The text deals with the protection of indigenous peoples' cultural heritage in the context of the United Nations, with an emphasis on traditional knowledge, genetic resources and traditional... Show moreThe text deals with the protection of indigenous peoples' cultural heritage in the context of the United Nations, with an emphasis on traditional knowledge, genetic resources and traditional cultural expressions as one of the challenges of contemporary law. The incorporation of rights already recognised in multilateral treaties on human rights, culture and biodiversity into the intellectual property system has been the demand of Indigenous Peoples in the discussion process underway in the World Intellectual Property Organisation's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Folklore since 2000. The topic is analysed from the perspective of indigenous peoples, as collective subjects of international rights, authors, inventors and improvers, with the capacity to create and innovate using technologies that are continuously improved in their collective context. The work examines the contemporary challenges of balancing the rights of indigenous peoples and the large commercial interests involved in granting exclusive intellectual property rights. The thesis analyses, from the contexts of different indigenous peoples, the suitability of existing tools in the intellectual property system to prevent the erroneous granting of intellectual property rights and to prevent the misappropriation of the elements that integrate the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples. Show less
This thesis deals with establishing chronological data and palaeoenvironmental information for Neanderthal open-air sites on the European Plain with disputed ages. By employing geomorphological and... Show moreThis thesis deals with establishing chronological data and palaeoenvironmental information for Neanderthal open-air sites on the European Plain with disputed ages. By employing geomorphological and sedimentological methods as well as luminescence dating and pollen analysis on the two sites of Lichtenberg (GER) and Khotylevo I (RU), their occupations are assigned to the latest Early Weichselian. Show less
Before the introduction of Roman temples in the Low Countries, there used to be ‘open air cult places’ in the Iron Age. That is at least the assumption based on descriptions given by classical... Show moreBefore the introduction of Roman temples in the Low Countries, there used to be ‘open air cult places’ in the Iron Age. That is at least the assumption based on descriptions given by classical writers and several archetypical sanctuaries that were excavated in France. However, the rectangular structures regularly encountered in Belgium and the Netherlands that are so often interpreted by archaeologists as cult places are not comparable to the French examples. The evidence these structures deliver does not testify to long usage, modifications, disarticulated human remains, animal bones or Iron Age weaponry that is to be expected of such a place. Rather, short term utilisation, pottery depositions and a vaguely defined relation to cremation graves typify the rectangular structures. These finds and features could fit in the ancestral worship belief system, although what does that actually entail? How did Iron Age people actually conceptualise or practice interaction with ancestral spirits? In this thesis the use of rectangular structures during the Iron Age is explored and the meaning of related depositions interpreted. The structures fulfilled a special sociocultural position in Iron Age society, emphasised by the deliberately chosen liminal location in an increasingly structured landscape. Show less
The dynamics of the transition between late Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs) are the subject of intense debate: the location and duration of the coexistence of these two hominins,... Show moreThe dynamics of the transition between late Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs) are the subject of intense debate: the location and duration of the coexistence of these two hominins, as well as their relation and cultural exchanges that could have occurred during this transitional period also known as the Middle Palaeolithic to Upper Palaeolithic Transition.Timing these hominins is crucial in archaeology and paleoanthropology. The precise chronological position of the different cultural facies, as well as the human remains associated with them, are therefore key elements that delineate the chronological framework within which Neanderthals and AMHs could have interacted. While there is increasing evidence of admixture and co-existence of the two hominin species in central and eastern Europe, Belgium might show a different scenario: radiocarbon analyses, using the compound specific radiocarbon dating approach (CSRA) made on bone implements related to the Late Mousterian and the Early Aurignacian as well as late Neanderthal remains, highlight a hiatus in the occupation of the territory. Our new data tend to confirm that Neanderthals and AMHs did not coexist in this region. It seems that in northwest Europe, Neanderthals evolved and went extinct without any influence from modern humans. Show less
