scholarly journals Repatriating more than Mapungubwe human remains: archaeological material culture, a shared future and an artificially divided past

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria H. Schoeman ◽  
Innocent Pikirayi
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Archaeological Material

scholarly journals Studije tehnologije i studije materijalne kulture: mogućnosti bliže saradnje na primeru koštanih artefakata

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 703
Author(s):  
Selena Vitezović ◽  
Ivan Vranić
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Technology Studies ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
History Of ◽  
State Of Affairs

Bone artefacts are among the less thoroughly studied classes of archaeological material, especially in the case of particular periods and regions. The reasons behind this are not uniform. The most obvious and general are linked to the research practices of culture-historical archaeology, often neglecting bone artefacts, considering them not sufficiently attractive or informative. The most significant shift towards recognition of a set of potential information gained from bone objects was achieved in the framework of studies of prehistoric technology during the second half of 20th century, especially in the French archaeological school.  This research strategy raised a number of questions concerning the acquisition of raw material, modes of production and usage of objects, whose interpretative potential gained in power, leading to the increased attention paid to faunal remains in archaeological investigations. Yet this source of information on the actual details of relations between people and material culture, opened by technology studies, has not been sufficiently explored.  It may be suggested that the reasons are the narrow specialization of researchers and insufficient inclusion of the gathered information into the wider interpretive framework, various traditions and lack of cooperation among the national archaeological “schools”, language barriers etc. However, the main reason behind this state of affairs may be sought for in non-integrated theoretical perspectives and the lack of clearly articulated interpretive position of researchers seeking to apply the knowledge gained from technology studies, considering this strategy as an “objective, scientific method”, providing concrete answers clearly complying to the expectations of the dominant archaeological paradigm.The paper offers a critical review of a number of examples of application of technology studies in archaeology and possible directions of a more integrated and theoretically informed approach. One of the obvious solutions may be sought in the direction of another research strategy – material culture studies. The aim of the paper is thus to link these two approaches, whose theoretical foundations are not uniform today, but the history of the ideas and the mode of articulation of the basic theoretical assumptions indicate similar theoretical roots.

Post-Meroe in Upper Nubia

2021 ◽  
pp. 730-757
Author(s):  
Mahmoud El-Tayeb
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Pottery Production ◽  
Mortuary Practice ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Close Observation ◽  
Tangible Evidence ◽  
White Nile ◽  
Comprehensive Studies

Upper Nubia stretches from the Second Cataract upstream to the Gezira region south of Khartoum, including Sinnar-Roseires on the southern Blue Nile and Kosti on the White Nile, a distance of not less than 1,500 km. Close observation of the material culture excavated in this ample territory shows a subdivision of Upper Nubia into three zones after the Meroitic Period, in spite of the broad similarities within this cultural horizon. Aspects of regionalism are based on geographical and natural elements in addition to the variety of mortuary practice and pottery production, which are the main sources of information about the period under study. One of the major problems is the lack of organized comprehensive studies in Upper Nubia. Therefore, still debatable are the conventional theories on the Axumite and Noba invasions, while as demonstrated in this text, there is no tangible evidence for such theories in archaeological material. Still open for discussion is the term “Post-Meroe.”

scholarly journals Materiality and the urban: recent theses in archaeology and material culture and their importance for the study of urban history

Urban History ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATHERINE FENNELLY
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Material Environment ◽  
Material Turn ◽  
Strong Position ◽  
Archaeological Sciences ◽  
Structured Approach

