This article examines the impact of global decolonization in the 1960s on the National Museum of Ethnology (NME) in Leiden, The Netherlands. It focusses especially on how the newly found... Show moreThis article examines the impact of global decolonization in the 1960s on the National Museum of Ethnology (NME) in Leiden, The Netherlands. It focusses especially on how the newly found independence of many countries around the world influenced the mission that the museum set for itself, and how decolonization impacted exhibitionmaking and acquisition policies. The goal of the article is to better understand how the museum saw its own role and its praxis in a period of significant global political changes that deeply affected the way ethnographic museums functioned. Show less
Erdil, P.; Kuitems, M.; Berger, M.E.; Dee, M. 2021
In this article, radiocarbon dating has been used as a tool for investigating the authenticity of two Mesoamerican artefacts from the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures (Museum... Show moreIn this article, radiocarbon dating has been used as a tool for investigating the authenticity of two Mesoamerican artefacts from the collection of the National Museum of World Cultures (Museum Volkenkunde), Leiden, the Netherlands. The first artefact is a ceremonial Aztec, possibly a tecpatl, knife, and it is presumed to date to 1300–1500 CE. The second object is a decorated Mixtec skull, presumed to date to 1400–1520 CE. The efficacy of radiocarbon dating was thoroughly tested in this study, especially in regard to the tiny quantities that could be sampled from the skull. However, with the newly revamped radiocarbon facility at the University of Groningen, this was an opportune moment to attempt such research. Ultimately, a credible result could not be obtained on the skull; however, the ceremonial knife was dated reliably to the Aztec period. The article also discusses the broader issue of whether radiocarbon results can be used as a definitive proof of authenticity and examines the riskreward nature of radiocarbon testing. Show less
This dissertation studies the indigenous Mexican game of pelota mixteca. In the first part, the possible pre-Columbian origins of the game are examined. The second part focuses on the ways... Show more This dissertation studies the indigenous Mexican game of pelota mixteca. In the first part, the possible pre-Columbian origins of the game are examined. The second part focuses on the ways in which 20th- and 21st-century globalization, labor migration and state politics of indigenism have influenced the way the game is represented and used in political discourse, both by the state and by the players itself. Show less
