The history of death is entangled with the history of changing social values, meaning that a shift in attitudes to death will be consistent with changes in a society’s world view. Late Mesolithic shell middens in the Tagus and Sado valleys, Portugal, constitute some of the largest and earliest burial grounds known, arranged and maintained by people with a hunting, fishing, and foraging lifestyle, c 6000–5000 cal BCE. These sites have been interpreted in the light of economic and environmental processes as territorial claims to establish control over limited resources. This approach does not explain the significance of the frequent disposal of the dead in neighbouring burial grounds, and how these places were meaningful and socially recognized. The aim of this dissertation is to answer these questions through the detailed analysis of museum collections of human burials from these sites, excavated between the late nineteenth century and the 1960s. I examine the burial activity of the last hunter-gatherers of the south-western Iberian Peninsula from an archaeological perspective, and explain the burial phenomenon through the lens of historical and humanist approaches to death and hunter-gatherers, on the basis of theoretical concepts of social memory, place, mortuary ritual practice, and historical processes. Human burials are investigated in terms of time and practice based on the application of three methods: radiocarbon dating and Bayesian analysis to define the chronological framework of the burial activity at each site and valley; stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen aimed at defining the burial populations by the identification of dietary choices; and archaeothanatology to reconstruct and define central practices in the treatment of the dead. This dissertation provides new perspectives on the role and relevance of the shell middens in the Tagus and Sado valleys. Hunter-gatherers frequenting these sites were bound by shared social practices, which included the formation and maintenance of burial grounds, as a primary means of history making. Death rituals played a central role in the life of these hunter-gatherers in developing a sense of community, as well as maintaining social ties in both life and death.

Dans le cadre de la célébration du nouveau millénaire, la National Gallery de Londres a organisé l'exposition Encounters: New Art from Old (14 juin - 17 septembre 2000). La formule consistait à inviter vingt-cinq artistes contemporains à choisir une œuvre de la collection permanente du musée et à s'en inspirer afin d'en créer une nouvelle. Certaines des œuvres produites pour l’occasion ont été exposées près de leurs sources dans les salles historiques de la collection du musée. Ce mémoire examine comment la formule de cette exposition et son accrochage anachronique agissent de façon directe sur la temporalité de la collection historique en invitant à sa réactualisation, et à la mise en valeur de la création. Il situe cette formule dans le cadre d’un regain d’intérêt pour les collections, décortique la sélection des artistes par le musée et la sélection des œuvres de la collection par les artistes. Il propose aussi une classification des modalités par lesquelles ceux-ci ré-interprètent la tradition. Enfin, en s’appuyant sur la théorie de la réception, ce mémoire considère les réponses générées par l’exposition : celles des artistes aux œuvres de leurs prédécesseurs, celles des critiques et celles du public. / As part of the celebration of the new millennium, the National Gallery of London organized the exhibition Encounters: New Art from Old (June 14 to September 17, 2000). The concept was to invite twenty-five eminent contemporary artists to choose a painting from the permanent collection of the museum in order to create a new artwork. Some of the works produced for the occasion were displayed near the works that inspired them in the historic galleries of the museum. This dissertation examines how the anachronistic hanging of the works of art helped Encounters in shedding new light on the permanent collection of the museum and in showcasing the contemporary artists' interpretations. The dissertation seeks to situate Encounters in the context of a new interest in museum collections, to reflect on its selection of artists as well as on the selection of works chosen by the artists. It then proceeds to classify the new creations in four modalities of intervention and in conclusion addresses the reception generated by the exhibition: that embodied by the new works created and those of the press and the public.

No description available.

