The Iron Age hillfort phenomenon, or the ‘oppidum’ as it is referred to in mainland Europe, represents an important shift in the spatial and political dynamics in the areas where they can be found...Show moreThe Iron Age hillfort phenomenon, or the ‘oppidum’ as it is referred to in mainland Europe, represents an important shift in the spatial and political dynamics in the areas where they can be found but despite the archaeological research going as far back as the 19th century, there still exist debates surrounding their function and what role they ultimately played in the socioeconomic dynamics of the people constructing and inhabiting them. In southern France we find them scattered across a frontier connecting the Ligurian and Celtic people to the Etruscans and to the Eastern Mediterranean through the Greek settlers who, after the foundation of Massalia around 600 B.C, form a permanent presence greatly influencing the material repertoire of the indigenous populace. Through the interactions between the occupants of the oppida with their local surroundings as well as with foreign cultures, and through the analysis of these monumental structures, it can be seen that the military function can be put into question and that the symbolic value may have been a more important factor to their builders.Show less
This research paper explores migration and dietary patterns during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age at the Gomolava site in northern Serbia. The strontium and oxygen isotopes were used to...Show moreThis research paper explores migration and dietary patterns during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age at the Gomolava site in northern Serbia. The strontium and oxygen isotopes were used to study mobility, while carbon isotopes offered insights into dietary habits. The study focuses on 24 individuals from Gomolava, mainly females and juveniles. Additionally, eight modern plant samples were analysed. The site itself is a mass grave primarily consisting of female and juvenile remains. Two individuals in particular, SK53 and SK18, displayed distinct strontium values, indicating different places of origin. Comparative analysis of the Carpathian Basin further suggests that SK53 may not be indigenous to the region. However, further research is necessary to accurately determine the precise origins of these individuals. On the other hand, oxygen isotopes provide limited information in differentiating between local and non-local individuals. The dietary patterns of the Gomolava individuals were also examined through stable carbon isotope analysis. It was discovered that their diet consisted of a combination of C3 and C4 plants, with millet probably playing a significant role during this period. Two outliers, SK53 and SK42, displayed distinct dietary paths, with SK53 relying more heavily on C4 plants compared to SK42, which primarily consumed C3 plants. SK18 had a mixed diet, incorporating both types of plants. The heightened levels of mobility witnessed during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Pannonian Basin can be plausibly linked to various factors, including climate fluctuations and societal upheavals. Additionally, the increased mobility observed among females may be attributed to the cultural practice of patrilocality, whereby women relocate to their husband's familial dwelling upon marriage. To attain a more comprehensive comprehension of the patterns of mobility, social dynamics, and dietary practices prevalent in ancient populations, further research incorporating a wide array of archaeological methodologies is necessary.Show less
The experience and expression of emotion is a core aspect of humanity, but is also inherently subjective. Emotion also influences the way we as researchers look at history. In this paper, these...Show moreThe experience and expression of emotion is a core aspect of humanity, but is also inherently subjective. Emotion also influences the way we as researchers look at history. In this paper, these concepts will be demonstrated using the Chieftain's Grave of Oss as an example. Using multiple subjective, academic approaches, two possible scenario's of the Chieftain's burial ritual in the Iron Age will be presented, that change the way we view this burial.Show less
Our understanding of past societies is completely or partly based on how they buried their dead. However, more attention is paid to the burial objects rather than the body. Therefore, understanding...Show moreOur understanding of past societies is completely or partly based on how they buried their dead. However, more attention is paid to the burial objects rather than the body. Therefore, understanding positions and what they could mean within a society and religion could help us better understand how these societies operated and what they valued. However, there is a lack of standardization and consistent, approach of intentional body positions during burial. This lack of standardization makes it difficult to compare data, especially concerning data across continents and scholarly methods. In this thesis, I will compare data from several seated burials from the La Tène period ranging from 450 to 100 BC in France and Britain. In order to understand their cultural significance and create a better understanding of seated burials on an intra-regional level.Show less
