Typing gay caveman into Google seems like kind of a weird request, so why not do it. Well I did. I expected something kind of different from what actually came up. First of all I expected a lot more pictures to come up when I typed it in.
Instead I got news articles from sources like the telegraph, globe and mail, and the National Post. This kind of media needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as many of these sources tend to be biased from one side or another. The evidence that is brought up to prove that this individual was homosexual does not seem to measure up with a number of other different situations that could be possible. For instance they might have been buried that way because of something that had happened in that community. The individual may not have been from that community and had died there, out of respect this society buried them, but to show they were different they were buried in a different way. They may have been buried that was to confuse them if they were ever to come back in the after life. These could all be plausible understandings for the same findings. Which one is right??
As you can see from just a small amount of brainstorming on my part there can be many conclusions made from the individual found. Not that I am saying that these articles are not credible or correct or incorrect in any way. They can simply be seem as misleading to the average reader. This can also cause people to make their own assumptions about where the origin of homosexually has come from. It fuels the fire to many sides of this ongoing debate. Soooo which explanation is right?? I guess like all situations in archaeology we make an educated guess. As ya do.
Now I must admit I didn’t really know where we were going with the whole monument analysis project until we were there. I think I can speak for most members in my group when I say it was not at all what we had expected. There was something soothing and peaceful about the Ross Bay Cemetery. Surprisingly a busy social spot as well. We instantly found an area and type of grave that we wanted to take a closer look at. Considering we are the group that is doing our case study on the Inca child mummies we figured it would lay a good groundwork to look at child and infant graves in the Ross Bay Cemetery. Check out our mp here!!
To our surprise we found a lot of child and infant graves. This led us to wonder why there were so many. What seemed to be no specific order to which they were buried other then by religion and or family plot. Here are the research questions that got us thinking when we were in the Ross Bay cemetery. We classified infants as being two years old or under, and children as being two to ten years old.
1.Is there a noticeable difference in the ornamentation on the graves of children compared to the graves of infants? Is one type more elaborate than the other?
2.Is there a pattern for which children and infants are buried with their parents? Is it mostly infants or mostly children that are buried this way? Is there a specific time period when this is most common?
3.Some headstones have clearly been changed or altered since they were first erected. Is there a pattern for which tombstones have been replaced?
Looking at our first research question I can’t help but think there would be an obvious answer to this question. There is a definite difference between the ornamentation on the graves of children to those of infants. The child graves tend to have more elaborate and descriptive gravestones. The graves for both children and infants tend to be smaller in size with less descriptive gravestones. We discussed while we were there that this might be because of the short life lived that they had less time to create a personality for the parents to base a grave stone on. This might be why many of the child and infant graves had a lot of bible quotes on them. I found this to make those gravestones a little less impersonal, but I don’t know why. They had chosen that quote for a reason why could I only see the generic quote and nothing more. It wasn’t till we stumbled upon a specific infant grave that had way more ornamentation then that of the children. Take for example the “baby shoes grave” seen below. This grave holds a 17-month-old child, D.B. Campbell. Given the name by is grave that has a child’s chair with two baby shoes sitting on the chair.
D.B. Campbell
March 29, 1913
As for research question number 2 and patterns found in the way the children were buried with their parents I think we need to look at familial ties and when the deaths took place. The Kuwabara family is a good example for this. Both of the children died within two years of each other, the mother not far behind the children’s passing and the father not far behind them. We can only assume that it would make more sense to place them all in the same family plot all on one gravestone, versus different gravestones on the same plot of land. The interesting part about this grave is there seems to be an extra person in with them that we can only assume is another child in the family, even though the dates don’t necessarily make sense.
The Anderson family is another good example of this while many people seem to be buried in this plot and many names mentioned on the gravestone. None seem to be correlated in time periods. It seems to me that a lot of family members get buried with their families and another name is added to the gravestone.
Research question 3 has us again looking at the gravestones to see differences within them. While I am not certain when they were replaced or why there seemed to be a general pattern on location in which graves were replaced. Many sets of gravestones you could tell had been replaced recently in specific areas. This might have been because of decay of the material of the gravestone or possible erosion of from tree roots and water. Saying that there were quite a few old gravestones that have yet to be replaced and do not look like they need to be.
Who would have thought a cemetery would have been such a soothing and calming place. I guess my old age (not really) has really changed me. I no longer find them dark, creepy and weird. I am a peace with cemeteries, for now at least.
If I could do my monument analysis somewhere else I would hands down choose a little village on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, called Nkuu. Two years ago I spent 2 ½ months living there, teaching first aid and other subjects in the local secondary school. I became very close with my students and the people in the community. While I was there one of my students had lost her grandmother. I was invited and attended the funeral and the after gathering for this lady I never knew. Now you would expect that I might feel slightly awkward at a random lady’s funeral with a family I sort of knew, and her very large extended family and their friends, well... I did. They on the other hand acted like I was a special guest at a special ceremony, not really what I was expecting. Knowing only the basics of Swahili I could really only make out a few things that were said but, actions say a thousand words. This experience made me think of the difference between our funerary practices and those of people around the world.
