This thesis tries to answer questions about aegyptiaca at certain Greek sanctuaries in the Archaic period. We hope to shed light on aspects of Greek-Egyptian contact and exchange, as well as the...Show moreThis thesis tries to answer questions about aegyptiaca at certain Greek sanctuaries in the Archaic period. We hope to shed light on aspects of Greek-Egyptian contact and exchange, as well as the Greek perception of ‘Egyptian’, and Greek religious practice. As background are discussed the theories behind material culture studies, the general history of Greek-Egyptian contact, the Greek view on Egypt as discussed by Herodotus, and the nature of Greek sanctuaries and votive dedications. Then, a closer look is taken at certain sanctuaries: Samos, Ephesus, Perachora, Artemis Orthia, Delphi and Olympia. The aegyptiaca at these sites are discussed. Based on these data alone a conclusive answer to our question cannot be found. However, it becomes clear that these items were part of a complex and wide exchange system, rather than the result of direct contact between Archaic Greece and Egypt.Show less
The guard houses of Minoan Crete are often said to be defensible buildings, based on their location and architecture. However, were they really defensible? To answer the question of how defensible...Show moreThe guard houses of Minoan Crete are often said to be defensible buildings, based on their location and architecture. However, were they really defensible? To answer the question of how defensible these buildings were, three different methods were applied to a sample of guard houses. These methods were Least Cost Path analysis, the calculation of a Defensibility Index value, and Space Syntax with Visibility Graph Analysis. These methods have never been tried before and the results give new insight in how defensible these guard houses actually were. Not only from the outside, but from the inside as well. The results have confirmed that these guard houses are generally defensible buildings, although the defensibility differs per building and per method. In the future, a higher quality DEM and better datasets, that fix most of the flaws in the results presented here, will provide an even more accurate perspective on these guard houses.Show less
In this thesis a social-cultural interpretation is given of Tanagras by looking at their material context in graves and houses from Olynthus, in graves from Tanagra and sites in Macedonia and at...Show moreIn this thesis a social-cultural interpretation is given of Tanagras by looking at their material context in graves and houses from Olynthus, in graves from Tanagra and sites in Macedonia and at the Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore in Corinth. A link thus is made with the social identity of women and the role Tanagras played in substantiating this identity in daily life.Show less
De Egyptische Predynastieke periode wordt in het aardewerkrepertoire onder andere gekenmerkt door versieringen, waarvan onderzoekers altijd hebben verondersteld dat het schepen betrof. Deze...Show moreDe Egyptische Predynastieke periode wordt in het aardewerkrepertoire onder andere gekenmerkt door versieringen, waarvan onderzoekers altijd hebben verondersteld dat het schepen betrof. Deze versieringen liggen ten grondslag aan veel theorieën betreft de vroeg Dynastieke religie en ideologie, en buitenlandse contacten met onder andere Mesopotamië, ondanks dat het materiaal nooit eerder kritisch onder de loep is genomen. In deze scriptie is het Predynastiek materiaal aan de hand van een door de auteur samengestelde catalogus aan de tand gevoeld om de variabiliteit van de iconografische componenten (units) vast te stellen. Hieruit blijkt dat een aantal onderzoekers er een levendige fantasie op nahoudt, de iconografie wezenlijk evolueert en ons begrip van deze decoraties momenteel nog steeds slechts van zeer oppervlakkige aard is.Show less
Besides a probably important audible role the visual aspect of inscriptions shouldn’t be underestimated. In the Archaic Period the effect of visual text was explored and applied in different ways....Show moreBesides a probably important audible role the visual aspect of inscriptions shouldn’t be underestimated. In the Archaic Period the effect of visual text was explored and applied in different ways. In many cases the purpose was to be seen and maybe even more important than to be read. Public and semi-public showing off with writing is visible on dedications, law inscriptions and vases. Texts function to impress. By writing something down a certain statement is made. The importance (e.g. laws) and value of the object increase. Especially for pottery this has become art typical for the ancient Greeks.Show less
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the „otherness‟ of Archaic and (Early) Classical Sparta, and the existence of a shift between both periods. Sparta has always been considered to be...Show moreThe aim of this thesis was to investigate the „otherness‟ of Archaic and (Early) Classical Sparta, and the existence of a shift between both periods. Sparta has always been considered to be different. To enquire whether it really was different or not, I investigated the history of the research on Sparta and Laconia (chapter 1), the history of Sparta and Laconia in the broader perspective of Greek developments (chapter 2), the possibility of Sparta being a polis and its connections with other Greek centres (chapter 3), the supposed Spartan conquest of (first) the whole of Laconia, and further Messenia and reducing its people to Perioeci and Helots (chapter 4) and finally the Spartan mirage and the problem of the multiple villages Sparta existed of (chapter 5). To reach this goal, I favoured the „integrated approach‟: I used all possible sources, both textual and archaeological. The archaeological sources are, unfortunately not really abundant. In Sparta mainly rescue excavations have been carried out apart from the excavation of the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia and the Roman theatre, and only one thorough surface survey was carried out – just outside Sparta, to the east of the ancient city. Messenia has had one extensive and one intensive survey, but they are mainly limited to the western part of the province. Textual sources are more numerous, but they were mostly written by outsiders who looked at Sparta from an Athenocentric or otherwise biased viewpoint. They together created the mirage that Sparta was conservative, backwards, warlike, „other‟. Therefore we have to be careful to uncritically accept their statements.Show less
