Based on the available material evidence, it has been proposed that for the most past of the Middle Chalcolithic period, populations were organized in individual households within relatively...Show moreBased on the available material evidence, it has been proposed that for the most past of the Middle Chalcolithic period, populations were organized in individual households within relatively egalitarian societies (Knapp, 2013, p. 241). However, during the second part of this period, certain signs of social inequality are traced in the archaeological record (Knapp 2013, p. 241-244; Peltenburg 2013; Steel 2004, p. 93). Following this “rise of individual status” there is an informational/occupational hiatus, detected at the site of Kissonerga-Mosphilia and probably also at Lemba-Lakkous, and it is dated at the transitional period between the Middle and Late Chalcolithic periods (Knapp, 2013, p. 246; Peltenburg, 1993, p. 15; Steel, 2004, p. 106). Concerning Pottery production, the production of the once ubiquitous Red-on-White vessels gradually receded, while there was a simultaneous rise in the production of Red Monochrome Pottery (Bolger, 2007, p. 173; Knapp, 2013, p. 229). Finally, following this transitional period was, as Peltenburg interpreted, a time of social equality reconstitution within the Late Chalcolithic societies (Peltenburg, 1998, p. 252). Chlorakas-Palloures, in the Paphos region, southwest of Cyprus, is one of the very few archaeological sites that possess safely stratified material remains from the transitional stage between the Middle and the Late Chalcolithic periods (Bolger et al., 2004, p. 112; Düring et al., 2021, p. 681). Therefore, an analysis of its Pottery assemblage might shed more light into the knowledge gap of this period. In the present pilot study, I analyze 32 thin sections, sampled from ceramic vessels which appertain to the Red-on-White, Red Monochrome Painted and Plain White Chalcolithic Pottery categories, coming from Chlorakas-Palloures. As means to their analysis, I implement the method of Thin-section Ceramic Petrography and my main research question is: “What can a petrographic analysis show about the technological evolution and variability of production of Red Monochrome, Red-on-White and Plain White Chalcolithic Pottery, at the site of Chlorakas-Palloures?”. My goal is to describe the chaȋne operatoire of each Pottery ware under study, in order to contribute any possible information regarding the steps of their technological production and their technological evolution. Finally, I intend to evaluate whether there was any type of specialization in ceramic production, such as the ones of the possible pendant-maker workshop at Kissonerga-Mosphilia and the conspicuously luxurious production of pendants and figurines at Laona (Knapp, 2013, 209, 239; Steel, 2004, p. 89).Show less
Vlaardingen Culture (3400-2500 BC), a regional late Neolithic group in the western Netherlands, is offering a glimpse into the gradual transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic lifestyle,...Show moreVlaardingen Culture (3400-2500 BC), a regional late Neolithic group in the western Netherlands, is offering a glimpse into the gradual transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic lifestyle, since its’ subsistence system can be characterised by the ‘broad spectrum economy’. Hence, Vlaardingen culture people were based on agriculture, but still depending on wild resources. This is also reflected in the types of occupation on different ecological zones, expressed with permanent settlements dominating on the coastal dunes and temporary extraction camps mainly on wetlands. However, a distinction between the two is not always possible for Vlaardingen Culture sites, creating the need for further research. As part of the ‘Putting Life into Late Neolithic Houses’ project, this thesis focused on the study of variabilities in hide-working processes, as an argument in the dialogues about occupation duration in Vlaardingen Culture sites. Based on ethnographic accounts, the working hypothesis suggested that traces of initial stages of hide-working would be dominant in temporary extraction camps, while traces of more time-consuming hide-working activities would be present in permanent settlements. Use-wear analysis was used as a method to study this inter-site variability, while engaging with an experimental approach. The potential variability of use-wear traces generated by different hide-working processes was experimentally studied. The experiments were involving fresh hide scraping as an initial stage in hide-working processes, and the understudied dehairing as a more time-consuming activity, representative of permanent settlements. The results of this experiment demonstrated that if certain conditions are met, traces of dry hide scraping can be differentiated from those of dehairing. The material studied for this thesis is originating from the permanent coastal dune site of Den Haag Steynhof, and is concerning 37 flint scrapers selected from zone 5 of the site. Notably, after use-wear analysis was conducted, matching traces were found between the experimental dehairing scrapers and three of the archaeological scrapers, making Steynhof the first Vlaardingen Culture site to have yielded such traces. Furthermore, the results of the analysis showed that time-consuming hide-working activities, including resharpening, were better represented than initial stages of hide-working in Steynhof. This pattern was also observed on other Vlaardingen Culture permanent settlements, while initial stages were dominating in the temporary extraction camp of Hekelingen III, hence confirming the hypothesis. Consequently, it could be used as an argument to infer about the occupation duration of Vlaardingen Culture sites as well as other Neolithic sites of the region, characterised by the ‘broad spectrum economy’. Hence, this study would be applicable when other arguments for the occupation duration of sites remain inconclusive.Show less