Milking stools in the collections of the National Cultural History Museum: an investigation of typology. In this study the physical or other characteristics that might typify the traditional milking stool is investigated. This was done by studying a comparable group of eighteen examples from the Anthropology and Cultural History collections of the National Cultural History Museum in Pretoria. Six of the objects in the group studied had already been associated with the Afrikaans catchword ‘melkstoel’, hence the primary sources that informed the research included the museological data from the existing documentation of the Museum. The investigation confirmed that corresponding physical attributes, especially that pertaining to construction, could be identified in the group studied. It was also found that the objects had seen multiple, but indeterminable, functional applications. Since fifteen of the eighteen examples studied were essentially anonymous, as no documented provenance existed, their origin, history and meaning could not be established. The research was therefore extended to secondary sources, being textual descriptions and images, from which associations and correlations between the group studied and milking stools, especially from Western Europe and the English-speaking world, could be affirmed. Moreover, such links were also found to exist with other stools and certain vernacular chair typologies of shared approach, especially as to their construction. Findings identified certain typological features of the milking stool, but also a symbolic and metaphorical association. Multiple functions of and applications for the milking stool could be ascertained. AFRIKAANS : In hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel of enige eienskappe, fisies of andersins, die tradisionele melkstoeltjie tipeer. Dit is onderneem aan die hand van ‘n studiegroep van agtien soortgelyke voorwerpe uit die Antropologie-versameling en die Kultuurhistoriese versameling van die Nasionale Kultuurhistoriese Museum, Pretoria. Dié primêre bronne word in die ondersoek ondersteun deur museale bronne ontsluit uit die Museum se dokumentasiesentrum, waar ses van die voorwerpe in die studiegroep reeds assosieer is met die trefwoord ‘melkstoel’. Die ondersoek het bevestig dat sekere fisiese kenmerke van die studiegroep, veral in hul konstruksie, dui op groepsverband. Daar is ook bevind dat die voorwerpe vir meervoudige, maar onbepaalde, funksies gebruik is.Van die agtien voorwerpe in die studiegroep is vyftien van anonieme herkoms, sodat hul oorsprong, geskiedenis en betekenis nie met sekerheid vasgestel kon word nie. Die navorsing is daarom uitgebrei na tekstuele beskrywings en beelde, as sekondêre bronne, om hierdie en ander kenmerke te ondersoek. Hieruit is die studiegroep in verband gebring met melkstoeltjies uit veral Wes-Europa en die Engelssprekende wêreld, asook ander stoeltjies en volkstoele wat soortgelyke eienskappe en konstruksiekenmerke het. Bevindings dui op bepaalde tipologiese kenmerke van ‘n melkstoeltjie, maar ook ‘n wyer, assosiatiewe begrip wat manifesteer in beeldspraak en ‘n metaforiese konteks. Meervoudige gebruike en aanwendings van die melkstoeltjie is nagespeur. Copyright / Dissertation (MInt)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Architecture / unrestricted

Since 1958, Moderna Museet has housed Sweden’s largest collection of Swedish and international modern and contemporary art. This thesis examines the 21st-century collecting strategies and policy development of Moderna Museet, with a focus on diversity and representation, using intersectional theory and queer studies. Through both quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistics, archival research, discourse analysis, institutional ethnography and interviews with five curators, this study reveals how acquisition policies align with the museum’s aim to diversify its Eurocentric and North American-oriented collection. Fisher’s exact (statistical) test shows differences between the Swedish and international collections, as well as significant gender disparities between donated and purchased artists, indicating a structural unequal pattern regarding donations. Gender and nationality emerge as disciplinary parameters and social constructions for artist registration within the museum database. The findings underscore the slow, systemic change in Moderna Museet, influenced by power structures, external factors, and the museum’s institutional history. In contrast to the 1990s, diversity in the 21st century is continually negotiated and pursued performatively and discursively, rather than implemented through a goal-oriented policy.

No description available.

The pocket watch, an ingenious invention that over its 500 year-long development, made it possible for time keeping to become portable and reliable. A symbol of culture, station and importance, that changed the way our society interacts with and uses time. Nordiska museet’s collections contain over a thousand pocket watches and pocket watch movements, all available through the aggregator Swedish Open Cultural Heritage API. With a critical eye towards the outdrawn digitisation process of Swedish museums, this paper intends through statistical analysis to find trends, patterns, and problems relating to the representation of this grand collection. The results reveal negligence surrounding technical descriptors by reason of suboptimal knowledge regarding watchmaking, a confusing naming convention, and a great need for deeper research into the collection.

(in English): The thesis presents overview of current state of museum libraries in Bohemia. It relies on the results of questionnaire specifically made for this purpose. Focus is also on library collections of museum libraries (acquisition, processing, accessibility and conservation), self-presentation of libraries on Internet, means of financing of such institutions and their activities. The thesis also overviews history of museum libraries on the case of four individual institutions, legal regulations pertaining to them and to their collections, as well as cooperation possibilities between other museum libraries, general libraries or other institutions. The thesis concludes with resume of strengths and weaknesses of current state of affairs in the field and anticipates future development of museum libraries. The text contains numerous charts and tables [Author's abstract].