The Caribbean is a dynamic region with intense cultural interactions, from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary period. During the pre-colonial period, the social, cultural and political... Show moreThe Caribbean is a dynamic region with intense cultural interactions, from the pre-colonial period to the contemporary period. During the pre-colonial period, the social, cultural and political networks in which the island communities were involved were modified. The archaeology also demonstrates that the material culture of the populations was affected; it has allowed us to identify a diversity of ceramic styles influenced by multiple and plural contributions, witnessing the exchange of ideas and/or objects and/or know-how between the various communities. Colonization will disrupt the dynamics in place, introducing forced contacts of different social and ethnic groups at the origin of the emergence of a patchwork of new communities.My research proposes a multivocal anthropological reading of the material production of multicultural Caribbean societies from the pre-colonial period to the present. This study is approached through the prism of the concept of creolization.The methodology used is a holistic approach that combines technological, morphological, petrographic, stylistic and ethnographic studies.This research takes a new look at the material culture of the Amerindians of the Caribbean which induces cultural and social transformations during the pre-colonial period. Show less
Palaeolithic faunal assemblages provide a wealth of information, notably on paleoenvironment, site formation and past human subsistence strategies. However, obtaining a secure interpretation... Show morePalaeolithic faunal assemblages provide a wealth of information, notably on paleoenvironment, site formation and past human subsistence strategies. However, obtaining a secure interpretation requires the comprehensive taxonomic identification of faunal remains, traditionally done through visual morphological comparison. Due to high fragmentation, bone morphology is often insufficient to taxonomically identify a large proportion of faunal assemblages. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) gives the opportunity to identify biological markers preserved in previously undiagnostic fragmentary or worked remains. This dissertation combines the analyses of bone surface modifications with biomolecular analyses in order to investigate the relationship between faunal composition and bone fragmentation, and to assess hominin subsistence behaviour through large-scale applications of untargeted ZooMS screenings. This study explores the synthesis and analysis of comparable data, for both the morphologically identifiable and unidentifiable portion of the same faunal assemblages, by investigating bone assemblages from European sites spanning the arrival of Homo sapiens within territories occupied by the last Neanderthals such as Fumane Cave (Italy), Bacho Kiro Cave (Bulgaria), La Ferrassie and Les Cottés (France). In addition, the recent development of non-destructive proteomic extraction techniques, notably on fragmented Palaeolithic worked bones, required a controlled sampling experiment to determine how sampling techniques such as the eraser extraction method affect ancient bone surfaces at a microscopic level. Through the combination of methods and the integration of complementary datasets, this dissertation demonstrates the potential of the inclusion of ancient protein analysis within the framework of zooarchaeological analysis at Palaeolithic sites. Show less
This dissertation investigates the functioning of human-animal interactions at precolumbian Indigenous sites located in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The five case studies that comprise this... Show moreThis dissertation investigates the functioning of human-animal interactions at precolumbian Indigenous sites located in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The five case studies that comprise this work investigate the mortality ages and morphologies of animals, and the dietary linkages between humans and several animal species commonly found in archaeological sites throughout the Greater Antilles such as domesticated dogs and possibly managed endemic rodents known as hutias. Isotopic analysis of animal remains was conducted to determine the consumption of maize as a proxy for investigating closeness in human-animal interactions. In the frame of niche construction theory, the evidence presented in this dissertation relates to the environmental practices of Indigenous peoples. Slash-and-burn farming was a widely practiced environmental management strategy throughout the region which likely created mosaiced plant communities consisting of garden plots and old-growth forest. These mixed anthropogenic and natural environments have been shown to be beneficial to some dietary generalists, and the abundance of hutias in archaeological sites might be the result of ‘garden hunting’ of species that benefited from horticultural practices. This may have constituted a form of animal management that is tied to plant food production, and therefore represents an arguably sustainable form of low-level food production. Show less
The study of stone artifacts can provide crucial insights into various aspects of past human adaptation. Knowledge of the geographic provenance of the raw materials, in particular, can inform us of... Show moreThe study of stone artifacts can provide crucial insights into various aspects of past human adaptation. Knowledge of the geographic provenance of the raw materials, in particular, can inform us of the mobility and resource exploitation strategies employed by past human groups. However, it is difficult to reliably infer dynamic human behaviours from the frequencies with which different raw material are represented at archaeological sites, particularly when the latter reflect the activities of individuals belonging to an extinct human species whose cognitive and physical abilities may have been markedly different from our own.This dissertation provides a new approach for understanding aspects of human adaptation in the Middle Palaeolithic on the basis of toolstone provenance. The approach centers on computer simulations and it is designed to maximize the potential of toolstone provenance information while minimizing reliance on possibly unfounded assumptions about human behaviour derived from studies of present-day societies. The approach is applied to the French Middle Palaeolithic site of the Bau de l’Aubesier, revealing, amongst other things, that the Neanderthal occupants of the site possessed excellent spatial memory and navigational abilities, regularly exploited a surprisingly large area, and appear to have treated stone resources in a strictly utilitarian manner. Show less
