Critique of Class

So admittedly I came to this class slightly interested in the subject, but more thinking "well I need to take it for my degree".  I am leaving this class with an entirely different attitude about archaeology.  This class has been truly more then I could hope for.  Professor Erin McGuire is one of the greatest profs I have had, and this class one of the most amazing eye opening I have taken.

Truthfully I am not a person who is into archaeology very much, I am more of a cultural anthropologist, this classes interesting material, and approach to learning about death and burial really changed my my mind about archaeology and I am 100% sure my future attitude when approaching a archaeology class will be very different.    I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found that the none testing of the material made me really have a chance to not worry about whether or not I could remember a thousand and one dates, but instead to understand the material and approach it will a "want" to learn rather than a "need" to learn urgency. 

The guest speakers who came in were really amazing and I really saw a different side of archaeology where there is a component and piece more then just researching and looking at old sites.  I especially was impacted by the Chinese burial speaker and her work, and presentation about ethics and the residential schools.  Presenting topics and connecting theories to case studies helped exponentially and made this a thrilling journey and an experience. 

It truly was an amazing awakening to archaeology and a chance to see potential in studying anthropology, with relevant agency in more then just cultural anthropology.  There is an amazing quote that I thing sums up this class, "remember the past, live in the present, and look to the future."  I think that this class has incorporated all of this and really was a true fantastic experience. 

It's not what you got down there, it's what you believe in that counts

So about three years back I was in a New Age shop in Fan Tan Alley, and saw a very interesting thing.  This thing was an article about a female shaman grave that was found in Israel in 2008.  This archaeological find was a big deal, because in that area in particular it is very rare to find a spiritual leaders grave that is female.

 This grave in Hilazon Tachtit, Israel, of a Natufian woman was 12,000 years old it is thought to be the earliest known grave of a female shaman.  Inside her grave were found with offerings of 50 tortoise shells and a human foot.  The burial site she was in contained at least 28 other graves, and the Shaman’s was separated by a circular wall of stones, with this wall were buried many different animal bones.  She was about 45 years old.  One other thing that is described that I found quite interesting and could possibly lead to help with an explanation for one of the other graves we looked at in class.  Is the positioning of rocks on the head, pelvis, and arms of the buried individual, sound familiar?  Well it should be, the burial we talked about in class could have similar meaning. 

This big draw of this story for me is my own interest in gender and religion, especially about what a woman can do with regards to contact with a spirit world, or whatever the location of the divine or divinities may be. This is something that for me has always been of interest because of my involvement in religion.  In my experience many times all genders of spiritual leaders that I have met have been quite amazing people.  But to note that there is a woman with such power and respect within the archaeological record at this time, is something that I am quite inspired by and gendered archaeology is something I would like to explore more.

On one last note, regarding gender I would like to take a moment to wonder if the archaeological record may or may not reflect the changing acceptance in reform Judaism for who can become Rabbi’s in the recent year.  I speak from this position as I am reform Jewish and I know more about the practices and religion.  Recently women, gays, lesbians, African Americans, and many more diverse people are being allowed to enter the rabbinical circle.  I would wonder would there be any difference to the graves, that tells the story of this shift, years from now? 

Article about the female shaman: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,446407,00.html

Dancing and Stones

Well what do the living leave for the dead? Really what do different cultures leave for the dead as commemoration, or a gift?  I wanted to also find out which of these offerings may or may not survive in the archaeological record.  So I looked at Jewish contrasted with Malagasy traditions. 

So to begin with I chose the example of the Jewish tradition of leaving stones on a grave, this to me is a familiar one, and one I have experienced a fair amount myself in the last four years.   The reason for the stones being left on the grave is for two different purposes.  One because in the ancient times, many times there were no grave stones to mark where the deceased were buried, the stones themselves became the markers to remember where loved ones where laid to rest.

 The second reason came later in Jewish history, and this pertains to remembering the destruction of the two temples around 70 CE and a little earlier.   I would like to add a third reason that I have heard talked about recently, a modern concept that the stones may be considered more environmentaly friendly, and as part of Tikun Olam (helping the world) in modern Jewish faith is present, this is a very good possibility.  As to whether these would survive within the archaeological context, I think that they would do very well, however they may not be recognized for their exact meaning if there is no explanation of Jewish memorial customs present. 

