During funerals of nobles in the Kuba kingdom (Democratic Republic of Congo), visitors used to theatrically offer so-called bongotols to the deceased and the mourning family. These highly... Show moreDuring funerals of nobles in the Kuba kingdom (Democratic Republic of Congo), visitors used to theatrically offer so-called bongotols to the deceased and the mourning family. These highly appreciated valuables were either positioned under the corpse to support it or displayed on top of it.In addition to their religious meanings they also displayed the status and wealth of both givers and takers. Visitors would receive similar items in return. Afterwards the bongotols were stashed until, on occasion of a next burial, they would continue their cycles of gift and counter gift among the titled Kuba aristocracy. Death and display brings ethnographic research and archival sources to bear on these intriguing heirlooms. Their rich iconography offers a kaleidoscope of traditional Kuba sociality, cosmology and ritual. Show less
This book presents the transcriptions and annotated translations of fifteen key historical documents concerning the Tapuia indigenous people written just before and during the Dutch occupation of... Show moreThis book presents the transcriptions and annotated translations of fifteen key historical documents concerning the Tapuia indigenous people written just before and during the Dutch occupation of northeastern Brazil. The selected documents vary widely in type, including letters, descriptions, reports, first-person declarations, diaries, and transcripts of interrogations, thereby showcasing different perspectives and audiences. Some of the documents were authored by European writers, while others register indigenous voices somewhat more directly in the form of interviews or declarations.These texts provide important first-hand information about the Tapuia and other indigenous peoples during the Dutch conquest, revealing their cultural practices and knowledge while also detailing their strategic engagements with each other and with different European colonizers. Show less
The Roman eastern frontier stretched from the north-east shore of the Black Sea to the Red Sea. It faced Rome’s formidable foe, the kingdom of Parthia, and its successor, Sasanian Persia. Rome’s... Show moreThe Roman eastern frontier stretched from the north-east shore of the Black Sea to the Red Sea. It faced Rome’s formidable foe, the kingdom of Parthia, and its successor, Sasanian Persia. Rome’s bulwark in antiquity was the area known as Syria or the Levant, roughly modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine. To the south lay the Nabataean kingdom, annexed by Rome in 106 and formed into the province of Arabia. To the north, the Cappadocian frontier was laid out in one of the most inaccessible and remote parts of Eurasia facing extremes of climate and topography, amid a patchwork of client kingdoms. This hidden and fascinating frontier in Turkey, whose bases mostly lie under reservoirs, is the major omission from this volume and it is hoped that a more in-depth account might appear in due course. The Caucasian forts along the edge of the Black Sea are, however, part of this volume; this is perhaps Rome’s least known frontier archaeologically but the subject of a unique account by Arrian when governor of Cappadocia. Show less
Manders, M.; Dissel, A.M.C. van; Brouwers, W.; Fink, M.; Spoelstra, J.; Hoop, R. de; ... ; Vroomen, O. de 2022
Duizenden metaalvondsten die door detectorzoeker wijlen Herman Zomerdijk zijn gedaan in de regio Kennemerland schetsen een uniek beeld van Noord-Holland door de eeuwen heen. Hij zocht en verzamelde... Show moreDuizenden metaalvondsten die door detectorzoeker wijlen Herman Zomerdijk zijn gedaan in de regio Kennemerland schetsen een uniek beeld van Noord-Holland door de eeuwen heen. Hij zocht en verzamelde decennialang historische metalen objecten in Noord-Holland en bouwde zo een unieke metaalcollectie op.Zomerdijk werkte op zorgvuldige wijze, verkocht of ruilde zo goed als nooit vondsten en noteerde, vooral bij de muntvondsten, heel secuur de precieze vondstlocaties. Zo ontstond onder meer een beeld van 2000 jaar munt- en geldcultuur in Noord-Holland met een wetenschappelijke betekenis. Bij wijze van uitzondering kocht de provincie Noord-Holland in 2012 deze collectie metaalvondsten aan. De collectie van zo'n 3000 objecten is bestudeerd en beschreven in een uitgebreide publicatie.Deel 1 van de publicatie behandelt alle numismatische- (of: 'munt-') vondsten van de Romeinse- tot de Nieuwe tijd. Aan de hand van de munten wordt de Noord-Hollandse en Nederlandse muntgeschiedenis zichtbaar, van een Romeinse denarius uit 82 v. Chr. en een vroegmiddeleeuwse Engelse styca (725-900) tot Hollandse penningen uit de tijd van Floris V (1256-1296) in de Late Middeleeuwen. In de Nieuwe tijd zien we in de munten in de collectie de weerslag van de Tachtigjarige Oorlog en komen munten zoals stuiver, Leeuwendaalder en de gulden op.In het tweede deel komen de niet-numismatische vondsten aan bod. Deze objecten laten het 'gewone' leven zien van het platteland, van ambacht, handel en kleding maar ook van vrijetijd en vermaak en religie zoals lakenloodjes, knopen, gespen, pelgrimsinsignes en musketkogels.Beide delen bevatten een uitgebreide catalogus met foto's en specificaties van de metaalvondsten. Show less