The transition from the Late Roman period to the Middle Ages in Northern Gaul remains rather obscure. Since very few written sources survived, archaeological research is the main source for the... Show moreThe transition from the Late Roman period to the Middle Ages in Northern Gaul remains rather obscure. Since very few written sources survived, archaeological research is the main source for the knowledge of Early Medieval society. Theories of deserted land after the retreat of the Romans and repopulation by Germanic mass migration were rife. During the years 2001-2010 I got the opportunity to excavate an Early Medieval burial ground with 513 graves at Broechem (B, prov. of Antwerp). For the first time in Flanders modern excavation techniques and interdisciplinary post-excavation research were applied on a Merovingian cemetery. This approach tells us more about rituals, technical features, costume traditions etc., but also provides us with information regarding the socio-economic relations and the symbolic traditions. The geographic situation of Broechem in a remote area of Northern Gaul, on a loamy sand plateau enclosed by rivers, and the presence of multi-cultural objects in the grave goods, shed light on Early Medieval society. My research explores the meaning of this cemetery in this remote region by analyzing the material culture as a reflection of social and ideological life of this community in this transition period. Show less
This dissertation develops an innovative approach to cultural transformation in the kingdom of Commagene (modern south-east Turkey) during the 1st c. BCE, focusing on a palatial context in the... Show moreThis dissertation develops an innovative approach to cultural transformation in the kingdom of Commagene (modern south-east Turkey) during the 1st c. BCE, focusing on a palatial context in the capital Samosata. It unlocks two corpora of archaeological legacy data, which pertain to salvage excavations undertaken by a team of the Middle East Technical University (Ankara) in the period 1978-1989, in the wake of the site’s flooding by the Euphrates river. The dissertation integrates the excavation documentation with archaeological material nowadays stored at the Archaeological Museum of Adiyaman. In addition to a conventional analysis of the chronology, lay-out and architectural character of the palace, a critique is formulated on the problematic character of acculturative and anthropocentric approaches still characterizing scholarship dealing with ‘Hellenism in the East’. As an alternative, it is proposed to reconceptualize the palace of Samosata as a heterogenous and vibrant assemblage, with objects as historical protagonists rather than passive, representational entities. As such, the palace assemblage becomes a laboratory to study the impact of pre-modern globalization processes, with increased connectivity causing the emergence of new relations. Through an investigation of the genealogical and more-than representational capacities of the palace assemblage, the dissertation arrives at a new understanding of change and innovation in Commagene during the 1st c. BCE. Show less
This dissertation is the first systematic investigation of the materiality of Safaitic inscriptions, which were carved by ancient nomads in the Ḥarrah, a basaltic desert stretching from southern... Show moreThis dissertation is the first systematic investigation of the materiality of Safaitic inscriptions, which were carved by ancient nomads in the Ḥarrah, a basaltic desert stretching from southern Syria, through north-eastern Jordan, into northern Saudi Arabia. The thesis focuses on graphic variation and palaeographic development in the Safaitic inscriptions, seeking to analyse different levels and patterns of variation in the Safaitic script(s). By using the long genealogies of several texts by members of the lineage of Ḍf as chronological framework, it describes and measures the palaeographic development from the ‘common’ to the ‘fine’ script across generations. In addition, the information from the Ḍf lineage-tree and the attested generations is combined with the dated texts by members of the same lineage in order to provide a working chronological framework for Safaitic writing among the Ḍf. The thesis also deals with other aspects of the materiality of Safaitic texts which have never been treated systematically, such as carving techniques, text layout, writing styles, and disruptive practices towards the texts, that is, their effacement and modification. Show less
The Iberian Peninsula has been central to the discussion as it was considered to be a 'last refuge' for the species at a time when H. sapiens occupation spread throughout Europe. Much speculation... Show moreThe Iberian Peninsula has been central to the discussion as it was considered to be a 'last refuge' for the species at a time when H. sapiens occupation spread throughout Europe. Much speculation has centred around the idea that extreme climate fluctuations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 like Heinrich Stadial 4 (HS-4) were possible drivers for their disappearance. In other words, the extreme warm / cold fluctuations created an uninhabitable setting for Neanderthals, helping the dispersal of H. Sapiens intoIberia. These arguments were originally based on marine and ice core records of far-reaching origin that could provide little information at the local level. At the time this evidence was sufficient, as no other records were available. In recent years, studies have presented terrestrial palaeoclimate records from Iberia during the last glacial, but more are required to adequately understand the local response to Atlantic marine influences. Moreover, few terrestrial records are connected to known archaeological sites. The research presented in this thesis provides a more comprehensive understanding of palaeoclimate change during the Last Glacial Period and the potential implications for Neanderthal / H. sapiens movements in Iberian Peninsula. To achieve this, we examine the importance of a robust and direct U-Th chronology in conjunction with establishing local, terrestrial palaeoclimate records for the coastal Iberian Peninsula during the Holocene and Last Glacial Period. Show less
