School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses
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ItemThe Hellenization of Iraq: a study of the material culture( 1994)This thesis examines the degree and type of Hellenization which occurred in Iraq during the Hellenistic period. It asserts that, rather than the indigenous Assyrio-Babylonian culture collapsing under the impact of the new Greek culture of the conquerors as has previously been thought, it underwent a metamorphosis and emerged with a strong vibrant culture which was a fusion of the two. The thesis examines this issue through an archaeological framework to assess if the material evidence in fact supports such a view. To place the archaeological material of Hellenistic Iraq in its context, a study of the geography and settlement patterns has been undertaken. The country is divided into six regions and material is grouped and discussed in context of each region. The settlement distribution reveals that not only was there a substantial settlement in every area of Iraq which had been surveyed or excavated, but there appears to have been an expansion in the size of the population of Iraq during the Hellenistic period. As most of the material was recovered on archaeological sites by either survey or excavation, the thesis has concentrated in detail on the ceramic evidence. While many Greek shapes were adopted, local shapes continued to be manufactured although they were influenced by new potting techniques introduced from the Aegean. The six regions utilized different shapes in their ceramic repertoires and adapted the new shapes differently to fit their own local traditions and needs. The most profound aspect of the Hellenization of the economy in Iraq was a revolution in the introduction of bronze coinage and its acceptance and later adoption by the indigenous people of Iraq. This was a revolution in economic activity in Hellenistic Iraq. A fusion of the two cultures can be seen in the religious material evidence, similar to that observed in the pottery. The major religious activity remained Assyrio-Babylonian but Greek iconography was adopted and used to depict traditional local deities. Through a study of the material culture it is demonstrated that Iraq in the Hellenistic period was a dynamic society which on a strong Assyrio-Babylonian base adopted aspects of Greek culture which through a process of melding and fusion form the single culture of Hellenistic Iraq.
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ItemThe Australian aboriginal collection in the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin and the making of cultural identity( 2002-05)This is an evaluation of the contribution of the Australian Aboriginal collection in the Museum fur Volkerkunde in Berlin to the current public perception of Aboriginal cultural identity both in Berlin and wider afield. It gives an account of the collection including the origins and the nature of the objects and some of the key people who have contributed to its assembly and its presentation since the Museum’s foundation. This provides evidence of significant scientific and cultural links between Australia and Germany from the earliest times of white settlement and exploration in Australia. It also reveals how the period of active collection of Australian Aboriginal material in the Museum coincided with the activities of several key collectors within Australia who have been more widely appreciated in Australia for their other achievements in the sciences or the arts. Assessed within a broad social and an historical context, why and how the collection was assembled, categorised, presented and received by scientists and the public over the years contributes to appreciating its role in the historical construction of a German view of Australian Aboriginal cultural identity. At the same time, the nature of institutional classifications of such cultural material is shown to contribute to the perceived gap in production of authentic Aboriginal art during the twentieth century within the Western account of art history. A comparative analysis of this information relative to other significant museum collections and presentations of Australian Aboriginal material in Germany, the UK, France and Australia contributes to a re-evaluation of the Berlin collection within a contemporary frame of reference involving both science and art. This work leads me to recommended changes to the management and presentation of the collection of Australian material that is cognisant of the traditional scientific status of the Museum while introducing new museological strategies. It includes devising new programs of activity related to the collection that will be appropriate to its historical context while having contemporary relevance both to the institution, its wider institutional context and especially to the contemporary Australian Aboriginal communities who have links to the collection.
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ItemA Hellenistic housing insula in North Syria( 2001)This thesis examines the material remains, both architectural and artefactual, of a housing insula in Jebel Khalid, North Syria, a Seleucid military settlement on the Euphrates. The excavations of 1988-1996, which uncovered more than a third of the insula, are the basis of the investigation. The importance of the insula lies in its unique status as a virgin site, not subsequently built over, and the contribution it can thus make towards a better knowledge of domestic life in Hellenistic Syria, an area much neglected in archaeological research. The thesis establishes three artefact typologies: the lamps, the figurines and the local pottery. The lamps are found to confirm the chronological evidence of the coins of a date-range of 250-75 BC Imports from Antioch are strong but there is considerable evidence of a different, local type. The figurines show a variety of types, which are mainly Hellenistic in style but include Near Eastern figures such as Astarte plaques and Persian riders. The implication is that the population was not entirely Greek. The local/regional pottery is a rich source of information on eating, drinking, cooking and storing habits. The pottery typology contains forty-three types of vessels, most of which are 'international' Hellenistic shapes. However, there is a significant proportion of shapes surviving from the Persian period, particularly in the coarser wares and some shapes which are difficult to parallel elsewhere. The quality of the table ware is high. Cooking vessels are interesting in that they do not include the 'Greek' casserole. For all the typologies, careful account is taken of the contexts of the finds and the pottery is quantified for each area or room. This information is used in the final chapter which analyses selected contexts in terms of the architecture, the installations, association with other rooms, accessibility from the outside and the finds within their context. At least two houses are identified and some observations are made on the characteristics of a Jebel Khalid house, including comments on modes of entry, courtyards, the main room or 'oikos', the arrangement of rooms in a suite, the function of long narrow rooms and the identification of kitchen areas. The lack of certain features, such as andron, bathroom and water storage, is addressed. Comparanda from both East and West show the houses to be, once more, predominantly influenced by Greek design but adapted to the conditions of the site, which involves some features seen in Near Eastern houses. In conclusion, the houses and their contents have revealed a prosperous, heavily Hellenised society which nevertheless shows signs of a Syrian element, in the local production of lamps and figurines, in the retention of some Persian period shapes among the pottery, and in certain design features of the houses themselves.