The opposite example I came across was dancing with the dead and rewrapping them in a new shroud as they decompose.  This is a custom given to the dead of the Malagasy people in Madagascar it is called Famadhana.  This is now frowned upon as predominant Christian religion, dancing a jig with the bones of a relative is usually not accepted in the Christian burial traditions.   This tradition is fairly new to Madagascar, and the use of shrouds has been on the decline due to price of silk in the last while.   The dancing is thought to be similar to traditions in Southeast Asia where it is believed that the soul can’t leave the body until the body is decomposed completely, the dancing is told to be to celebrate the kinship.  This quote from a Malagasy man to BBC should sum it up “It's important because it's our way of respecting the dead. It is also a chance for the whole family, from across the country, to come together.”

As to whether this would all carry on and be foreseeable in the archaeological record years from now, that is debatable.  The shrouds and cloth if it is not too far into the future may be noticeable in the archaeological record.  The dancing however will only be seen if stories are taken in as evidence of burial ritual, and/or people are present that are still keeping up the traditions.

So to leave this entry with a question, I want you, the reader, to ponder what you give to the dead? Do you give anything back to the dead?

Jewish Grave Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catsplay/3368908766/

Famadhana Photo and info: http://www.weirdworm.com/7-strange-funeral-customs/2/

Luck o'the Dead

So I came across something while looking for something else for a blog entry, oh the random tangents we go on in life.  Superstitions are always ingrained into society and when it comes to the dead there are a lot of them.  The Irish I must say have some of the most interesting uses for people after they are dead and superstitions I have come across.

So cutting off and using dead the hand of the dead is very popular in superstitions. 

It can be used for:

-Making butter (not kidding)

 -Facilitating effective robberies with a candle placed in a dead hand if carried into the house when the inhabitants are asleep, the inhabitants will not wake as long as the hand is under their roof.

-A Dead unbaptized infants hand taken fresh from the grave is apparently a powerful charm

-A dead hand can also cure most diseases if it is laid on the ill

The Other thing that is taken from the dead is a corner of the shroud in which they are placed in the ground with.  This is said to be used to cure headaches if tied around the head, and cure-swollen limbs if tied around the affected area.

A piece of skin taken from the arm of a corpse is a powerful love charm if tied to the arm of the person whom the practitioner fancies.  The skin is then removed after a time before the sleeper wakes.  As long as the skin is with the practitioner the love will hold.  

The skin can also be used by being placed under a pillow and if so is done the sleeper will see their future spouse in a dream. 

 After all this I think it is archaeologically relevant to note that after the unburial to gain these morbid objects, there is a reburial or secondary burial of the corpse, absent of something that it had before. 

Dangers to the Dead

So through both my nonacademic readings, and my research for the case study I thought of an interesting idea for this entry. In many horror films there is a very present idea of how the dead are dangers to the living, zombies, vampires, reverants, malicious spirits etc... But something that is not present are the stories, of the dangers to the dead themselves, as once a person is no longer corporeal, well that's not the end of the fear of extinguished existence. I have located two cultural stories that are present through grave art and ornamentation in the archaeological record to illustrate this point.

The first of these creatures is Ammit or Ammut (Devourer); she is the Egyptian female demon with a crocodile head and a body that is part lion, part hippopotamus, and crocodile. She eats the hearts of the dead who do not pass the test of the scales of justice in the Egyptian Underworld, extinguishing their souls forever. When researching for the case study I found that some of the paintings from Nefertari’s grave exhibited Ammut in her traditional place near the scales.

The second creature is Satan or Lucifier or the devil within Christian religious traditions. The basic story is Satan is a male ruler of Hell that takes the souls of the damned to be tortured. Though I was not able to locate any images of Satan directly on a grave, I was able to locate a representation on an item that is in the same historical monestary complex as many burials. Within the Gelati Monastery near Kutaisi, Imerteti, western Georgia, there is an icon that has a representation of Satan and hell depicted on it, and there are 10 inidividuals buried here were all important to church and state,

• Demetre I of Georgia
• David IV of Georgia
• Solomon I of Imereti
• Solomon II of Imereti
• George III of Georgia
• Vakhtang II of Georgia
• Bagrat VI of Georgia
• George V of Georgia
• Alexander II of Imereti
• George of Chqondidi

Memories

Today we looked at memorialization of the dead and celebration of the survivors, what we were talking about became very personal when I apply the ideas to my own experience on March of the Living (MOTL) in 2008.

Here is a link for those who are not familiar with MOTL

http://www.marchoftheliving.org/mol2009/09intro.html

As the locations in Poland may change with each different MOTL journey on the 2008 one I went on I went to numerous cemeteries, Auschwitz, Birkenau, Majdanek, Treblinka.