The Geoglyphs of Palpa, Peru is a revision of the author´s Ph.D. thesis. In this study, the famed geoglyphs of the Paracas and Nasca cultures on the south coast of Peru are investigated in order to... Show moreThe Geoglyphs of Palpa, Peru is a revision of the author´s Ph.D. thesis. In this study, the famed geoglyphs of the Paracas and Nasca cultures on the south coast of Peru are investigated in order to better understand their function and meaning. Combining aerial photogrammetry, archaeological fieldwork, and GIS-based analysis, more than 600 geoglyphs in the vicinity of the modern town of Palpa were recorded and analyzed. This interdisciplinary approach enabled the establishment of the first digital archive of these prehispanic monuments. It also led to important new insights into the origin, development, and spatial context of the geoglyphs. The Palpa dataset was furthermore used to test a recent model that explains the function and meaning of the Nasca geoglyphs in terms of Andean social, cultural, and religious traditions. The results of this study indicate that the ancient activities which took place on the geoglyphs revolved around concepts of water and fertility, and were a means of expressing social status and cultural concepts. The geoglyphs integrated the desert into the cultural landscape of the valley-based Paracas and Nasca societies, and were thus a valuable cultural resource that can still be appreciated today. Show less
From ca. 1600 – 1000 BC, builders across southern Greece crafted thousands of rock-cut chamber tombs similar to earlier and contemporary ‘beehive’ tholos tombs. Both tomb styles were designed with... Show moreFrom ca. 1600 – 1000 BC, builders across southern Greece crafted thousands of rock-cut chamber tombs similar to earlier and contemporary ‘beehive’ tholos tombs. Both tomb styles were designed with multiple uses in mind, filling with the remains of funerals forgotten over generations of reuse. In rare cases, the tombs were used once or seemingly not at all, cleaned thoroughly or sealed and abandoned entirely. Rather than focus on the missing or muddled record of funeral and post-funeral activities, this book re-examines Mycenaean tomb architecture and the decisions that guided it.From minimalistic to monumental, builders designed tombs with forethought to how commissioners and witnesses would react and remember them. Patterns suggest that memories of what tombs should look like heavily influenced new construction toward recurring shapes and appropriate scales. The wider debates over cost from ‘architectural energetics’ and perception in Aegean mortuary behaviour are thus revisited. Both can find common purpose in labour measured through a relative index and collective memory – how labourers and patrons saw their work. That metric for comparison lies within a median standard: in this instance, tombs expressed in terms of correlative shape and simple labour investment of the earth and rock moved to create them. This was accomplished here through photogrammetric modelling of 94 multi-use tombs in Achaea and Attica, verifying a cost-effective alternative for local authorities warding off information loss through site destruction from looting and earthquakes. Since most labour models suggest the tombs were not burdensome, commissioners held extravagant building in check by weighing the social risks and rewards of standing out from the crowd. Show less
In focusing on large-scale manipulations of the physical environment I have tried to demonstrate the impulse felt by humans to do something about the world they live in. The existence of such an... Show moreIn focusing on large-scale manipulations of the physical environment I have tried to demonstrate the impulse felt by humans to do something about the world they live in. The existence of such an impulse can be traced back as far as 50,000 years ago. Modifying environments is not a trait exclusive to humans. Many animals do something about their environment as well. Jones et al. (1994) provide a substantial list of animals and even plants. A clear example is dam-building by beavers. But humans have gone to greater lengths and all ‘improvements’ are still valued today. Fire, open space, agriculture and the ability to enlarge usable surface are assets of present life. All require technical abilities with increasing complexity when placed in a chronological order. The last mentioned, enlarging the surface, is the youngest and the most complicated when applied on any substantial scale. Show less