The archaeology domain produces large amounts of texts, too much to effectively read or manually search through for research. To alleviate this problem, we created a search system (called AGNES),... Show moreThe archaeology domain produces large amounts of texts, too much to effectively read or manually search through for research. To alleviate this problem, we created a search system (called AGNES), which combines full text search with entity and geographical search. We first created a manually labelled data set to train a Named Entity Recognition model, which is used to extract entities from text. We also did a user requirement study, and usability evaluation on the system, to make sure it is suitable for archaeological research. In a case study on Early Medieval cremations, we show that using AGNES leads to a knowledge increase when compared to the knowledge of experts, gathered using previously available search engines. This shows that this kind of intelligent search system can help with literature research, find more relevant data, and lead to a better understanding of the past. Show less
The manual analysis of remotely-sensed data is a widespread practice in local and regional scale archaeological research, as well as heritage management. However, the amount of available high... Show moreThe manual analysis of remotely-sensed data is a widespread practice in local and regional scale archaeological research, as well as heritage management. However, the amount of available high-quality, remotely-sensed data is continuously growing at a staggering rate, which creates new challenges to effectively and efficiently analyze these data and find and document the seemingly overwhelming number of potential archaeological objects. Therefore, computer-aided methods for the automated detection of archaeological objects are needed. In this thesis, the development and application of automated detection methods, based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, for the detection of multiple classes of archaeological objects in LiDAR data is investigated. Furthermore, the implementation of these methods into archaeological practice and the opportunities of knowledge discovery—on both a quantitative and qualitative level—for landscape or spatial archaeology are explored. Show less
In Bronze Age Europe, an enormous amount of metalwork was buried in the ground and never retrieved. Patterns in these finds show that this was a deliberate practice: people systematically deposited... Show moreIn Bronze Age Europe, an enormous amount of metalwork was buried in the ground and never retrieved. Patterns in these finds show that this was a deliberate practice: people systematically deposited valuable metal objects in specific places in the landscape, even in non-metalliferous regions. Although this practice seems puzzling from our modern perspective, these patterns demonstrate that this is not simply a matter of irrational human behaviour. Instead, there were supra-regionally shared ideas and conventions behind this practice.This book aims to acquire a better understanding of these ideas and conventions. By systematically investigating the objects and places that people selected for metalwork depositions, the logic behind the practice of selective metalwork deposition is unravelled.This book focuses specifically on the emergence of the practice in Denmark, northern Germany, and the Netherlands, a non-metalliferous region that has not been studied as a whole before, despite striking similarities in the archaeological record. Starting from the first introduction of metal, the emergence and development of selective metalwork depositions is examined and followed over time. In addition to a new chronological and geographical depth to research on metalwork depositions, this book provides a detailed catalogue of the metalwork from the research area. Show less
As museums face more scrutiny and are being demanded to decolonize, there are opportunities for Dominican museums to adopt a critical perspective and turn their collections and exhibitions into... Show moreAs museums face more scrutiny and are being demanded to decolonize, there are opportunities for Dominican museums to adopt a critical perspective and turn their collections and exhibitions into connections to our cultural past, present, and future. Nevertheless, specific research on archaeological collections in the Dominican Republic, the earliest hub of the European invasion, conquest, and colonization of the New World, has been scarce. This qualitative study explored how communities can be engaged to critically analyze museum narratives that perpetuate colonial ideas of Caribbean Indigenous extinction, which contribute to a disconnection from Indigenous heritage collections. Findings suggest opportunities for connections by improving access through the design of education and exhibition initiatives and the representation of cultural practices in ways that are important to the communities. This study provides future scholars with practical suggestions for designing community connections with Indigenous heritage institutions while creating multi-vocal engagements and inclusive meeting points for cultural self-determination. Show less