This research attempted to answer the following question: ‘What was the function of the Mesolithic small (<88,5mm) barbed bone points from the North Sea and what does this contribute to our...Show moreThis research attempted to answer the following question: ‘What was the function of the Mesolithic small (<88,5mm) barbed bone points from the North Sea and what does this contribute to our understanding of subsistence strategies of the inhabitants of the North Sea Basin?’ In order to answer this question an assemblage of 28 archaeological small barbed bone points – that originate from the North Sea in front of the Dutch coast of Zuid-Holland – was studied. This thesis started in chapter 1 with an outline of research that was already conducted on these points by Verhart (1986; 1988; 2000) Tsiopelas (2010) and Spithoven (2016). Thereafter, it was explained in chapter 2 how the research was conducted: literature research, experimental archaeology and use wear analysis. In chapter 3, it was outlined how these points fit within the archaeological context: Mesolithic Doggerland. The shooting experiment conducted for this research was discussed in chapter 4 and in chapter 5 the results of this experiment were compared with the results of the use wear analysis. The use wear analysis was conducted on 28 archaeological points in comparison to six experimental points from the shooting experiment. In chapter 6, the social factors which could have influenced the life history of the points were discussed, as well as their function and the representativeness of this research. In the concluding chapter of this thesis (7) the research question was answered followed by a review of the used methods and suggestions for future research. The function of the small barbed bone points from Mesolithic Doggerland could be inferred from the use wear analysis. The points are all (heavily) curated weapon tips. They have developed a high degree of wear and about half of the studied points have remains of reworked barbs present as well. The research area is only a small area of Mesolithic Doggerland which already yielded about 800 of these small barbed bone/antler points. The curation of these points, the function as weapon tips and the overrepresentation within the archaeological record of Mesolithic Doggerland suggests that these weapons were used very frequently. Therefore, it can be inferred that hunting was one an important subsistence strategy. The most used hunting weapon could have been the bow and arrow because the small points are interpreted as arrowheads. However, the use wear analysis could not confirm that the points were specifically used as arrowheads.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
Part of the abstract of the thesis: "The research that is presented is based on an experimental construction of a dugout canoe at the experimental-archaeological center Horsterwold (NL) in 2015. A...Show morePart of the abstract of the thesis: "The research that is presented is based on an experimental construction of a dugout canoe at the experimental-archaeological center Horsterwold (NL) in 2015. A team of both experts and students constructed a dugout canoe made of lime wood in a few weeks time. The team used tools based on Mesolithic examples excavated in the Netherlands. Three groups of tools (toolkits) can be distinguished from the tools used to hollow out and shape the dugout canoe: tools made from antler, bone, and flint. The dugout canoe was constructed based on an example excavated at the site of Hardinxveld-Giessendam De Bruin, which has been dated to the Late Mesolithic. The dataset for the research presented here is the documented effectivity of the tools during the experiment. A preference for using tools made of organic material (antler and bone) above those made of inorganic material (flint) was noticed during the construction of the dugout canoe.Show less
A significant step in the history of society was the onset of metallurgy. It is however unclear when metal first started to be used as a standard, functional material in prehistory. Much of the...Show moreA significant step in the history of society was the onset of metallurgy. It is however unclear when metal first started to be used as a standard, functional material in prehistory. Much of the earliest evidence of metal artefacts within the archaeological record was deposited in a potentially ritual context, which suggests that the origin of the use of the metal as a functional material cannot be based on the presence of metal objects within the archaeological record. The deposition of supposedly ritual objects in the past does provide evidence for the presence of metal as a material, however this does not necessarily correlate to the presence of everyday, working metal objects and tools. While stone tools could have been immediately discarded once they are broken and so their stratigraphic placement in the archaeological record can be approximately correlated with the date that they were used in the past, metal tools can be re- melted and so recycled over a much longer period of time. It could therefore be argued that he earliest stratigraphic location of metal tools in the soil does not necessarily correlate with their time of origin in prehistory. In order to address this problem, many studies have instead studied the presence of metal indirectly, by investigating the microwear traces left by different tool materials in order to determine whether certain traces can be considered characteristic of metal tool use. These studies have ranged from an examination of cut marks in butchered bones to an investigation of drilling technology during bead production. The present study used experimental archaeology complemented by microwear analysis to investigate traces left by stone, antler, and metal tools during the production of amber beads, focusing particularly on the cutting and drilling stages of bead production. From an analysis of the experimentally produced pieces, it was then possible to create a list of distinguishing features for each tool material. This list of distinguishing features was then compared to those traces identified on archaeological collections from three sites in the northern Netherlands: the Late Neolithic settlement site at Kolhorn, a coffin burial in a tumulus at Emmerdennen, and grave goods from several tumuli at Hijken Hooghalen. The results demonstrated that it is possible to identify which tool material had been used to create the archaeological pieces, and thus potentially contribute towards existing studies in microwear analysis of tool traces, and potentially also further towards detecting the onset of metal as a functional material in prehistory.Show less