Human activities have impacted the natural landscape and vegetation from the emergence of agriculture onwards. Subsequent traces of anthropogenic activities are documented and preserved in...Show moreHuman activities have impacted the natural landscape and vegetation from the emergence of agriculture onwards. Subsequent traces of anthropogenic activities are documented and preserved in paleoenvironmental archives, such as peat or lake sequences. The current study utilizes a high-resolution pollen dataset retrieved from a peat sequence in combination with archaeological data from the area to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and cultural landscape of the area of Haraldstadmyr bog in Southeastern Norway. An in-depth analysis of agricultural activities was performed focusing on the period of the Early Iron Age to the Medieval Period. Utilizing radiocarbon dating, a chronology of farming activities was provided. Archaeological burial dates from a local burial site located were used in comparison with the pollen data to interpret habitational patterns of the local area. As a result, periods of intensive farming as well as periods of abandonment were identified. In addition, periods of pastoral farming were distinguished from periods of mixed farming. The forcing factors of the changes seen in farming strategies and agricultural intensity are likely related to climate changes as well as societal changes in the area. In this study, a new finding is proposed, indicating an abandonment of the area around 950 CE. An abandonment of the agricultural area in Southeastern Norway in the mid 10th century has not been previously discovered nor studied. Further in-depth studies are needed in order to confirm this finding, as well as to identify the forcing factors of the abandonment.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
Towards the end of prehistory, the landscapes of Northwestern Europe developed into carefully organized places that feel more akin to those of historical and modern times. According to Mette...Show moreTowards the end of prehistory, the landscapes of Northwestern Europe developed into carefully organized places that feel more akin to those of historical and modern times. According to Mette Løvschal (2014), these landscapes saw the emergence of lines and boundaries with specific functions and meanings, especially in the Urnfield period (Late Bronze Age – Early Iron Age). This thesis focuses on a number of micro-regions in the Netherlands: Epe-Niersen, Oss and Boxmeer-Sterckwijck. The aim of this study is to gain a nuanced, inter-regional understanding on how these organized landscapes developed in the long term, and what influence older, visual features from the past had on the way people dealt with them in the Urnfield period. Especially barrow alignments are notable. They clearly impacted the way people dealt with these ‘ancestral landscapes’, but in significantly different ways. At Epe-Niersen, the urnfields and Celtic field emerged solely near ancestral mounds outside of the barrow alignment. At Boxmeer-Sterckwijck, the opposite happened: The barrow line itself transformed into a dense urnfield. Thirdly, the barrow line of Oss-Zevenbergen was completely re-structured with the construction of large, monumental burial mounds, scattered urnfield-graves and post alignments. A close association between the funerary landscape and settlements is observed at Boxmeer-Sterckwijck. On the other hand, Oss-North and Oss-Ussen are a striking example of a landscape that lacked any older, visual features before the emergence of settlements in the Middle Bronze Age. Therefore, in the absence of pre-existing lines and boundaries, people ended up creating them themselves, after which they were referred to in similar ways during subsequent occupation phases. This study demonstrates that the past was unavoidable in the organization of landscapes in the Urnfield period. Furthermore, the general succession in which barrow lines, urnfields, Celtic fields and organized settlements emerged was time-transgressive in nature, meaning that they developed at different point in time at each site. Nonetheless, is seems that each region reached a certain ‘tipping point’ were the landscapes inevitably developed into highly organized areas in line with the past.Show less
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
During the Late Bronze Age (1100-800 BC) and Early Iron Age (800-500 BC) urnfields are constructed throughout North-Western Europe. In the Middle and Late Iron Age and the Roman period urnfields...Show moreDuring the Late Bronze Age (1100-800 BC) and Early Iron Age (800-500 BC) urnfields are constructed throughout North-Western Europe. In the Middle and Late Iron Age and the Roman period urnfields are occasionally reused. Urnfields are used as a location for settlements and cemeteries. This research aimed to make an inventory of the different forms of reuse in Noord-Brabant and Northern Limburg. Fourteen case-studies were selected in order to investigate the different forms of reuse. The data from these sites was supplemented with data from other publications. The research showed that the forms of reuse were more divers than previously thought. During the Middle- and Late Iron Age urnfields are often used as