School of Historical and Philosophical Studies - Theses

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End date: 2017 × Start date: 2017 × Subject: archaeological reception × Subject: cultural heritage ×

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    The many faces of the Cyrus Cylinder: displaying contested objects as constellations
    Van de Ven, Annelies ( 2017)
    The Cyrus Cylinder is a spindle-shaped clay inscription created and buried more than 2,550 years ago under commission of Cyrus the Great after capturing the great city of Babylon. The Cylinder is internationally celebrated as its text is seen as an example of benevolent and just rule. However, much of the artefact’s history is still shrouded in uncertainty, and its complexity is compounded by the various narratives that have been inscribed upon it. The Cyrus Cylinder utterly defies traditional museological approaches to archaeological artefacts as singular objects with a linear progression of use, abandonment and rediscovery, written as a simple tale of cause and effect. As is the case with our own biographies, the life of the Cyrus Cylinder is complex, and is interpreted differently depending on the context of engagement. Through these interpretations the artefact has gained a host of meanings. Rather than being a single object it has become a constellation of relations involving a range of people, places, and ideologies. The Cylinder oscillates between a propaganda and a declaration of human rights; a foundation inscription and a symbol of victory, with each tale interconnecting within the Cylinder’s ever-expanding network. Within my thesis the relationships created by and embodied within the Cyrus Cylinder will be explored through its archaeological, museological, and ideological history. Through treating the Cyrus Cylinder as a complex and active object, I will expose the current issues and possibilities in its museological treatment. Using the Cyrus Cylinder as a case study, I will suggest a series of dissemination and display strategies, that expose contested artefacts as constellations, rather than categorising them as single narrative objects. These will engage with recent shifts in museum practices and technologies, that have occurred in response the funding crisis in the arts and the heritage crisis in the Middle East.