Százhalombatta-Földvár, located in Central Hungary, is a Bronze Age tell-settlement along the Danube River, at the delta of the Benta river. The Bronze Age in Hungary is the period between 2800...Show moreSzázhalombatta-Földvár, located in Central Hungary, is a Bronze Age tell-settlement along the Danube River, at the delta of the Benta river. The Bronze Age in Hungary is the period between 2800-2700 BC and 800 BC (Kiss 2005), from which Százhalombatta represents 2000-1400 BC (Vicze 2013). This archaeological site has an important role in the Bronze Age research in Hungary – and abroad. Due to its size and geographical position, Százhalombatta-Földvár can be considered the head of the Bronze Age chiefdom in the Benta valley, according to the model proposed by Earle and Kristiansen (2010). However, detailed research of the site itself is challenging this view. Comparisons of the material culture with other site-types show little indications of a difference in social hierarchy within each site. Hence, instead of political differences, they might be economical. The present study aims to give additional information for the interpretation of the site through microwear analysis of sickle inserts. Microwear analysis is not yet an established approach in Hungary, making the present research a pioneer and offering a fully new approach to understanding the site. In the research presented here, a sample of sickle blades has been analysed, coming from the last occupation layer of the tell, the Koszider Phase (1500-1400 BC) (Vicze 2013). Sickle blades are the most common flint tools found on the site, which underlines their importance in the daily life and society. In order to properly introduce this new method into the current research, it was essential to conduct experiments as references, because the archaeological microwear traces have to be compared with traces on experimental tools. As such, harvesting with experimental flint flakes was carried out. The experiments focused on the difference between 148 Abstract harvesting methods and cereal types. Furthermore, the archaeological tools were also compared to literature and the experimental reference collection of the faculty of archaeology. The microwear analysis strengthens the interpretation that the sickle blades had been used to harvest cereals and that they were used for a long time and regularly maintained. Unfortunately, the experiments did not yield the hoped-for differentiating information, while the archaeological tools do show a greater variability. As a result, it is not possible to draw conclusions about the harvesting method or harvested cereal species at this stage of the research. Nevertheless, it was possible to give some interpretation about social organisation. From the microwear analysis it can be suggested that sickles were important tools and that the harvest might have been organised and centralised by Százhalombatta-Földvár in the chiefdom of the Benta valley.Show less
This thesis focusses mainly on Neolithic ornaments made of jet and seeks to interpret these finds by addressing two objectives. The first objective of this thesis is concerned with characterizing...Show moreThis thesis focusses mainly on Neolithic ornaments made of jet and seeks to interpret these finds by addressing two objectives. The first objective of this thesis is concerned with characterizing the black shiny ornaments of Schipluiden and Ypenburg which have preliminarily been termed jets and to further investigate the possibilities of provenance studies for Dutch Neolithic jet ornaments with the use of XRF. The second objective of this thesis is to investigate the possibility of distinguishing between an intentional polish and use-wear related shine on the basis of macroscopic analysis. For this purpose a series of experiments has been designed involving experimentally made ornamental beads and a rock tumbler. An XRF distinction shows that the finished ornaments of Ypenburg are possibly all true Upper Lias jets. A large amount of the objects under investigation are probably not, however, including all finished ornaments from Schipluiden. It has proven possible to distinguish between an intentional polish and a use-wear related shine. This experiment, although insightful, is incomplete as it lacks the evidence to conclusively distinguish an intentional polish from a use-wear related shine. Similar experiments could be set up for future research with longer tumbling durations and allow the use of different polish materials.Show less
One of the key ancient sites in the region of North Africa is the ancient city of Carthage. From its establishment in roughly 800 BCE, Carthage developed into a hub for Mediterranean trade by the...Show moreOne of the key ancient sites in the region of North Africa is the ancient city of Carthage. From its establishment in roughly 800 BCE, Carthage developed into a hub for Mediterranean trade by the end of the 6th century BCE. It immediately became the centre of commerce for a large network of colonies in the Western Mediterranean. This research wishes to reveal insights into the pottery production, consumption and distribution trends from 2th century BCE to 7th century CE. An interdisciplinary approach was focused on a set of Roman to Byzantine ceramics. Fabric groups were defined based on macroscopic, petrographic and geochemical analysis. The results add weight to growing lines of evidence of elaborate networks of connections between a major city and locations both inland into North Africa as well as across the Mediterranean. The analysis identifies various ceramic production entities in this region of the Maghreb.Show less