settlement locations. Sometimes urnfields are overbuilt by these settlements. But often houses are constructed near urnfields while granaries are constructed directly on the urnfields. This suggested that we might be dealing with a positive appreciation, possibly connected to a cult in which the ancestors were used to enhance fertility. It is also possible that the ancestors, who were buried in these urnfields, were used to claim land. During the Middle- and Late Iron Age urnfields were also reused as burial sites. This might be a limited continuation of the earlier burial rites where deceased were buried close to their ancestors, a phenomena already observed in the Late Neolithic period. During the Roman period urnfields were still used both as settlement location and as burial sites. The reuse of urnfields as location for burials diminishes through time. Urnfields are not as important for the placement of Roman cemeteries as was previously thought (only 5,4% of the Roman cemeteries are located near urnfields). During the 4th-century AD reuse of urnfields as a location for cemeteries ceases. This could be the start of the myth forming around urnfields, which is observed in the Medieval period. However it should be noted that some urnfields in Flanders were reused as cemeteries during the Merovingian period thus perhaps the reuse still continued during this period. The presented results are comparable with the results from other studies conducted in Flanders, Drenthe and Westphalia.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
Archaeologists still have a lot to learn about the mortuary rituals of cremated human remains from the Bronze and Iron Age. Even though a large sample of burials from these periods contain cremated...Show moreArchaeologists still have a lot to learn about the mortuary rituals of cremated human remains from the Bronze and Iron Age. Even though a large sample of burials from these periods contain cremated remains, the main research focus has been on inhumated remains. Only recently, the importance of cremated remains became clear and the possibilities of investigating cremated human remains started to be explored. Yet, a lot of information might still be derived from these remains. With this thesis, the importance of careful and detailed excavation is studied through an examination of a human cremation burial from the Uddeler Heegde, Apeldoorn. This is done with the aim to study the funerary practices of the burial to its most extent. First, the concept of mortuary rituals is prospected through a modern (European) perspective. The excavation and determination of the case study burial are described in detail, providing a transparent study. By using concepts as personhood, social persona and the dramatis personae theory of Hertz, the relational identities of the deceased are studied. Hypotheses are used to define what mortuary practices could have been possible and which are rather implausible. Overall, this study demonstrates the additional possibilities acquired by high quality excavation of human cremation burials.Show less
The engraved Tridacna shell in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden the Netherlands fits into a corpus of engraved Tridacna shells, engraved Tridacna shell and Lambis shell...Show moreThe engraved Tridacna shell in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden the Netherlands fits into a corpus of engraved Tridacna shells, engraved Tridacna shell and Lambis shell discs and cosmetic palette’s. These object have been interpreted as luxury items and cosmetic containers produced by Phoenicians, in the past. However, the use and meaning of the Tridacna shells is complex and differs by region, such this study shows. Their meaning is layered and defined by the context of use. Some were evidently connected to the ritual sphere as in the case of votive offerings, some however were of more personal utilitarian character These objects are representative ‘s of the omnidirectional connections in the Iron Age Mediterranean world. They show the connections to be active deep in-land, in the East Mediterranean. They also show that the boundaries scholars set between cultural regions for decades are fluid or not existing at all. The stylistic features observed in the iconography of depictions on the engraved Tridanca’s, palette’s and engraved shell discs are not illustrative of several cultural influences converging in Phoenician artistic expression, but of an interregional koinè. A language of visual expression spoken throughout the Mediterranean and Near Eastern regions. It consists of ‘styles’ and motives not bounded by any ‘culture’. No longer attached to ‘a’ single meaning within a region. Thus stylistic features that have been guiding the origin debate about these objects should not be leading. Evaluation of the archaeological context, set in the framework as postulated by Horden and Purcell of interconnected regions in the Mediterranean, gives reason to revise. New objects have come to light that lead to a production among the semi-settled pastoral and nomadic tribes in the region of Edom situated in the South of present day Jordan. The engraved Tridacna shells could have been traded toward the West by Phoenician sailing merchants but this is not the only possible means of distribution.Show less
