Digital Commons Network^™

A Bridge Between Earth & Sky: How The Natural World Shaped The Civilizations Of Ancient And Early-Modern Persia, Sophia Cabana

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project seeks to investigate the ways in which nature shaped the culture of ancient Persia through technology, architecture, agriculture, and art. Furthermore, this project investigates how the symbols and mentalities of ancient Persia were carried forward into the early-modern period. Achaemenid Persia and Babylon are studied as societies which influenced one another and combined to create the foundation of Persian culture as it is currently understood, which then combined in later centuries with other Middle Eastern and Central Asian cultural movements to produce the Safavid and Mughal Empires. The Safavids and Mughals imitated and revived Persian culture in order …

Medical, Anatomical, And Visual Transformations In The Japanese Woodblock Prints Of The Edo And Meiji Periods (1603 - 1912), Victoria Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

“Medical, Anatomical, and Visual Transformations in the Japanese Woodblock Prints of the Edo and Meiji Periods” first presents one of Japan’s lesser known genres of woodblock print. The history of the Edo and Meiji periods is overviewed, providing a contextual backdrop for the prints that are highlighted within the catalogue. Images from three sections: Anatomy, Disease, and Medical Practice are catalogued, supplying the viewer with new visual analysis and translation of prints. Each of these sections of print demonstrate the transformation of Japanese printmaking, from the Edo period to the Meiji, that accompanies the rapid transformation of Japanese culture during …

Understanding The Lived Experience Of Ancient Roman Gardens, Devlin F. Daley

Honors Theses

My research takes a psychologically influenced approach to the study of archaeological remains to explore the experiential nature of ancient gardens in the Roman domus and villa of the Campania region of southern Italy. I argue that significant factors of spatial and social theory drove the intended experience in space and in the curated environment of the garden. I focus on the architecture of these spaces, such as peristyles and reflecting pools, from which walking paths and movement through space can be reconstructed. I also dive into understanding the remains of horticulture, including different plants and trees that would have …

The Iconography Of The Honey Bee In Western Art, Maura Wilson

Master of Arts in Humanities | Master's Theses 1936 - 2022

This master’s thesis studies the ways in which the honey bee is used as a symbol in Western art, specifically between the 1^st century AD and the 17^th century. Artists have had a close relationship with honey bees since they first drew scenes of life on cave walls; since then, honey bees have been a recurring image featured in artworks spanning centuries, cultures, and religions. During the Renaissance in Europe, the honey bee was adapted from a symbol associated with fertility and polytheistic cult rituals to become a symbol of eloquence in Christianity. The community-based, diligent nature of …

Romanization Through Mosaics: Transition At Fishbourne And Colchester, Elizabeth Kurtulik Mercuri

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Romanization has been discussed extensively by scholars as a way to describe the acculturation of providences under the Roman Empire. This thesis will look at mosaics from two early sites in southeast Britain and examine their connection to the Roman Empire. Fishbourne, Roman Palace presents us with a detailed view of a private villa from the first century. The city of Colchester provides a non-elite, urban perspective from the second century. Both sites contain surviving mosaics that provide a lasting imprint of the visual and material culture that was valued in Britain during its early years under Roman occupation.

In …

Female Acrobatics In Context: 5th-4th C. Bc, Marleigh Anderson

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ‘meaning’ of a performance is largely determined by its context. This idea became clear to me after years as a dancer performing in drastically different venues—including nursing home lobbies, circus tents, makeshift outdoor festival stages, football fields, and ornate theatres. To me, every performance opportunity felt distinct, especially depending on the audience and the nature of the performance. This is the personal background that I bring to my study of female acrobatic performances in ancient Greek society, and it is part of the reason that I find it critical to consider these performances within their contexts. Even if the …

The Iconography Of The Gold And Silver Coinage Of Philip Ii Of Macedon And Alexander The Great, Nisha N. Ramracha

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The history of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great has been tremendously studied through ancient sources and archaeology. One approach has been through numismatics: a comprehensive study of currency in the form of coins and additional media for transactions, trade, payment and otherwise. This form of research gives scholars an economic perspective on the lives and campaigns of these renowned Macedonian Argead kings through statistical calculations in the form of weights, di-axes, ascertaining inauguration dates as well as appraisal of metals such as gold, silver and bronze in ancient economies, and deducing the locations of mints and various …

