MA with a specialization in the history of knowledge-creation, especially the history of museum collections and the stories we decide to tell about them. Recently I have been focusing on object biographies, linked data and archives, facilitating the contexts that the visitor/user is interested in.
A holistic view of nature and culture is becoming more prominent to the discipline of archaeology... more A holistic view of nature and culture is becoming more prominent to the discipline of archaeology and to heritage management as a whole. Museums play an important part in engaging the public with heritage, and while the relevance of nature in archaeology has been explored, the relevance of nature in archaeological museums has not yet been studied. This study looks at the different ways in which nature is (and could be) relevant in different archaeological museums. The study is set up in two parts, a literature study and a study of contemporary archaeological museums. The first part looks at the history of the institutionalisation of the nature-culture dualism in archaeology and museums, the origins of this dualism as a Western paradigm and the role nature currently plays within archaeology, to establish a framework. The second part consists of an overview of how 50 north-western European archaeological museums relate to nature, as well as four in-depth case studies of Dutch museums to find out the motivation behind including nature. Based on all this information I argue that the ways in which nature is relevant for archaeological museums is dependent on the types of archaeological museums; nature is relevant as a proxy for cultural phenomena in museums that showcase highlights of past civilizations, as context in museums that tell more individual stories about the past and as a subject for museums that deal with historical landscapes. The inclusion of nature in archaeological exhibitions is also dependent on the interests of the exhibition-makers as well as the interests of the visitors, meaning that nature can become more relevant in archaeological museums when holistic thinking becomes more prevalent in society as a whole.
The new Environment and Planning Act in the Netherlands will place the conservation of natural an... more The new Environment and Planning Act in the Netherlands will place the conservation of natural and cultural heritage under the same government. This paper establishes the history of the nature-culture dualism within heritage; it then ponders the necessity of a holistic view of nature and culture and whether the new act supports such a view as well as an integrated practice.
Nowadays we often hear about amazing new scientific methods that shine a different and more nuanc... more Nowadays we often hear about amazing new scientific methods that shine a different and more nuanced light on archaeological research. In the last few decades disciplines like molecular archaeology and archaeogenetics have made some aspects of research a lot easier, and have even led to the answers of questions that couldn’t be asked before. Many of these new ways of researching have simply come with the times, being incorporated into archaeology as they were invented. These new disciplines and methods of physical and chemical science have led to a whole new set of data, which can be interpreted by archaeologists together with data derived from excavations. The Tollense Tal case study will shine light on the importance of these disciplines.
A review of the book 'New Visions of the Countryside of Roman Britain Volume 3: Life and Death in... more A review of the book 'New Visions of the Countryside of Roman Britain Volume 3: Life and Death in the Countryside of Roman Britain'.
This study aims to determine whether or not this specific object can be seen as "forged", and if ... more This study aims to determine whether or not this specific object can be seen as "forged", and if so what this means and to what degree. History, hallmarks, motifs and decoration are all discussed to the end.
This study compares an article by Paul L. Harris, psychologist, and a book by Jack Zipes, literat... more This study compares an article by Paul L. Harris, psychologist, and a book by Jack Zipes, literature professor and folklorist, to see what their opinions are on how fairy tales differ from religion. Paul Harris looks at why children believe in religion but not in fairy tales, and concludes that this is because children see that adults are serious about religion and start seeing their beliefs and experiences as their own. Zipes looks at why fairy tales remain relevant and concludes that fairy tales, much like religion, contain units of culture that automatically spread through society. In the conclusion, these theories come together to see if one unanimous answer can be given to the central question of this paper.
A paper about the comparison between the Struell Wells (northern Ireland) and dutch holy wells, l... more A paper about the comparison between the Struell Wells (northern Ireland) and dutch holy wells, looking at their pagan roots.
A holistic view of nature and culture is becoming more prominent to the discipline of archaeology... more A holistic view of nature and culture is becoming more prominent to the discipline of archaeology and to heritage management as a whole. Museums play an important part in engaging the public with heritage, and while the relevance of nature in archaeology has been explored, the relevance of nature in archaeological museums has not yet been studied. This study looks at the different ways in which nature is (and could be) relevant in different archaeological museums. The study is set up in two parts, a literature study and a study of contemporary archaeological museums. The first part looks at the history of the institutionalisation of the nature-culture dualism in archaeology and museums, the origins of this dualism as a Western paradigm and the role nature currently plays within archaeology, to establish a framework. The second part consists of an overview of how 50 north-western European archaeological museums relate to nature, as well as four in-depth case studies of Dutch museums to find out the motivation behind including nature. Based on all this information I argue that the ways in which nature is relevant for archaeological museums is dependent on the types of archaeological museums; nature is relevant as a proxy for cultural phenomena in museums that showcase highlights of past civilizations, as context in museums that tell more individual stories about the past and as a subject for museums that deal with historical landscapes. The inclusion of nature in archaeological exhibitions is also dependent on the interests of the exhibition-makers as well as the interests of the visitors, meaning that nature can become more relevant in archaeological museums when holistic thinking becomes more prevalent in society as a whole.
The new Environment and Planning Act in the Netherlands will place the conservation of natural an... more The new Environment and Planning Act in the Netherlands will place the conservation of natural and cultural heritage under the same government. This paper establishes the history of the nature-culture dualism within heritage; it then ponders the necessity of a holistic view of nature and culture and whether the new act supports such a view as well as an integrated practice.
Nowadays we often hear about amazing new scientific methods that shine a different and more nuanc... more Nowadays we often hear about amazing new scientific methods that shine a different and more nuanced light on archaeological research. In the last few decades disciplines like molecular archaeology and archaeogenetics have made some aspects of research a lot easier, and have even led to the answers of questions that couldn’t be asked before. Many of these new ways of researching have simply come with the times, being incorporated into archaeology as they were invented. These new disciplines and methods of physical and chemical science have led to a whole new set of data, which can be interpreted by archaeologists together with data derived from excavations. The Tollense Tal case study will shine light on the importance of these disciplines.
A review of the book 'New Visions of the Countryside of Roman Britain Volume 3: Life and Death in... more A review of the book 'New Visions of the Countryside of Roman Britain Volume 3: Life and Death in the Countryside of Roman Britain'.
This study aims to determine whether or not this specific object can be seen as "forged", and if ... more This study aims to determine whether or not this specific object can be seen as "forged", and if so what this means and to what degree. History, hallmarks, motifs and decoration are all discussed to the end.
This study compares an article by Paul L. Harris, psychologist, and a book by Jack Zipes, literat... more This study compares an article by Paul L. Harris, psychologist, and a book by Jack Zipes, literature professor and folklorist, to see what their opinions are on how fairy tales differ from religion. Paul Harris looks at why children believe in religion but not in fairy tales, and concludes that this is because children see that adults are serious about religion and start seeing their beliefs and experiences as their own. Zipes looks at why fairy tales remain relevant and concludes that fairy tales, much like religion, contain units of culture that automatically spread through society. In the conclusion, these theories come together to see if one unanimous answer can be given to the central question of this paper.
A paper about the comparison between the Struell Wells (northern Ireland) and dutch holy wells, l... more A paper about the comparison between the Struell Wells (northern Ireland) and dutch holy wells, looking at their pagan roots.
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