Half a century on from Ivor Noel Hume's reference to archaeology as the ‘handmaiden to history’, historical-period archaeology has come quite a way. From disparate origins, in anthropological approaches to material and rescue archaeology in North America, and industrial and buildings archaeology in Britain and Europe, the sub-discipline has coalesced into a structured approach to the recent past. Hume's comment is often misinterpreted as a critique of archaeology's supposed inferiority to history, yet his comment actually refers to the potential for archaeological material to inform historical narratives, fill in gaps and populate the histories of non-literate peoples with a material culture. Unfortunately, overlap between the two disciplines is still in relatively short supply. In light of the recent material turn in the humanities, however, as well as an increased interest amongst historians and geographers in engaging with material culture, archaeological approaches to artifacts, sites and built heritage are in a strong position to inform methods for examining the historical material environment. Collaboration is now not only necessary, but timely, and this review of theses is an attempt to further that potential for co-operation amongst those who study the past. The doctoral theses reviewed here explore changes and developments in the modern city from a material perspective, evidencing both the breadth of approaches and the potential for research in the arts and archaeological sciences to stimulate new studies across different disciplines.

The Oxford Handbook of Later Medieval Archaeology in Britain

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Local Church ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Cultural Tourism ◽  
The Past ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Medieval Archaeology ◽  
The Hill

The Middle Ages are all around us in Britain. The Tower of London and the castles of Scotland and Wales are mainstays of cultural tourism and an inspiring cross-section of later medieval finds can now be seen on display in museums across England, Scotland, and Wales. Medieval institutions from Parliament and monarchy to universities are familiar to us and we come into contact with the later Middle Ages every day when we drive through a village or town, look up at the castle on the hill, visit a local church, or wonder about the earthworks in the fields we see from the window of a train.This Handbook provides an overview of the archaeology of the later Middle Ages in Britain between ad 1066 and 1550. Sixty entries, divided into ten thematic sections, cover topics ranging from later medieval objects, human remains, archaeological science, standing buildings, and sites such as castles and monasteries, to the well-preserved relict landscapes which still survive. This is a rich and exciting period of the past and most of what we have learnt about the material culture of our medieval past has been discovered in the past two generations. This volume provides comprehensive coverage of the latest research and describes the major projects and concepts that are changing our understanding of our medieval heritage.

Rock art as a source of the history of prehistory (An account to promote the understanding of prehistoric rock art)

Abgadiyat ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-35
Author(s):  
Hamdi Abbas Ahmed Abd-EI-Moniem
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Archaeological Remains ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
The Third ◽  
History Of ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Remote Past

Abstract Some may believe that the history of mankind begins with the appearance of writing only a few several thousands of years ago (cf. 4000-3000 BCE). Our history, however, extends beyond that date millions of years. The history of mankind, indeed, is deeply rooted in the remote past which is called 'prehistory'. With the lacking of any form of writing, this 'prehistoric' period can be examined directly solely by recourse to the study of archaeological remains. The purpose of this account is to introduce rock art to the readers and show the significant role of this sort of archaeological material in studying the history of mankind before the appearance of written records. The current work, therefore, is divided into three main sections: the first deals with definition of rock art and its nature; the second section is devoted to showing the significance of this aspect of material culture in exploring a long and mysterious period of the early history of man characterized by the complete absence of written records or historical documents; the third and last section, which is a vital and integral part of this work, comprises an explanatory pictorial record to promote the understanding of prehistoric rock art as a source of information needed for writing the history of prehistory.

scholarly journals Human remains from the Tomb of Khety (MMA 508/TT 311) in North Asasif

2019 ◽  
pp. 157-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roselyn A. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
The North ◽  
Third Intermediate Period

The North Asasif Necropolis, adjacent to the New Kingdom temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, has been the subject of several excavations over the past century, first by H.E. Winlock in the early 20th century, and since 2013 by the Asasif Project. Most of the tombs in the necropolis are rock-cut tombs of honored officials dating to the Middle Kingdom. One of these officials, named Khety, was buried in a tomb designated by Winlock as MMA 508 (also known as Theban Tomb 311), though the tomb was subsequently reused for another burial (or burials) during the Third Intermediate Period. Though Winlock excavated this tomb in the early 20th century, he left much archaeological material behind, and systematic documentation of this excavation debris by the Asasif Project has yielded a wealth of information. This study focuses specifically on the human remains recovered from MMA 508 during the 2019 season. Despite the commingled nature of the MMA 508 assemblage, much information has been gleaned from the human remains. The remains of at least twenty individuals, including infants and children as well as adults, were recovered from the tomb debris. Evidence for systemic physiological stress and infection was observed in some of the remains, and both male and female individuals were identified. Various aspects of body treatment testify to the elite status of the individuals interred in this tomb. The relatively high percentage of sub-adult remains may support theories that the tombs in this part of the necropolis were sometimes used as multi-generational family tombs. Further study of the human remains from MMA 508 may shed light on burial practices from the Middle Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period.