Bringing The Past Into The Future: The Digitization Of Classical Archaeology And The Trasimeno Archaeology Digital Site Museum, Rebecca Kerns 19

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Learning Church: Catechisms And Lay Participation In Early New England Congregationalism, Roberto O. Flores De Apodaca

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes catechisms and catechizing in New England religious culture from 1628-1662. These question and answer documents were intended for comprehensive religious instruction of both children and adults, and thus provide a direct window into the worldview of New England laity. In the hands of ordinary men and women, catechisms became a profound tool of religious and ecclesiastical empowerment. This thesis argues that catechisms held an indispensable role in equipping early New England men and women to participate in the government and rituals of their nascent Congregational churches. Ministers wrote catechisms to equip laity for their responsibilities of structuring …

Orpheus And Women On 5th Century Bce Vases, Samantha Burton

Honors Thesis

In Greek myth, Orpheus is a musician with incredible talent, his music so beautiful that it charmed the beasts and guardians of the Underworld, and eventually Persephone and Hades themselves, into allowing his dead wife Eurydice to returning to the living realm. When he defied their singular rule of not turning to look back at her and she was then banished to the Underworld forever, Orpheus returned to the mortal realm, began to worship Helios instead of Dionysus, and was promptly killed by Thracian women sent by Dionysus. Alternatively, it has been told that Orpheus, wrought with heartbreak, could not …

Leaves Of The Bodhi Tree From East To West: The Symbol Of The Sacred Fig Tree In Ancient India, Southeast Asia And Contemporary Contexts, Amanda J. Spradling

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the depiction of the Bodhi Tree, a common Buddhist symbol. Bodhi tree simply means tree of enlightenment and Buddha Shakyamuni reached enlightenment while in meditation beneath the particular tree species of ficus religiosa, or sacred fig. Though the sacred fig tree, as a native tree to India, has historically held significance, today it is principally known for its association with the Buddha, particularly his single most important life event, his enlightenment.

Tree worship and its universal practice is well understood and many studies of the Bodhi Tree explore its associated pilgrimage site, Bodh Gaya, and monument, the …

The Bioarchaeology Of The Tugalo Site (9st1): Diet, Disease, And Health Of The Past, Nompumelelo Beryl Hlophe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Tugalo site is a prehistoric and early historic Native American site located in northeast Georgia along the upper Savannah River basin, near the junction of Toccoa Creek and the Tugalo River. According to archaeological materials analyzed from the site it was occupied from ca. A.D. 1100 to 1600 (Anderson et al. 1995). Although archaeological investigations of the site revealed basic characteristics of its chronology and architecture, very little analysis and reporting of the skeletal remains from Tugalo has been completed. By analyzing data collected by Williamson (1998) concerning the age and sex of the burials, the presence or absence …

Classicizing Identity: The Alt-Right, Art, And Archaeology, Nina Angileri

Senior Honors and Award-Winning Theses

No abstract provided.

Displays Of Medici Wealth And Authority: The Acts Of The Apostles And Valois Fêtes Tapestry Cycles, Madison L. Clyburn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of my research is to explore Medici extravagance, power, and wealth through the multifaceted artistic form of tapestries vis-à-vis two particular tapestry cycles; the Acts of the Apostles and the Valois Fêtes. The cycles were commissioned by Pope Leo X (1475-1521), the first Medici pope, and Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589), queen, queen regent, and queen mother of France. The motivation for such a project lies in analyzing what is traditionally considered as two independent tapestry cycles by revealing their social, religious, political, and artistic significance through the powerful dynastic influence of the Medici. As Leo and Catherine were …

Ethics In 21st Century Art Conservation: Confederate Monuments, Kate L. Hoffman

Honors Theses

This paper explores the ethics surrounding the conservation of damaged confederate monuments, specifically as educational tools for understanding their place in society and memory over time. Much of this research has been conducted through the use of contemporary news sources and memory studies scholarship on account of the recent influx of interest towards the monuments and their controversies in the 21st century. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to provide an unbiased source of material for future scholarship in memory studies towards confederate monuments, for if damages dealt to the monuments are repaired, that portion of their physical history …