Hannah, Me, and Rosie (student whose grandmother passed) on our way to the funeral
I passed many, what you could call gravestones and fresh burials, on my way to school every morning and even more on my way walking to catch the local transit back to the city. I never really thought too much about it until this assignment came up in class. I wondered who these people were and how old they were, I wondered why they were buried there and how many other people were buried in the same place. I had so many questions but no way of asking in the correct way, the joys of a language barrier. They do not have your typical cemeteries there. The dead seem to be placed and buried on the same land that the family currently lived on. Whether they owned that land or not we will never know. A massive celebration was also held, some seem to be filled with joy and the others a deepened sadness, depending on the family and the one who passed. Nonetheless it is an extremely colorful celebration that brings people from all over the mountain villages to mourn the loss of a loved one. It makes me think there must be some sort of organization to how they bury their dead, the celebration, and where they bury their dead. If only my Swahili wasn’t so ruff around the edges and I wasn’t so shy to ask, I might know a little more.
While this may seem like a random place in the middle of no where I feel connected to it and can’t help but think there is defiantly a reason for the way in which they bury, and deal with their dead. It is a strange topic to bring up and research but would be incredibly interesting to study. When I think about it further I am not sure how far you would actually get. The people up there take a long time to feel comfortable with you. It may take longer than you think.
Erin mentioned a TED talk last week in class and posted online. Did anyone catch it?? If not here it is.
Thoughts???
I'm sure yours, like mine, went a little something like this, that is so cooooooool. I had never thought that this would have been an option. This is an extremely scientific approach yet it considers culture in a new aspect. Could a new culture be created from this?? This practice is something that could be everlasting and unique to us.
While I wouldn’t consider myself an extreme environmentalist I try and do my part by recycling and turning off the lights when I’m not using them. Some wouldn’t think that’s much, but I try my best to be conscious. This idea gave me a completely new look at our funerary practices. Rather then the average cremation or inhumation we could give back to the environment and bury our dead. Currently our funerary practices consume an extreme amount of energy and resources, from the pollution caused by cremation to the process of making the coffins, it all has a very large affect on our environment. Many people, I know do not think about the amount of energy it takes to produce a standard body to ready it for burial or for a funeral. This mushroom approach is a good mix that accounts for the environmental impact the our current funerary practices have. A change like this one to our funerary practices can have a lasting effect on our planet. A few weeks ago we were to look at the non-standard funerary practices that are out there. This would certainly qualify as one of them.
Who knew that a mushroom known as the infinity mushroom could wind you up in a ninja esk mushroom death suit, talk about non-standard burial practices. I really got into this TED talk, as I normally do because I love them. TED talks normally spark my interest and makes me think deeper and differently about the subject, good thing, I'm pretty sure that’s what they are for. Have a break?? need a good movie?? TED talks it is.
The end of the talk was what really got to me. The part where she says…
“We came from dust and we will return to dust. Survival of our species depends on the survival of the planet. This is the beginning of a true environmental responsibility” - Jae Rhim Lee
Something so pure and true, that makes you think. All of this other stuff like decreasing driving to cut pollution, or saving energy by turning the lights off matters but where we can make another difference is a place where people don’t talk about. Funerary practices. Can’t blame people that don’t like to talk about death let alone their funeral, but there comes a point where we all think about it. Whether it be from personal experience with death or just something that sparked the thought, we all ponder it at some point. This is an area, as in environmental funerary practices, that I would think many people don't know about and probably should. No one can deny that the last ten years has been a flurry of environmental movements hitting different industries at different times. It was only time for it to hit our funerary practices. It seems like a very smart way for new generations to think about when it’s their time to go. It is a lasting effect on the planet we call home, for future generations its a place to live longer and happier lives.
It is more and more convincing these days when you say that the survival of our species depends on the survival of our planet. These words could not be further from the truth and make you wonder how do you want to be buried and do you want to have a lasting effect on the planet you are leaving…
Strange thing to ask but is more than intriguing. It got me thinking what would I actually want my burial to look like and want would I want to be in my grave. I probably have given this more thought then I should but I kind have always thought about it. I have always wondered what my funeral would like and who would be there. After going to my two grandmas funerals in less then 4 months apart… eerie I know and seeing who came to their funerals I wonder who would come and how would my life be celebrated when its my time. They were both two extremely different ceremonies held for two pretty similar ladies.
