Karel J Giffen | University of New England - Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Karel J Giffen

The endemic nature of warfare in the ancient Near East, 2022

Essential question: Was warfare endemic to Bronze Age society in the Near East? Using case studie... more Essential question: Was warfare endemic to Bronze Age society in the Near East? Using case studies, discuss the archaeological and textual evidence for warfare in the Bronze Age, and explore the relationship between warfare and the development of complex societies in the region.

A brief comparison of the nature of kingship between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, 2021

Essay question: How did the peoples of the ancient Near East-specifically kings and other rulers-... more Essay question: How did the peoples of the ancient Near East-specifically kings and other rulers-see their relationship to their god(s)? Account for any similarities and differences you find.

A brief comparison of ancient Egyptian cosmogonies, 2021

Essay question: Critically compare at least two of the ancient Egyptian cosmologies being Heliopo... more Essay question: Critically compare at least two of the ancient Egyptian cosmologies being Heliopolis, Memphis, and Thebes. What do they reveal about ancient Egyptian views regarding the origins and nature of the gods, humanity, and the cosmos?

Invasion or migration? A survey of the nature of influence of the ancient people of South Asia on the development of Classical India, 2021

Evaluate the nature of 'cross-cultural' interaction between Indo-European speaking peoples and th... more Evaluate the nature of 'cross-cultural' interaction between Indo-European speaking peoples and the pre-existing populations of the Indus Valley, particularly that of the Harappan civilization. What evidence can be marshalled to differentiate whether the spread of IE languages to South Asia represented invasion, as similarly posited by Gimbutas in the context of 'Old Europe', or other forms of cultural interaction and exchange?'

In her seminal work, The Civilisation of the Goddess: The World of Old Europe, Marija Gimbutas (1... more In her seminal work, The Civilisation of the Goddess: The World of Old Europe, Marija Gimbutas (1991) posits a dichotomy between the Neolithic European society ('Old Europe') (OE) and that of Indo-European (IE) speaking peoples of the later Bronze Age. This dichotomy portrays OE as a relatively homogenous collective of archaeological 'cultures' based on goddess-worship, egalitarianism, and being matristic in nature, with IE speaking peoples as god-worshipping, hierarchical, and patristic in nature. 30 years on, assess the extent to which Gimbutas' OE hypothesis is sustainable in the face of current archaeological, genetic, and historical evidence and understandings.

Ever since the 19th and 20th centuries, academic discourse concerning the role of religion amongs... more Ever since the 19th and 20th centuries, academic discourse concerning the role of religion amongst archaeological societies has been problematic. This is because religion typically consists of abstract thought, reasoning, and expression of beliefs and symbols, of which does not conveniently leave material traces. Thus, prior to the 19th and 20th centuries, studies of ancient religions were largely left to historians, which would therefore not allow for the discussion of hypothetical religious systems in preliterate societies. The monopoly of history as a discipline on the study of ancient religions, however, has been challenged, with archaeologists focusing on the role of ritual and cult as a means of reconstructing the nature of ancient religion. Ritual and cult are reliable themes within religion for archaeology to discuss, as they have a greater chance of yielding physical remains for the archaeologist to access and analyse (Fogelin, 2007, p. 3). The focus of this research, therefore, will be to develop an understanding of what is meant by the term, ‘religion’, such as its role, function, and the methodological issues in studying it within an archaeological context. With this definition and these issues in context, archaeological data from Neolithic sites throughout southwest Asia shall be surveyed as to how they demonstrate fulfilment of the varying roles and functions of what is meant by religion. A particular emphasis will be given to sites of the Natufian as a prelude to the Neolithic, as well as Çatalhöyük and Göbekli Tepe as examples of evolved and developed Neolithic communities. Finally, it will be essential to discuss and evaluate the extent to which changing perceptions and understandings of natural and social phenomenon as explored through religious ritual and cult may have been responsible for the origins and development of Neolithic communities.

The role of transcendentalism in shaping the social and cognitive development of peoples of the N... more The role of transcendentalism in shaping the social and cognitive development of peoples of the Neolithic Near East Question: 'What role can 'religion' be said to have played in the origins and development of Neolithic societies in Southwest Asia? Consider archaeological evidence from several sites and/or regions in your answer, as well as what we might mean by 'religion' in a Neolithic context'.

The nature of Mycenaean religious and burial customs, 2020

Greece of the Bronze Age is synonymous with the mythologised heroes and virtues of Homeric epic. ... more Greece of the Bronze Age is synonymous with the mythologised heroes and virtues of Homeric epic. The historicity of the Homeric heroes is an academic quest for another paper, however whether the heroes of Homeric epic lived or did not exist, there is no denying their influence and legacy on Mycenaean society and culture. Indeed, Homer himself tells us that he is composing his works in a time of lesser men; 1 whereby people of Bronze Age Mycenae could thus seek inspiration from these superior men to live more virtuous lives. Of particular interest is the extent to which Mycenaean religious and funerary customs parallel that of religious and funerary customs evident in The Iliad. From excavations of tombs and graves throughout the Argolid, it has been possible to identify that, although specific heroes and events of The Iliad may or may not have existed or occurred, they held particular influence over historical Mycenaean religious and funerary customs. 2 Thus, this paper is concerned with surveying and synthesising evidence from archaeological and artistic sources in order to reveal the nature of religious and funerary practices of Bronze Age Mycenae. Through comparison with written evidence from the Linear B tablets of Pylos as well as Homeric texts, this paper shall also discuss the extent to which the archaeological and artistic record reflects an already established social and cultural convention.

Giffen, K. 'Social class & gender status in Pompeii', 2020

Much of our understanding of daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum comes from the public (civic) ... more Much of our understanding of daily life in Pompeii and Herculaneum comes from the public (civic) architecture of these cities. Considering that Pompeii is the more widely excavated city, and the most prolific in ancient source and contemporary study, the examples used for discussion and analysis throughout this paper will stem from Pompeii. This essay will argue that in order to understand aspects of daily life, notably, the place of religion, and the status and treatment of women, one cannot generalise, rather, the evidence must be analysed in order to draw a discussion as to how varying groups experienced daily life, in particular, religious practice. Moreover, through setting the context of wider Roman society and culture at the time, it will be revealed that the nature of daily life was markedly different in Pompeii, allowing for opportunities for women that did not exist in Rome herself. Furthermore, wider analysis will reveal that these opportunities did not extend to all women equally, and for many, their lives were still based on exploitation in the interest of an androcentric society. The experiences of meretrices at the lupanar of Pompeii, largely recorded through the lens and gaze of their male clients will reveal the nature of androcentric sexual politics. Finally, for those women who were adversely impacted by this society, there were opportunities for satire, critiquing the normativity of this androcentric approach to sexual interactions as demonstrated through depictions of sexual activity at the Suburban Baths.

The question of narrative, 2020

A contemporary appraisal of the archaeology of the late Marija Gimbutas, 2020

As impeccable as the archaeology of Marija Gimbutas is, it is oversimplistic. Gimbutas has critic... more As impeccable as the archaeology of Marija Gimbutas is, it is oversimplistic. Gimbutas has criticised the advent of Indo-European migrations into Europe as little more than the beginnings of an oppressive patriarchy against the allegedly matristic, egalitarian, and goddess-worshipping society of indigenous Europe. Through survey and analysis of archaeological sources and sites, in particular tombs and urban architecture of settlements in Gimbutas’ Old Europe, this paper endeavours to objectively assess to what extent Gimbutas’ argument that the Indo-European migrations represent the hostile subjugation of indigenous Europe remains reliable in the face of fresh interpretation.