This BA thesis focusses on one aspect of the burial tradition of the late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age in the South of the Netherlands and adjacent Belgium (1100-500 B.C.). During this period...Show moreThis BA thesis focusses on one aspect of the burial tradition of the late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age in the South of the Netherlands and adjacent Belgium (1100-500 B.C.). During this period of time, the vast majority of the population of North-western Europe was buried in large collective cemeteries; urnfields. Therefore, this period was also known as the Urnfield Period. The deceased were cremated and buried in small burial pits, with or without urns, to which small burial mounds and ring ditches were added. Nevertheless, in different locations, there are examples of burials in which the deceased were buried in much older burial mounds (secondary burials) or changes have been made to these burial mounds (modifications). This concerns an aberrant burial practice with re-use of burial monuments from a distant past. Although this phenomenon has been named in several publications, it lacked further analysis hitherto. This research, which is based on literature review, accommodates such analysis with a further categorization, with the underlying purpose to recover patterns. To achieve the recovery of patterns several things have been researched, among which are the type of burial mounds re-used, the manner in which they were heightened, expanded and cut through, the locations within the burial mounds where the deceased were buried, the type of grave goods that were present, the type of individuals that were buried and the correlation between them. In addition, the potential motivations for this phenomenon have been discussed, to which degree this corresponds with common burials in urnfields and whether this could have been a collective tradition. This has revealed a high degree of diversity in re-use, yet there appears to be indication of specific choices, and in particular two specific patterns have been revealed. Firstly, several individuals were potentially purposefully buried eccentrically within older burial mounds, whereas others were buried in the centre, disturbing the original graves. Therefore, in some cases, one could have been aware that people from a near or distant past were buried in these burial mounds. Secondly, the practice of secondary burials almost exclusively concerned female individuals; at least in the cases with sex estimations. Because this research was focused on aberrant burial practices, the amount number of available samples was, in fact, too small for definitive conclusions. Further research could be directed at the expansion of the research area (e.g. to Germany) and, if possible, to research the (osteological) “raw data” of sites with cases of re-use.Show less
This thesis comprises the investigation of the differing manifestations of re-using Maya monumental architecture. It is focused on the region of Yucatán, the case studies being the Tigrillo Palace...Show moreThis thesis comprises the investigation of the differing manifestations of re-using Maya monumental architecture. It is focused on the region of Yucatán, the case studies being the Tigrillo Palace Complex at San Bartolo (Guatemala), the E- Group at Tikal (Guatemala), and an ancient Maya E-Group located in the contemporary community of Todos Santos Cuchumatán (Guatemala). The main focus lies in the analysis of the perception, meaning and function of architectural spaces, considering both past and present perspectives, in regard to the choices made by peoples in terms of how and why to re-use these structures. What do the diverse kinds of re-use and remodeling imply about notions of continuity and change within Maya society? What methods can be used to illuminate how people perceived their past? The Tigrillo Palace Complex at San Bartolo was completely reconstructed by settlers after the site was re-inhabited in the Late Classic period after 400 years of abandonment. A different kind of re-use is visible at the E-Group at Tikal, which was preserved through centuries of constant overbuilding, but subsequent construction phases did not exactly mirror those of the previous periods. The third case study, an ancient Maya E-Group complex located in the town of Todos Santos Cuchumatán, features monumental structures that are now re-used in the present day by the local indigenous community through ceremonial and ritual activities taking place within the building complex. This study will compare and contrast the three diverging ways of re-use and re-interpretation of monumental architecture from the past and consider its role in the present. Especially the study of how contemporary Maya peoples are incorporating ancient Maya structures into their daily lives is aimed to shed light on the potential of including Indigenous Peoples into scientific research. Furthermore, one central aspect of this work is raising awareness for the situation of Indigenous Peoples in Mesoamerica, and to discuss how archaeological approaches can be designed to benefit not only archaeologists, but also indigenous communities. The potential of including Indigenous specialists into research should be recognised and made use of; in addition to this, it is crucial to include indigenous voices and opinions - not merely as consultants of Western researchers, but as specialists themselves that can actively and freely participate in the planning and implementation of research projects.Show less
