Aysel Arslan | Netherlands Institute in Turkey (original) (raw)

Papers by Aysel Arslan

Water Heritage for Sustainable Cities, 2023

Türkiye bilimler akademisi kültür envanteri dergisi, Aug 19, 2022

In the autumn of 2021, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) offered a postgraduate course ad... more In the autumn of 2021, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) offered a postgraduate course addressing the challenges and possibilities for the transformation of industrial heritage from a multidisciplinary perspective. With a focus on Istanbul's industrial heritage, the course entitled "Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities" aimed to explore issues relevant to industrial heritage worldwide. The course took place partly online (lectures and discussions), partly on-site in Istanbul (field trips, study groups and workshops), and was open to early-career professionals or researchers of any discipline from higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Turkey. The course was organized as part of the NIT Urban Heritage Lab. Here we review the course's aims, format, and outcomes and reflect on the potential and limitations of an international, hybrid course on a topical cultural heritage theme.

Anthropologie

Co-authored with Miroslav Králík, Linda Koníková, Lenka Polcerová, Martin Čuta, Martin Hložek, On... more Co-authored with Miroslav Králík, Linda Koníková, Lenka Polcerová, Martin Čuta, Martin Hložek, Ondřej Klíma A number of studies have used the measurement of density of epidermal ridges on human fingerprints (or average epidermal ridge breadth if the value is expressed in reverse) as a metric to estimate the age of the originator of the imprint at the time of growth and sex at maturity. A methodologically unsolved question is how the number of ridges measured together within one segment (or the length of the line segment across which the ridges are counted) affects the results. In this study, we therefore investigated how the count of ridges measured together within one segment, as well as the count of averaged segments per subject, when averaged, affect the resulting values of mean epidermal ridge breadth. Moreover, we investigated how different regions on the human fingers and palms differ in this respect. Using a cross-sectional sample of 90 school children (45 girls and 45 boys, age range from 6 to 16 years) from South Moravia, we compared the differences in epidermal ridge breadth in 29 different hand regions, particularly in terms of the degree of age differences. The results show that different regions on the hand vary significantly in the effect of age which might have consequences for estimating age and sex based on these epidermal ridge breadth measurements. However, the ability to statistically distinguish age or sex groups is affected by the number of measurement units (ridges, fingerprints) used to calculate mean epidermal ridge breadth. Therefore, in future research, it would be advisable to introduce computation with interval estimates of MRB or a hierarchical approach directly accounting for individual epidermal ridges.

Anthropologie (Brno) , 2022

A number of studies have used the measurement of density of epidermal ridges on human fingerprints (or average epidermal ridge breadth if the value is expressed in reverse) as a metric to estimate the age of the originator of the imprint at the time of growth and sex at maturity. A methodologically unsolved question is how the number of ridges measured together within one segment (or the length of the line segment across which the ridges are counted) affects the results. In this study, we therefore investigated how the count of ridges measured together within one segment, as well as the count of averaged segments per subject, when averaged, affect the resulting values of mean epidermal ridge breadth. Moreover, we investigated how different regions on the human fingers and palms differ in this respect. Using a cross-sectional sample of 90 school children (45 girls and 45 boys, age range from 6 to 16 years) from South Moravia, we compared the differences in epidermal ridge breadth in 29 different hand regions, particularly in terms of the degree of age differences. The results show that different regions on the hand vary significantly in the effect of age which might have consequences for estimating age and sex based on these epidermal ridge breadth measurements. However, the ability to statistically distinguish age or sex groups is affected by the number of measurement units (ridges, fingerprints) used to calculate mean epidermal ridge breadth. Therefore, in future research, it would be advisable to introduce computation with interval estimates of MRB or a hierarchical approach directly accounting for individual epidermal ridges.

Turkish Journal of Archaeological Sciences, 2023

Fingerprints are commonly found in archaeology, especially on objects made of clay such as potter... more Fingerprints are commonly found in archaeology, especially on objects made of clay such as pottery and figurines. It is possible to gain information about the individuals who left these prints through paleodermatoglyphics, the study of ancient fingerprints. This field of study combines forensic anthropology with archaeology and is useful in estimating the age and sex of the individuals who left the fingerprints as well as finding matching sets of fingerprints. These analyses have the potential to illuminate the nature of labor division in past societies. This article introduces paleodermatoglyphics and discusses its potentials and limitations as an archaeometric method.

TÜBA-KED Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi, 2022

Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common re... more Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common reconstruction methods include photography and 3D drawings of the objects from various perspectives. However, these methods are time consuming and often lack the depth perception needed. Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) is a novel technique to overcome these obstacles [1], [2]. This easy and inexpensive technique produces high-resolution 3D images[3], enabling archaeologists to examine artifacts in fine details. RTI technique includes two methods: using a dome [4] or using highlights. In this work the dome method was employed for the first time in Turkey. We imaged various stone, metal, clay, and bone objects from different perspectives (LEDs in different positions and angles). Processing these LEDs images using the RTI builder program produces a single 3D image that combines all of the obtained images. Altering the light positions on the program allows for greater detail and increased depth perception. For example, by analyzing the RTI images of clay artifacts we could distinguish the fingerprints left by the people who made and used these objects. The RTI method has the potential to reveal new information about ancient societies.

Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common re... more Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common
reconstruction methods include photography and 3D drawings of the objects from various perspectives.
However, these methods are time consuming and often lack the depth perception needed. Reflectance
Transformation Imaging (RTI) is a novel technique to overcome these obstacles [1], [2]. This easy and
inexpensive technique produces high-resolution 3D images[3], enabling archaeologists to examine artifacts
in fine details.
RTI technique includes two methods: using a dome [4] or using highlights. In this work the dome
method was employed for the first time in Turkey. We imaged various stone, metal, clay, and bone objects
from different perspectives (LEDs in different positions and angles). Processing these LEDs images using
the RTI builder program produces a single 3D image that combines all of the obtained images. Altering the
light positions on the program allows for greater detail and increased depth perception. For example, by
analyzing the RTI images of clay artifacts we could distinguish the fingerprints left by the people who made
and used these objects. The RTI method has the potential to reveal new information about ancient societies.

Gender was an inseparable part of each person’s identity in the past as it is today. Although arc... more Gender was an inseparable part of each person’s identity in the past as it is today. Although archaeological debates have included gender studies since the 1980s, most of the discussions find it difficult to go beyond sexual identifications, and making claims on gender roles is a necessarily harder challenge than in other disciplines. As a concept, gender can be
analyzed through mainly two areas of research in prehistory. Bioarchaeology informs us how ancient people lived
because human remains can tell us what people consumed, what kind of occupations they had or where they lived as
well as whether they had any accidents. The second area of research in archaeology is figural representations of humans
such as figurines. These representations are very helpful in order to understand the concepts in the minds of their creators.
This paper aims to assess a diachronic overview in gender roles in this transitional stage of human history. Both women’s
and men’s roles in daily activities are believed to go through major alterations as food sources were changing and people
were going from a diet based primarily on hunted and gathered foods to one based on cultivation and animal husbandry.
The case study focuses on Central Anatolia from 8500 to 5000 BC and addresses changes in figural representations of
humans as well as mortuary practices in various sites.

Müzelerdeki kültürel mirasın ve arkeolojik araştırma sonuçlarının dijitalleştirilmesi ve eldeki v... more Müzelerdeki kültürel mirasın ve arkeolojik araştırma sonuçlarının dijitalleştirilmesi ve eldeki verilerin internet ortamında erişilebilir hale getirilmesi, araştırmacılar arasında bilgi paylaşımının artmasına ve kültürel mirasın korunmasına yardımcı olur. Dünyada pek çok arşiv ve müze, verilerini dijital ortama aktarıp herkesin kullanımına açık hale getirmiştir. Türkiye’de de özellikle bazı özel müzelerde ve kimi arşivlerde bu konuda adımlar atılmaya başlanmışsa da, özellikle kazı ve yüzey araştırmalarından elde edilen verilerin dijitalleştirilmesi yeteri kadar ilgi görmemektedir. Verilerin dijitalleştirilmesi hem bilgiye daha çok kişinin erişmesini sağlar hem de Türk arkeolojisinin bilimsel tartışma ortamına akademik yayın ve çalışmaların sayısını ve kalitesini artırarak katkıda bulunur.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Dijitalleştirme, arkeolojik veriler, müze koleksiyonları, dijital kütüphane, açık arşiv

Book Chapters by Aysel Arslan

Gender transformation in prehistoric and archaic societies, 2019

Prehistoric anthropomorphic figurines are probably one of the most widely discussed and possibly ... more Prehistoric anthropomorphic figurines are probably one of the most widely discussed and possibly the most poorly understood archaeological objects of all. The engendering of Anatolian prehistory using figurines and visual representations of people has not progressed much beyond defining which figure is male or female or, in most cases, which figure represents a god or goddess. This article aims to take apart the Mother Goddess theory and discuss how it was created and why it is problematic for feminist scholarship. Many interpretations of figurines have been proposed in previous decades; they incorporate such concepts as embodiment, materiality, and gender. As a case study, this paper concentrates on Köşk Höyük, a central Anatolian Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic site, with the aim to have a broader look at the visual imagery. The anthropomorphic representations on relief-decorated pottery and the figurines found at Köşk Höyük have typically been interpreted as representations of gods and goddesses, despite ongoing critiques of the Mother Goddess theory. This paper analyses representations of gendered identities, based on visual media, in order to gain a better understanding of the function and use of such representations.
Keywords: Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Anatolia, figurines, Mother Goddess, performativity, gender

