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In order to understand our past, we need to understand ourselves as
archaeologists and our discipline. This volume presents recent
research into collecting practices of European Antiquities by
national museums, institutes and individuals during the 19th and
early 20th-century, and the ‘Ancient Europe’ collections that
resulted and remain in many museums. This was the period during
which the archaeological discipline developed as a scientific
field, and the study of the archaeological paradigmatic and
practical discourse of the past two centuries is therefore of
importance, as are the sequence of key discoveries that shaped our
field. Many national museums arose in the early 19th century and
strived to acquire archaeological objects from a wide range of
countries, dating from Prehistory to the Medieval period. This was
done by buying, sometimes complete collections, exchanging or
copying. The networks along which these objects travelled were made
up out of the ranks of diplomats, aristocracy, politicians,
clergymen, military officials and scholars. There were also
intensive contacts between museums and universities and there were
very active private dealers. The reasons for collecting antiquities
were manifold. Many, however, started out from the idea of
composing impressive collections brought together for patriotic or
nationalistic purposes and for general comparative use. Later on,
motives changed, and in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities
became more scientifically oriented. Eventually these collections
fossilized, ending up in the depots. The times had changed and the
acquisition of archaeological objects from other European countries
largely came to an end. This group of papers researches these
collections of ‘Ancient Europe’ from a variety of angles. As
such it forms an ideal base for further researching archaeological
museum collection history and the development of the archaeological
discipline.
In order to understand our past, we need to understand ourselves as
archaeologists and our discipline. This volume presents recent
research into collecting practices of European Antiquities by
national museums, institutes and individuals during the 19th and
early 20th-century, and the ‘Ancient Europe’ collections that
resulted and remain in many museums. This was the period during
which the archaeological discipline developed as a scientific
field, and the study of the archaeological paradigmatic and
practical discourse of the past two centuries is therefore of
importance, as are the sequence of key discoveries that shaped our
field. Many national museums arose in the early 19th century and
strived to acquire archaeological objects from a wide range of
countries, dating from Prehistory to the Medieval period. This was
done by buying, sometimes complete collections, exchanging or
copying. The networks along which these objects travelled were made
up out of the ranks of diplomats, aristocracy, politicians,
clergymen, military officials and scholars. There were also
intensive contacts between museums and universities and there were
very active private dealers. The reasons for collecting antiquities
were manifold. Many, however, started out from the idea of
composing impressive collections brought together for patriotic or
nationalistic purposes and for general comparative use. Later on,
motives changed, and in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities
became more scientifically oriented. Eventually these collections
fossilized, ending up in the depots. The times had changed and the
acquisition of archaeological objects from other European countries
largely came to an end. This group of papers researches these
collections of ‘Ancient Europe’ from a variety of angles. As
such it forms an ideal base for further researching archaeological
museum collection history and the development of the archaeological
discipline.
The adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in
human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the
trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse.
This book presents a study into the archaeology of the communities
involved in the process of Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area
(5500-2500 cal BC). It elucidates the role played by the indigenous
communities in relation to their environmental context and in view
of the changes that becoming Neolithic brought about. This work
brings together a comprehensive array of excavated archaeological
sites in the Lower Rhine Area. Their analysis shows that the
succession of Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant culture, Hazendonk group
and Vlaardingen culture societies represents a continuous long-term
tradition of inhabitation of the wetlands and wetland margins of
this area, forming a culturally continuous record of communities in
the transition to agriculture. After demonstrating the diversity of
the Mesolithic, the subsequent developments regarding
Neolithisation are studied from an indigenous perspective.
Foregrounding the relationship between local communities and the
dynamic wetland landscape, the study shows that the archaeological
evidence of regional inhabitation points to long-term flexible
behaviour and pragmatic decisions being made concerning livelihood,
food economy and mobility. This disposition also influenced how the
novel elements of Neolithisation were incorporated. Animal
husbandry, crop cultivation and sedentism were an addition to the
existing broad spectrum economy but were incorporated within a set
of integrative strategies. For the interpretation of Neolithisation
this study offers a complementary approach to existing research.
Instead of arguing for a short transition based on the economic
importance of domesticates and cultigens at sites, this study
emphasises the persistent traditions of the communities involved.
New elements, instead of bringing about radical changes, are shown
to be attuned to existing hunter-gatherer practices. By documenting
indications of the mentalite of the inhabitants of the wetlands, it
is demonstrated that their mindset remained essentially Mesolithic
for millennia. This book is accompanied by a separate 422 page
volume containing the appendices. These constitute a comprehensive
inventory of 159, mostly excavated archaeological sites in the
Lower Rhine Area."
The adoption of agriculture is one of the major developments in
human history. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the
trajectories of Neolithisation in Northwest Europe were diverse.
This book presents a study into the archaeology of the communities
involved in the process of Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area
(5500-2500 cal BC). It elucidates the role played by the indigenous
communities in relation to their environmental context and in view
of the changes that becoming Neolithic brought about. This volume
contains the appendices to the thesis 'Persistent traditions. A
long-term perspective on communities in the process of
Neolithisation in the Lower Rhine Area (5500-2500 cal BC)'. These
constitute a comprehensive inventory of 159, mostly excavated,
archaeological sites in the Lower Rhine Area for which general
characteristics were recorded. Their analysis shows that the
succession of Late Mesolithic, Swifterbant culture, Hazendonk group
and Vlaardingen culture societies represents a continuous long-term
tradition of inhabitation of the wetlands and wetland margins of
this area, forming a culturally continuous record of communities in
the transition to agriculture. The site catalogue forms both an
overview of, and detailed introduction into, the site-based
archaeology of this time frame. After demonstrating the diversity
of the Mesolithic, the subsequent developments regarding
Neolithisation are studied from an indigenous perspective.
Foregrounding the relationship between local communities and the
dynamic wetland landscape, the archaeological evidence regarding
its regional inhabitation points to long-term flexible behaviour
and pragmatic decisions being made. For the interpretation of
Neolithisation this study offers a complementary approach to
existing research. Instead of arguing for a short transition based
on the economic importance of domesticates and cultigens at sites,
the emphasis is placed on the persistent traditions of the
communities involved. New elements, instead of bringing about
radical changes, are shown to be attuned to existing
hunter-gatherer practices. By documenting indications of the
mentalite of the inhabitants of the wetlands, it is demonstrated
that their mindset remained essentially 'Mesolithic' for millennia.
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