For a long time it has been thought that habitation and landscape organisation only changed significantly from the Roman Period onwards. However, many developments were already started long before... Show moreFor a long time it has been thought that habitation and landscape organisation only changed significantly from the Roman Period onwards. However, many developments were already started long before Julius Caesar's Roman armies arrived in the southern Netherlands. The Iron Age landscapes were ordered and structured, contrasting with the still open Bronze Age landscapes. Iron Age people inhabited the same places for generations. At the same time they structured their immediate environment and surroundings resulting in a sustainable organisation and arrangement of the landscape.Recent excavations and (micro-)regional archaeological studies into habitation and landscape organisation, among others in the north-eastern region of the province Noord-Brabant, show that relicts from the past strongly dictated the organisation and structuring of later landscapes. The past in the past formed a guideline (dutch: leidraad) for later (Iron Age) inhabitants.The past can also be a guideline for the design, protection and preservation of contemporary landscapes. This aligns with a trend in which archaeologists are explicitly seeking the connection with present society. Therefore this book ends with a plea for a transition of the Dutch archaeological system in which living heritage can also be a guideline for the present. Show less
This dissertation investigates ikat from the eastern Indonesian islands from a uniquely technical perspective, including design analysis of asymmetry and microscopy. Paradoxically, this technical... Show moreThis dissertation investigates ikat from the eastern Indonesian islands from a uniquely technical perspective, including design analysis of asymmetry and microscopy. Paradoxically, this technical perspective highlights the human factor. We see 19th- and early 20th-century weavers’ decisions in close-up, as if sitting next to them. This yields rich insights in both materiality and creativity. It also allowed the differentiation of 21 weave types and their distribution across 41 regions in the Indonesian archipelago.Asymmetry is widely distributed, yet has largely been ignored. Ten Hoopen discriminates seven techniques to achieve asymmetry, including visual tricks and illusions. Sumbanese royal weavers made thrilling efforts to hide their virtuosity, using tiny visual devices, secret keys, to reveal that their creations were far more labour-intensive than apparent. Ironically, because they were such great masters at hiding their virtuosity, it remained overlooked by generations of scholars.In his final chapter the author analyses what may have spurred the weavers of the region to create their most time-consuming feats of artistry, and develops a view of these women as more inventive and intelligent than they have been credited with before – and more assertive, using ikat’s prestige to spin their men into a web of taboos and prescriptions. Show less
Middle Paleolithic stone tool technology is one of the major sources of information about Neandertal behavior and adaptations. The Balkan Middle Paleolithic often remains outside of the major... Show moreMiddle Paleolithic stone tool technology is one of the major sources of information about Neandertal behavior and adaptations. The Balkan Middle Paleolithic often remains outside of the major debates and interpretations of Neandertal behavior. This dissertation is a contribution to better understanding the variability and diachronic changes of the Middle Paleolithic in the Balkans. The central part of this dissertation is the study of lithic collections from two stratified sites in the Adriatic region, Crvena stijena and Bioče (Montenegro). The assemblages from these sites have been previously grouped into the Micromousterian, but other Mousterian variants, Pontinian, Charentian, Denticulate and Typical Mousterian, have also been recognized. In trying to depart from tight attachment to Mousterian facies this dissertation examines flake production methods and toolkit production, the ways these two aspects correlate, and how they relate to raw material properties, and core and tool reduction intensities. Further, based on the review of the available record of the entire Balkan Middle Paleolithic, the dissertation explores trends in its chronological and geographical variation and compares them to the currently known variation of the Middle Paleolithic industries in Europe. It further addresses the questions of the role of the Balkans as a refugium, occupational history of Neandertals and the scenarios for their demise. Show less
The aim of this research is the systematic analysis of the wisdom coined by Nahua people of Mexico, based on the historical sources and archaeological evidence, but also in the knowledge developed... Show moreThe aim of this research is the systematic analysis of the wisdom coined by Nahua people of Mexico, based on the historical sources and archaeological evidence, but also in the knowledge developed by contemporary indigenous communities and the contributions of indigenous scholars. The hypothesis of this research pretends to demonstrate, how the cognitive structures embedded in indigenous languages are useful in the development of an intercultural epistemology.The academic relevance of this research not only lies in the fact that address rigorous and systematically an issue –indigenous philosophies-which faces lack of acknowledgment, which is not a minor issue; but also because this effort to analyse Nahuatl philosophy is useful to provide alternatives to understand the world based on a different ontology. The development of an intercultural philosophy will be useful to face and solve some misunderstandings caused by cultural colonization. Show less
