Credit: Leiden University
In Bronze Age Europe numerous bronze things such as swords, jewels, and axes were intentionally left at specific areas in the landscape. PhD research by Leiden archaeologist Marieke Visser shows that these practices were expressions of individualss relationship with the world around them. “It was an entirely typical practice, which we should not label as illogical.”
“Archaeologists have actually ended up being stuck in extremely stringent analysis designs,” states Visser. “Certain criteria were drawn up and boxes ticked per discover. I find this approach troublesome due to the fact that the information often dont fit in these boxes.
Clear patterns
From a contemporary viewpoint it is illogical to toss away valuable things, however thousands of years ago this was “the most common thing in the world,” says Visser. Visser compares it with tossing coins in a water fountain.
To acquire a much better understanding of these human actions, Visser focuses her research study not on the motives, but rather on the actions themselves. “An amazing number of depositions have been discovered from throughout the Bronze Age. If you methodically research these, look at which object in which place, you find the conventions.
” People wished to reveal that their neighborhoods belonged to intraregional networks.”
In the location where Visser did her research, metals did not happen naturally and were really important. People desired to express that their neighborhoods belonged to intraregional networks.
Visser provides the example of a discover in Denmark where one depot consisted of objects from Denmark, Central Europe and Great Britain. “It was really a map of the contacts and networks individuals had at the time that is represented in that depot.”
National borders
Visser studied an area (Denmark, Northwest Germany and the Northern Netherlands) that has actually never ever been studied before as a whole. “In the past research studies were performed within nationwide borders. The discovers in these three nations are extremely comparable in nature. They were looked at from various angles of analysis, also from the countrys history. This means similarities are lost.”
Visser has developed up a database of finds dating from a long period and from a really large area, that makes it easy to acknowledge resemblances and patterns. “I hope that these information will also be utilized by archaeologists after me.”
PhD research study by Leiden archaeologist Marieke Visser shows that these practices were expressions of peoples relationship with the world around them. From a modern-day viewpoint it is illogical to throw away valuable things, but thousands of years ago this was “the most ordinary thing in the world,” states Visser. To gain a much better understanding of these human actions, Visser focuses her research study not on the intentions, but rather on the actions themselves. In the location where Visser did her research study, metals did not take place naturally and were really important. Visser studied an area (Denmark, Northwest Germany and the Northern Netherlands) that has actually never been studied before as a whole.