Human Remains and What They Can Tell Us about Status and Identity in the Merovingian Period

2020 ◽  
pp. 138-163
Author(s):  
Andrea Czermak
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Late Antiquity ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Cultural Changes

The Merovingian period was marked by economic, political, social, and cultural changes, leading to new social structures and cultural identities. Stable isotope analysis of human remains, focusing on potential changes in individuals’ life histories can provide important clues about this transitional period, allowing for conclusions about social structures and relations within a population. Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios are used for characterization of individuals’ diets. Gained from bone material, isotope ratios reflect an average of an individual’s diet during the last years of life. Teeth reflect nutrition during childhood and adolescence and, due to their appositional growth, can provide a chronology of dietary intake during the first twenty years of life. Serial microsampling of dentine from different teeth that grow at different times allows detection of potential changes in diet and subsistence and thus can give information about changing environmental conditions during an individual’s early lifetime. This chapter asks whether the radical cultural changes evident in material culture in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages reflect the migration of populations from eastern Europe or cultural change among members of the former Roman population.

The Challenges of Dealing with Human Remains in Cultural Resource Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Powless ◽  
Carolyn Freiwald
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
Cultural Resource Management ◽  
Lead Author ◽  
Cultural Resource ◽  
Community Agencies ◽  
The Past ◽  
And Training

AbstractOver the past few years, the lead author has had the opportunity to excavate multiple large sites in California, working on behalf of developers to keep their projects in compliance with their permits. She also worked in conjunction with local tribes to resolve burial issues with each excavation. During these excavations, she observed the challenges that the tribes encountered when dealing with fast-paced cultural resource management (CRM) projects where burial retrieval and a shortage of resources were the norm. For many years, archaeologists have viewed CRM as only dealing with the material culture of the past; however, archaeologists also consult and work with living cultures. This article will address the endemic problem in CRM that stems from a lack of planning, preparation, resources, and training and how it affects the burial excavations that archaeologists and tribes encounter in the CRM setting. It will also look for solutions to remedy a long-broken system that continues to ignore existing laws set in place to protect resources, as well as the relationships between the Native American community, agencies, researchers, and land developers.

scholarly journals ORIGIN OF HEAD CROWNS IN ANCIENT AESTIA AND PRUSSIANS

2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (07) ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
V.I. Kulakov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Ancient Society ◽  
South Eastern Europe ◽  
Trade Route ◽  
The Baltic

The archaeological material of the south-eastern Baltic States contains several rare specimens of typeset head corollas for the antiquities of the Western Balts. The conclusions obtained as a result of the analysis of the head corollas of the Western Balts of the I-XIV centuries can be presented as follows: 1. Northern European masters at the beginning of our era created their own versions of head wreaths, based on examples of ancient votive wreaths. The latter were used both in triumphal events and at the burial of notable members of ancient society. It remains unclear under what conditions the Scandinavians could adopt the idea of a votive wreath, reworking it in the form of head corollas. 2. In phase B1, individual representatives of the northern tribes appear on Sambia, who brought crowns with them to the Amber Coast as part of the matrimonial "import", which were attached in especially solemn (cult ?) in cases of head covering. 3. In Roman times, head crowns did not find their place in the material culture of the population of the western outskirts of the Baltic world. In the early Middle Ages, through the mediation of master jewelers of south-eastern Europe, the tradition of wearing corollas made using Byzantine traditions spread in the Baltic States. It is possible that these traditions came to the Baltic States with groups of artisans along the Vislin trade route – the ancient Great Amber Road.

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