MOTL itself is an experience that is a memorialization of both the dead and the living. One of the things that MOTL tries to do every time they take people to Poland is to go to a place where this is memorial, this memorial is one that is not as well known or in some cases completely forgotten.

In my experience on the 2008 MOTL we went to a small memorial between Lubin and Warsaw. This memorial was for the people who were murdered and shot while running from the Nazi’s when the raid came on the small town. While we were there a elderly man came to see what was going on at the memorial, as it is rarely visited by anyone outside of the town. When our coordinators told the man about our experience, he began to speak to us and our guide translated. He told us how he had been a young child when the raids came through, and how he remembered hearing everything. This single memorial that was hidden within a forest was one of the ones that I remember the most from the experience.

In contrast to the cemeteries in Poland that we visited were mostly filled with those who had died of natural causes, and therefore where some of the most peaceful places I have ever been in. They were testaments to the great people who lived their lives and passed before the war.

The third type of memorial we experienced is one that was in Israel rather then Poland on Yad Vashem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem

This memorial was all about the living and those who helped people to survive. What I am talking about are the memorials of the “gentiles” (none Jewish people) who helped hide, save, or protect Jewish people during WW II. This memorial is in the form of a garden where trees are planted in the name of those righteous people. Interestingly enough this is a perishable memorial rather then a permanent one, yet it is fairly synonymous with thoughts about Yad Vashem.

The purpose of March of the Living is for the living to remember and be able to pass on their memories to the next generation, and to celebrate the survivors. In my opinion I do think that through this program, and the testaments from those who have gone on the journey, the memory is not forgotten, the dead as well as the survivors are not forgotten

Memorial Monument Analysis Post

1.  The data set used was children graves within Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, BC, Canada, with child being classified as an individual from age 0-10 years.  Out of 21 graves that were photographed, 12 were chosen that met our requirements and presented interesting imagery.  

2.  We were trying to find out the material memory and imagery that is left on the graves of children who have been buried in Ross Bay Cemetery.  Another part of the question was also how many, in which area, and what time period did most of the childrens' graves fall. 

3.  Too the first question, what was the material memory and imagery that is left on the grave of children who are buried in Ross Bay Cemetery?  there were a variety of answers.  Of the imagery that we viewed there was a childs' chair and shoes, sleeping baby, angels, lambs, plants and flowers, and some graves without imagery.  When looking at these pieces I could not help but notice that much of the imagery focuses on the symbols of religious importance, innocence, and purity.  As Pearson points out these different aspects of the grave are very much created in the mindset and understanding of adults rather then children (Pearson, 2008, pg. 103). I would infer that, that is why there is far more adult understanding and association with symbols of religion and innocence, then say toys or other artifacts that a child may have held more dear.

To the second question, how many, in area and what time period did most of the childrens' graves fall?  We discovered some  interesting results.  We found 21 graves, however 12 fit the profile for which we were searching for.  These 12 graves ranged from the 1800s and 1900s, these graves were mostly located in the area of the cemetery that was in the older area.  This could be according to the history and heritage records of Victoria, BC, Canada, diseases and epidemics were prevalent during that point in time, many of which effected both the children and the elderly a great deal, especially the small pox in 1882 (Canadian encyclopedia).  Childrens' life expectancy was also very short at that point in time, due to the rougher living of people in Victoria. 

Bibliography

Canadian Encyclopedia, 2011, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005203, History of Medicine.

Pearson, Parker, Mike.  The Archaeology of death and burial.  2008, Texas A&M University Press; USA.



Map of the Monument analysis of Child Graves in Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, BC, Canada:


View Children's Graves Ross Bay Cemetary in a larger map

Dismembered Ideas

So this week I was thinking, we talk so much about the high status people, why not look up someone who has more infamous status, famous criminals, so what came to mind, well of course H.H. Holmes.  His infamous status has even stemmed some interesting urban legends and is a part of contemporary American culture, which I would think future archaeologists, would be very interested in.

So for those of you who haven’t watched “Supernatural”, or picked up a book of serial killers.   H.H. Holmes, also known, as Herman Webster Mudgett was one of America’s first documented serial killers.  He created a hotel in Chicago in 1893 where he committed most of his murders.  The “Castle” as the hotel was dubbed, was built across from the drug store he owned and was three stories high, this building was created with numerous windowless rooms, and difficult to get through hallways, and Holmes himself only understood the plans.   In this building he tortured and killed 27, possibly 250 people.  It was not however until after killing Howard Pitezel was he was arrested in 1894 and incarcerated.  After a look into the case reveling complete monstrosity, he was found guilty and in 1896 was hanged and died. 