Arslan, A., Yelözer, S., 2021. Materyal Kültür ve Toplumsal Cinsiyet İlişkisi. A. Baysal (Ed.), Materyal Kültür ve İnsan: Yeni Yaklaşımlar (pp. 61-100). Bilgin Kültür Sanat Yayınları: Ankara., 2021

Arkeolojide toplumsal cinsiyet araştırmaları, modern yöntemler ve teorik yaklaşımlar ile buluşana... more Arkeolojide toplumsal cinsiyet araştırmaları, modern yöntemler ve teorik yaklaşımlar ile buluşana dek, arkeolojik düşünce tarihine etki etmiş birçok eşiği aşar. Kadınların da geçmişin aktif özneleri olduğunun vurgulanmasıyla başlayan ilk çalışmaların ardından, son yıllarda, cinsiyet, yaş, öğrenme, tecrübe ve yetenek gibi faktörler arasındaki ilişki ve bunların materyal kültürdeki yansımaları ele alınmaktadır. Özellikle 1990’lı yıllardan itibaren materyal kültürün bireylerin kesişimsel kimlikleri ile ilişkisini ele alan araştırmacılar, sosyal bilimlerdeki habitus, yapılandırma, performatiflik gibi yaklaşımlardan esinlenmiş, bu yaklaşımlar ile materyal kültür de insanlar gibi aktif ve dönüşen biyografilere sahip bir olgu olarak ele alınmaya başlamıştır. Bu çalışma, toplumsal cinsiyet arkeolojisinin materyal kültür araştırmalarındaki yerini tartışmayı ve toplumsal cinsiyet kimliğinin oluşumunda materyal kültürün önemini ele almayı hedeflemektedir. Bu amaçla, toplumsal cinsiyet arkeolojisinin tarihsel seyrine dair bir değerlendirme sunulmuş ve materyal kültür-kimlik ilişkisi, nesne ve beden, üretim zinciri ve mekân gibi kavramlar çerçevesinde arkeolojik, tarihi ve etnografik örnekler üzerinden ele alınmıştır.

Thesis Chapters by Aysel Arslan

Clay was an essential raw material for daily life in the Neolithic communities in the seventh and... more Clay was an essential raw material for daily life in the Neolithic communities in the seventh and sixth millennia in western Anatolia. In addition to using clay as building materials, the Neolithic people made all sorts of objects out of clay, and their relationship became increasingly entangled through time. Despite ample research on clay objects from this period, the social aspects of the technology of making clay objects, such as how labor division was organized and how this technological knowledge was transmitted through the generations, have been neglected in the scholarly work that focuses on Anatolian Prehistory.

Books by Aysel Arslan

Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities: Proposals for the Transformation of Istanbul's Unkapanı Flour Mill, 2023

What are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangibl... more What are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangible and intangible values as well as their potential to achieve urban inclusivity, sustainability, circularity as well as public engagement?

The present book is one of the outcomes of the inaugural program of NIT Urban Heritage Lab. Following an introduction on the course, its scope and aims, it showcases the four proposals that the participants of the Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities Course developed for the transformation of the Unkapanı Flour Mill. The proposals are original, thought-provoking and inspirational, while at the same time based on solid multi-disciplinary, collaborative work. So, they are perfect demonstrations of what NIT Urban Heritage Lab tries to achieve.

Water Heritage for Sustainable Cities, 2023

Türkiye bilimler akademisi kültür envanteri dergisi, Aug 19, 2022

Anthropologie

Anthropologie (Brno) , 2022

Turkish Journal of Archaeological Sciences, 2023

TÜBA-KED Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi, 2022

Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common re... more Virtual reconstruction of archaeological artifacts has been a challenge in archaeology. Common
reconstruction methods include photography and 3D drawings of the objects from various perspectives.
However, these methods are time consuming and often lack the depth perception needed. Reflectance
Transformation Imaging (RTI) is a novel technique to overcome these obstacles [1], [2]. This easy and
inexpensive technique produces high-resolution 3D images[3], enabling archaeologists to examine artifacts
in fine details.
RTI technique includes two methods: using a dome [4] or using highlights. In this work the dome
method was employed for the first time in Turkey. We imaged various stone, metal, clay, and bone objects
from different perspectives (LEDs in different positions and angles). Processing these LEDs images using
the RTI builder program produces a single 3D image that combines all of the obtained images. Altering the
light positions on the program allows for greater detail and increased depth perception. For example, by
analyzing the RTI images of clay artifacts we could distinguish the fingerprints left by the people who made
and used these objects. The RTI method has the potential to reveal new information about ancient societies.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Dijitalleştirme, arkeolojik veriler, müze koleksiyonları, dijital kütüphane, açık arşiv

Gender transformation in prehistoric and archaic societies, 2019

Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities: Proposals for the Transformation of Istanbul's Unkapanı Flour Mill, 2023