Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
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A database of Neanderthal raw material transports and fauna from assemblages across Europe has been compiled with the aim to explore the evolution of the Neanderthals’ mobility behaviour with...Show moreA database of Neanderthal raw material transports and fauna from assemblages across Europe has been compiled with the aim to explore the evolution of the Neanderthals’ mobility behaviour with regard to the environment from the beginning of the Late Saalian (191 ka BP) to the demise of Neanderthals (40 ka BP). Mobility, as observed from the lithic transports in the Palaeolithic, is often interpreted as mirroring the social organisation of a group. As the study of Neanderthal mobility normally focuses on the maximum transport distances of lithics, such a methodology is seen as inadequate because three equifinal processes (subsistence activity, social transactions, and semi-random lithic scavenging) can account for these distances. Here, two different indicators of Neanderthal mobility are created based on the transport distances, quantities, and number of utilised raw material sources. These mobility variables and their relationship to the changing environment are then analysed using novel statistical techniques.Show less
Since the beginning of research on the Indus civilisation of northwest South Asia the issue of social and political organisation has been unresolved. Even basic things such as the bases for social...Show moreSince the beginning of research on the Indus civilisation of northwest South Asia the issue of social and political organisation has been unresolved. Even basic things such as the bases for social status and power are still unclear. The distribution of the Indus stamp seals and their iconography can give us some indication of social organisation within settlements. A more detailed analysis comparing them to different types of artefacts may result in a more nuanced understanding of social and economic hierarchies. This thesis will analyse variation in Indus seals across sites through analysis of an up-to-date corpus Indus stamp seals at the city of Mohenjo-Daro. The spatial distribution of the seals will be compared with the distribution of four types of artefacts linked to social organisation, trade and ideology: figurines, bangles, several types of beads and weights. This will also be reintegrated with architectural data. My hypothesis is that the distribution of seals within cities might be more indicative of their specific function in trade and administration than just the socioeconomic status of the owner. If this is the case, then variation in distribution may reflect different uses of the seals occurring in different areas of Mohenjo-Daro. There is a complex relationship between status, ideology and the expression of that status in the archaeological record. Studying one category of evidence, such as seals, bangles or architecture separate from each other will only give an incomplete picture; these types of data need to be combined to achieve a more complete understanding of them.Show less