Now the interesting part that has put Holmes apart from other serial killers, is that he requested, to have his body encased in concrete.  He requested this because one of his favorite things to do with the bodies of his victims was to dismember them, and he feared that after he was dead this would happen to his own body.  The even more intriguing piece is that his request, even though his infamous status of a serial killer was well known, was granted.  Through his gruesome and terrifying deeds he still has gained status by living within urban myths and stories of haunting, as well as his famous form of burial.  (Biography magazine, May 2003)

His burial, to exhume, would be a very interesting one.  I would wonder if our records would reflect, for future archaeologists, that he was a person of famous criminal status.  Or would he be mistaken for a person of high status, for this does not seem like a common burial practice.  Or would the archaeologists view this as a punishment only reserved for the worst of criminals? 

My two cents on this topic would be that his burial may be viewed as an rite only reserved for the most terrible, in comparison with North America’s culture of the time of popular cemetery burial, this is very different.  Many of the more high status individuals at the time were not buried in that way, so it might be a tip off that this is not a positive high status burial.  The fact that he is incased, frozen in a stance and with material filling his orifices; this could be interpreted as a desire to silence and obliterate the “evil” individual among the society.  

What do you guys think, how would future archaeologists interpret burials of criminals such as H.H. Holmes?

Link: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=104&sid=01ecb406-78a6-4fa3-87ad-dfb842f08df6%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=rch&AN=9480229 (Article about H.H. Holmes)

Boil, Boil, Ritual, and Toil

So the first time I ever heard about the flesh of the dead being consumed, was when I read Anne Rice’s “Queen of the Damned”, this was the part where the twin women eat the flesh of their deceased relatives so that they will gain their power and free the soul (the book is way better then the movie, by the way).  I later found out this portrayal of the practice of anthropophagy, was not exactly kosher, though entertaining, the book's explanation it was not very accurate. 

So when one of the readings for the past week was about human flesh and what people do with it when humans die, this topic resurfaced in my mind.  The article I am referring to is “Death and Ambivalent Materiality-Human Flesh as Culture and Cosmology” by Terje Ostigaard.  I found this article to be extremely interesting and the whole idea of consuming the dead, the human flesh holding the soul, and every which way the soul can escape the body to be absolutely mind-boggling.

Then I was thinking about the possible cannibalism that we talked about in the Pueblo people on Friday, and I also wondered, would archaeologists be able to figure out if the cannibalism was for a purpose other then funerary ritual, is there actually a way to differentiate?  And not to sound callous but also why would we be so adverse to consuming dead humans, as we do consume the dead much of the time, for those who partake in anything meat, seafood, or poultry related, how did the change to the majority of cultures go to not consuming the members of the group after they pass.

           

And so…. I found a couple answers:

To the first question the article “Consuming Passions: Reviewing evidence of Cannibalism within the Prehistoric Archaeological Record” by James Cole(link at end of blog entry) describes that yes through analysis of the archaeological context of the amount of hominid to faunal remains in the area and the cut marks and ways in which the remains have been treated can also give a clue to whether or not cannibalism is present.

So to the second question there is evidence of diseases that were passed one through the consumption of the flesh, and it began to be widely discouraged.

Also changes and importance of preserved flesh in new religions and traditions were in play.

My personal opinion to why we have become adverse to eating human flesh of the dead would be because of our love/hate relationship with being near the dead, and in the case of North American mainstream, individualism.  The love/hate relationship I speak of, would want to hold onto and know where our deceased are after they have passed and we have disposed of them.  However the hate part of this relationship is not hate, but distance, we don’t want to be so close that we are touching the dead in anyway or that they are physically connected to the living in most cases. 

The other idea I mused was that in North American mainstream, we are very concerned with the idea of the individual.  Some of the traditions that come with funerary rite cannibalism, also quoted as  “spiritual cannibalism”, propose the idea that the consumption, especially by relatives of relatives, is to connect the living to the dead and to absorb their power and strength.  This threatens the idea of Individualism, because if someone is absorbed or strongly connected to another they are no longer an entity of themselves.

