This dissertation approaches collections of Andean mummies in European national and university museums as the focus to understand the relationship between objects, documents, and the practice of... Show moreThis dissertation approaches collections of Andean mummies in European national and university museums as the focus to understand the relationship between objects, documents, and the practice of collecting in the period from 1850 to 1930. Over 200 mummies, kept by 18 different museums in Western European countries were analyzed.The comparative examination of these mummified human remains and their associated documentation kept by the museums has highlighted the importance of considering the process of formation of collections.This research details the changes that some of these collections have undergone over the years, and the importance of using interdisciplinary approaches within archaeology, including museum archaeology, physical anthropology and paleo-imaging, to understand them. A discussion on the ethical treatment of human remains in archaeological practice and museum collections is undertaken as an important framework for the information presented on the dissertation.Looking at timeframes, actors and places of collecting, as well as the information recorded about all three by museums, can result in vital information not only about the process of collecting itself, but also about the motivations and contacts between source countries and the European repositories of these remains. Show less
The dissertation examines an early migration control system, which existed on the Habsburg-Ottoman border in the eighteenth century. Between the 1720s and the 1850s, migrants entering the Habsburg... Show moreThe dissertation examines an early migration control system, which existed on the Habsburg-Ottoman border in the eighteenth century. Between the 1720s and the 1850s, migrants entering the Habsburg Monarchy from the Ottoman Empire had to go through official border crossings, where they were controlled and registered. Similar migration control system did not exist at that time anywhere else in Europe. Through research of archives in Austria, Serbia and Croatia, as well as many narrative sources, the dissertation explores an array of questions: what was the origin of that, at the time, unusual border arrangement, where after 1699 a clearly demarcated boundary separated Habsburg and Ottoman territories? How did it affect border life and the Habsburg-Ottoman relationship? How could the Habsburg Monarchy, with its limited administrative apparatus, effectively enforce migration controls? What was the role of the permanent cordon sanitaire? How did the Military Border soldiers and other stakeholders, such as border inhabitants, the Ottoman border authorities and the migrants themselves contribute to migration control? Finally, the dissertation explores whether the goal of the system was to restrict or to facilitate migrations. Quantitatively analysing migrant lists, it researches the impact of border controls on migration numbers and structure. Show less
