcing human-human relationships and tying together diverse people from various backgrounds in communal events.Show less
Stylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine...Show moreStylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine Ware is generally dominated by geometric motifs. There is more about these figurative motifs than meets the eye. Apart from species identification, how can we interpret this figurative art? This study investigates the animal symbolism as painted on Halaf Fine Ware ceramic containers from Tell Sabi Abyad, located in the Balikh region of northern Syria. In order to interpret these animal motifs, the study contextualizes the motifs against the zoo-archaeological record, the depositional context, and the context of use. It appears that animals used in art were special, showing an inverse relationship with the faunal record. These animals probably represented seasonality and danger, and they may have been related to taboos and apotropaic magic. Moreover, some animals might have functioned within complex narratives, which were brought to life as the vessels upon which they were painted were discussed during Halaf commensality practices.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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This Research Master thesis deals with societal contacts during the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period in the southern Levant. More specifically, it focusses on Tell Deir ‘Alla, a site...Show moreThis Research Master thesis deals with societal contacts during the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period in the southern Levant. More specifically, it focusses on Tell Deir ‘Alla, a site in the middle Jordan Valley. The main question to be answered in thesis is: What is the position of Deir ‘Alla in the societal landscape of the Middle to Late Bronze Age transitional period? An answer was provided through the study of the ceramic material from the site. After a discussion of the stratigraphic context of the material, a typology was constructed. This was compared with typologies at other sites. Based on these typological comparisons and some observations about the general pottery development throughout the region, the majority of the studied pottery assemblage of Deir ‘Alla was tentatively dated to the MB III period. The wider societal structures can be observed through the study of pottery. It is assumed that through certain technological traits in the pottery, certain aspects of the chaine opératoire can be inferred. This is done by looking at production technology, production organization and distribution and exchange. These observations were combined with conclusions in the literature that were made based on settlement patterns. It was possible to get to a better understanding of the interactions between sites in within the Jordan Valley.Show less
The focus of the thesis is to research what kind of influence the debate on the value of pottery versus metal from the 1980s has had on our current view of Greek archaeology, its material culture...Show moreThe focus of the thesis is to research what kind of influence the debate on the value of pottery versus metal from the 1980s has had on our current view of Greek archaeology, its material culture and how this is presented to the public in museums. By reviewing literature from the last three decades, an overview is given of what different scholars’ opinions are and where this debate is standing now. A summary of the thesis of Vladimir Stissi will provide answers and arguments for most of the statements used in the discussion. He offers a possible solutions for the problem of the value of pottery, calling figure decorated wares a semi-luxury. Finally, a small research is done, analyzing the Greek collections of six museums to find out how ceramic vases are displayed. Most objects are arranged chronologically and themes being told by depictions on vases. Metal or plain examples are absent in most museum, due to the fact that these items were difficult to collect in the earlier days or were not considered valuable or pretty. Museums play a large part in how the public sees the ancient Greek culture. Displaying different sorts of material, connecting them and making more use of texts, will change the way how ancient times were considered by the present public.Show less