So that’s my quick two cents on this very large topic, I would like to hear from anyone else wanting to contribute!

link: http://www.assemblage.group.shef.ac.uk/issue9/cole.html

Human Bones

link for the picture: http://oldtiden.natmus.dk/udstillingen/bondestenalderen/stenalderens_storstensgrave/hvordan_foregik_begravelserne/language/uk/

An impromptu letter

Prompt 1. Imagine that you get to choose your own grave goods. What items would be placed in your grave and why? What do these items say about who you are?

Dear reader,

If you are reading this then I have surely passed, or I am just having a nap and I pressed enter on the keyboard by accident, if it is a nap please do not bury me just yet.

I would request these 18 items to be placed in my grave with me:

1.     As many books as you can fit-I love to read and would like reading material for the afterlife.

2.     A vibrator-would signify my interest in sex, and a healthy sexual appetite, also as a contemporary symbol for female self-pleasure.

3.     Both a Magen David (Star of David) in gold and a pentagram in silver-to signify both of my religious beliefs, in reform Judaism, and Wiccan religion.

4.     My Talit (Jewish prayer shawl) (to be wrapped in)-this is a very important piece of clothing to me, as I wore it during all of the important markers in my life, and when I went to Israel for the first time, a very meaningful experience for me.

5.     Bottle of Kokonee beer-I like beer, it’s my favorite kind.

6.     Bottle of wine-I like wine and it symbolizes the inspiration I take when I write, as when it is none academic I prefer a glass of wine.

7.     Jewelry-almost all of my jewelry was given to me by people that I hold dear, whether it is diamond, or a glue gem bracelet my cousin gave me, they hold great sentimental value.

8.     High heeled black leather boots-my feet get cold, and they are my favorite type of foot wear

9.     A green dress-I would wish to be wearing this dress, it’s my favorite colour and something I feel comfortable in.

10.  Paint brushes and blank canvas-to symbolize my love of art and allow me to continue art or communication in the afterlife.

11.  Black marble cat-I am a cat person.

12.  Copy of kama sutra-to symbolize knowledge of sexuality.

13.  Small copy of the world-love of travel, I could appreciate it if the world would be put in my right hand, please.

14.  Cultural Anthropology text book-passion for anthropology,  (this piece was suggested by a load of friends)

15.  International cookbook-love of cooking and learning always more recipes.

16.  Carving of a moon on my tomb-I am a person who is very much more productive when the moon is up.

17.  My flute -love of music.

18.   Blank music sheets-love of creating music and the possibility of more.

Using the number 18 itself would have significance in this case due to the faith that I have in Jewish religion.  The number 18 is known as “chai” which translates into “life” in English.   This word “chai” is linked to the idea of the tree of life, and when 18 of something is given, it is considered giving life.  A very powerful number in the Jewish numerology that because of it’s idea of life, I prefer it, as I would rather people associate and remember me for my life, rather then because I have passed.  I would also like to ask for a location of my grave I would wish to be buried near the ocean. 

Thank-you so much, this is very kind of you to take care of my funerary arrangements, just make sure I am dead before you go ahead with them,

Sincerely,

Heather

Hello to all readers of this blog

Hi!  My name is Heather Muir and I am a third year anthropology major at UVic.  I have chosen to take this class for a number of reasons.  I am taking it, as archaeology is a requirement for an anthropology degree, just getting that out of the way.  I am also taking it because I have found from my scratching the surface in other classes and travels, that everything surrounding death is quite amazing.

Death seems to be part of the major aspects that make up our life, isn’t that irony for you.  We do so many things to avoid death, or a certain kind of death, or to prepare for death, and the way in which humans are so protective of our dead in some cases is another thing the has peaked my interest.  I have experienced studying other major aspects, pillars, of life in other anthropology classes, including extensive work in gender, sex, and sexuality, and after reading the Rus piece I am very curious how sex plays roles in funerary rites, as this is the first of my hearing about it.    I am also big into art, travel, folklore and mythology and languages.

Another large interest with taking this class lies deeply in looking at mortuary monuments, art, and grave goods.  When I was in Poland in 2008 for March of the Living, we went through many different cemeteries and the imagery, which later after looking up, I found, was connected with the ancient mythology of the area.  I am very drawn into looking at the seam where rituals, types of inhumation, and other aspects of death connect with the mythology of the different cultures, and how it is expressed.  Ethics is also another topic I am fascinated by as, since my museum work last summer it has come to light much more often, and I personally think ethics are an important aspect to contemporary anthropology.

This class seems like it is going to be so awesome, hope to learn and read some great stuff!