The comparative study of colonial phenomenas brings scholars from specific fields together in an attempt to analyse the processes at work in a local context and to make significant evaluations...Show moreThe comparative study of colonial phenomenas brings scholars from specific fields together in an attempt to analyse the processes at work in a local context and to make significant evaluations about local responses to colonial interactions, cultural assimilation, issues of power and trade, as well as the impact of the colonial experience on the hypothetical centre from which the “colonial appendix” stems. The comparative study of the Greek and Viking colonial movements allows for the discovery of many common aspects; archaeologists can compare the two phenomenas and to answer specific questions about how these came to be. In this paper, I have analysed the evidence for the Greek settlement of the Southern Ukrainian coast in the Archaic and Classical periods, specifically the sites of Olbia and Berezan, and the Viking expansion into present-day Russia and Ukraine. By bringing together the historical tradition of both, as well as the most recent archaeological research in this area, I have discovered that the comparative study of these two processes allows us to understand colonial settings in a clearer fashion, especially if the geographical setting is shared and the politico-economic situations bear several resemblances. This is the case for the Milesian colonies and the Viking hillforts and trade-posts along the Russian and Ukrainian rivers.Show less
The Roman army in Egypt is not much presented in the archaeology. The study of ancient Egypt is mainly done by Egyptologists who are more concerned with the Pharaonic era than the Roman era....Show moreThe Roman army in Egypt is not much presented in the archaeology. The study of ancient Egypt is mainly done by Egyptologists who are more concerned with the Pharaonic era than the Roman era. Furthermore the history of research in Egypt is mostly about the papyri that are found. The papyri of Egypt are a major source for our knowledge of the Roman army. This phenomenon produces problems when it comes to the archaeology of Roman Egypt. However in this thesis I try to focus on the known archaeological sites in Egypt which can tell something about the Roman military presence and its function. The popularity of Pharaonic Egypt is fairly reasonable because it was a long prosperous period for Egypt. The Egyptian pharaohs ruled approximately from 3000 B.C. till the Persian conquest in the seventh century B.C.1 which is long compared to the Roman occupation which lasted roughly 300 years when Byzantine rule is not counted. This different approach to the history of Egypt is clearly seen in books which introduce the reader or give an overview of ancient Egypt, for example An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt by Katherine Bard.2 Only one chapter is about the Roman rule. The length of the Pharaonic period demands this but it steals a lot of focus from the Roman period. Strangely enough because of the papyri, which only survive in Egypt, there is a lot of knowledge about the Roman army. R.O. Fink describes many aspects of the Roman army in Roman Military Records on Papyrus published in 1971.3 More recent books describe the Roman army in a historical sense. However in this thesis I want to focus on the archaeological side of the Roman army and compare its function to other provinces. Obviously I will also use some written sources but I will try to give mainly the archaeological point of view in order to get a different perspective. This thesis focuses on three issues: What was the function of the Roman army in Egypt? Is the function of the Roman army unique in Egypt or can it be recognized in other provinces? What can the archaeology of the Roman army in Egypt tells us of the Roman army in general? In order to give answers to these problems I have to give an overview of the archaeology of the Roman army in Egypt. Due to the reasons mentioned above this forms a problem on its own. The literature of Roman archaeology in Egypt is very limited. Most specific research is carried out in the Eastern Desert where some quarry sites are excavated. However other sites throughout Egypt are scarcely researched and often without archaeological methods.4 So the available literature is scattered and the goal of this thesis is also to make an overview of all this data. The first chapter gives an overview of the Roman army in general. The army is the most important feature on which the Roman Empire is build on. This feature shall be elaborated in the first chapter. The next chapter gives an overview of the Roman army in Egypt. This history will show the background of the Roman army and its location within Egypt. In the third chapter I will discuss the recruitment and function of the Roman soldiers. In the final two chapters I will discuss the various military installations. In the conclusion the contents of these chapters fall together in order to answer the above-mentioned issues.Show less
