The aim of this book is to offer a fresh approach to the history and archaeology of the Cyclades in Late Antiquity and the Byzantine Early Middle Ages in light of current archaeological... Show moreThe aim of this book is to offer a fresh approach to the history and archaeology of the Cyclades in Late Antiquity and the Byzantine Early Middle Ages in light of current archaeological investigations. It is an attempt to interpret human-environmental interaction in order to “read” the relationship between islands, settlements, landscapes and seascapes in the context of the diverse and highly interactive Mediterranean world.It offers an interdisciplinary approach, which combines archaeological evidence, literary sources, and observations of the sites and microlandscapes as a whole, using the advantages offered by the application of new technologies in archaeological research (Geographic Information Systems). The islands of Paros and Naxos are used as case-studies. The author traces how these neighbouring insular communities reacted under the same general circumstances pertaining in the Aegean and to what extent the landscape played a role in this process. Show less
The present work is the result of the profound teaching and discussions with the late Luis Reyes García, professor of the University of Tlaxcala (Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala), who first... Show moreThe present work is the result of the profound teaching and discussions with the late Luis Reyes García, professor of the University of Tlaxcala (Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala), who first sparked my interest in the study, analysis, transcription, and translation of Nahua texts and documents. Professor Reyes always encouraged his Tlaxcalan students to study and appreciate the rich cultural legacy found in the archives of the state’s local communities. In the present work, several parts are joined together, as pieces of a puzzle. First, the teaching of Professor Reyes García on the oral and archival history of the people of Tlaxcala, the knowledge about the discourses, narratives, and ceremonies that are still carried out in my family, and the worldview of the Naua and Totonac tlamatque (wise people) through their own eyes, hearts, and mouths. Secondly, what was shared with me by Dr. Maarten Jansen and Aurora Pérez at Leiden University: the worldview of the ñuu savi (Mixtecs) and other Mesoamerican peoples, a crucial aspect in order to appreciate the interdependence of our shared heritage. Show less
This study develops and applies a new approach to study Aegyptiaca Romana from a bottom-up, Roman perspective. Current approaches to these objects are often still plagued by top-down... Show moreThis study develops and applies a new approach to study Aegyptiaca Romana from a bottom-up, Roman perspective. Current approaches to these objects are often still plagued by top-down projections of modern definitions and understandings of Egypt and Egyptian material culture onto the Roman world. Egypt beyond representation instead argues that these artefacts should be studied in their own right, without reducing them from the onset to fixed (Egyptian) meanings. Starting from a novel focus on the materials and materiality of a selection of stone Aegyptiaca from Rome, and by combining archaeological and archaeometric perspectives, this study shows that, while Egyptianness may have been among Roman associations, these objects were able to do much more than merely representing notions of Egypt. Show less
This thesis discusses three aspects of Chinese tulou heritage management. Tulou are traditional fortified multifamily dwellings prevalent in southern Fujian. It first examines the tulou... Show moreThis thesis discusses three aspects of Chinese tulou heritage management. Tulou are traditional fortified multifamily dwellings prevalent in southern Fujian. It first examines the tulou interpretation prevailing in southern Fujian. Based on building studies, oral history, genealogies and interviews, it tries to reconstruct a relatively complete landscape biography to describe the essential episodes of built environment evolution in the Hekeng River Valley. This biography highlights the part non-tulou architecture and non-agricultural economic forms have played in the evolution of the settlement environment. It then discusses the regulations and laws which may have direct impact on not only the built heritage but also the life of local lineage society. It criticizes the harsh control of the local government over local people’s built heritage and their environment in the name of heritage preservation. It then moves on to examine the roles of different stakeholders in the heritage framework concerning the use of local people’s built heritage. It explores the possibility of reaching equilibrium among all the heritage players in the form of contracts, and offers some suggestions to the stakeholders getting involved in the tulou management issues. Show less