If I died tomorrow… knock on wood that I don’t. I would have one biggggggg celebration of life, and I mean BIG. While I would like to think that everyone would be sad that I was gone I would want people to remember me for my zest for life. Cheesy??? Not at all. Just one massive celebration for me, while I don’t really like to be the center of attention this would be the time for me. I am the type of person who loves to celebrate things for other people, watch them open gifts and celebrate them, when it comes to me I am more then shy, if that is at all possible. What I am getting at is that it would be HUGE because I would not be there in person embarrassed by the attention. I would want the good times to be flowing.
As for directly in my coffin, I have a very specific few things that I would like in my grave. Here’s a short list for those of you who are interested.
- Vinyl records (Phoenix, Kings of Leon, Michael Buble) CLICK THE PICS!!
- My favorite rings, specifically the one my mom and dad gave to me as a kid
- My favorite little tea mug
- A pair of figure skates
- A softball/glove
- Something of my dog’s
- Something from my African experiences
All of these things make up who I am today. A life so far filled with and created around athleticism, the arts, education and a strong passion to help others. Nuff said. That is exactly what I would want archaeologists to know about my identity if they were to find me. I would only like to send a message to my family and friends, do not forget me or the love I had for you, short and sweet. Although if I had an extremely important secret to a world changing problem I would obviously leave a memory stick with it on it. Isn’t that how they do it in the movies… Just kidding, or am I. I would totally leave a memory stick.
Now for the question of what someone else would choose for you.
Funny enough I threw a quick email off to my sister, didn’t want to freak my mom and dad out so I figured she was the best one. Although half way through the day I get a text telling me I send her the weirdest things. As if asking someone what they would put in my grave was strange…
Either way she said pretty much the exact same thing that I would put in plus a few things that shows my love for food. Her exact response, no joke, copied and pasted from the email she sent back was…
- Skates/skating dress - Something from one of your African adventures - Baseball glove & ball - A block of cheese?/raclette or fondue maker? - A little airplane or collection of plane tickets - Something of our dog’s - A record or two of your favorite bands
It is nice to know that my sister of all people would put this in my grave. It’s a good thing she knows me quite well, and if I were to die tomorrow she would know what I want in my grave.
That sums it up. Archaeologists would get that I am a music loving, athletic, food lover who loves to travel. Seems pretty accurate.
Did you ever want to go to space but just didn't have the funds to get yourself there??
Well good news for you, you still can. In my research to find different and strange burial practices I came across none other then a space burial. How you wonder this can be done. Read on...
First you should know that you will not be the first nor the hundredth person to be sent way up there in the earths orbit as your dying wish. So far 150 have been buried out in the orbit of our own planet and on the moon. If you in vision yourself floating in space in a shiny black case you are going to be disappointed. In actuality your remains will be shoved into a small lipstick sized tube and put alongside the other passengers in a cargo tube and launched into space ("Celestis Inc. " March 28, 2012). I've laid it out for you.
Get the jist of it. Celestis, is the sole provider of space burials. Sending a few trips up a year for those that would like to be buried in space. They invite families to gather at the liftoff site and witness their loved ones shoot into space ("Celestis Inc. " March 28, 2012). Before the launch, the company offers tours of the local facilities and conducts a memorial service that families can take part in. Celestis records the service on a keepsake DVD for family and friends to keep("Celestis Inc. " March 28, 2012). It only takes a quick 90 seconds to launch up into the heavens, where you can mingle with the starts and perhaps the International Space Station ("Celestis Inc. " March 28, 2012). Little do people really know that only a gram, if they are lucky, of their remains will be put in the tube and sent up. Not only that but you are not alone. You will be amongst the others who are paying for a gram of their remains to be put into orbit. Not to mention that you do not stay up there in orbit forever, Some only for a few orbits, while others stay longer.
If you ask me it would not be my preferred way to go. It seems like an impersonal way to say goodbye to the people you love and for them to say goodbye to you. Then again if you love space that much or intrigues you to that degree then go for it.
Now you may be wondering, how much is this going to cost. Not as much as you would think. Celestis offers four different ways to get up there depending how long you wanna spend up there and whether you are willing to come back to earth or not. It ranges from $955.00 - $12,500.00 ("Celestis Inc. " March 28, 2012). Not nearly as much as a tourist flight to space while you are alive. Here's the link to check out the prices and flight paths more in depth. http://www.celestis.com/
If you wanna be like this guy...
Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek who was one of the first to have a space burial check out the Celestis website for more information.
Are you willing to be launched into the heavens... or space
Who isn't???
Space Services Inc. , "Celestis Inc. ." Last modified March 28, 2012. Accessed March 28, 2012. http://www.celestis.com/
My name is Annelise, I am a currently in my third year of Anthropology at UVic. While I tend to be more interested in the physical Anth classes such as osteology and the study of the human body this class looked interesting and fit in my timetable for my second semester. So far Anth 392 seems like it is going to be a very interesting class. While I haven't thought about death much I know this class is going to open my eyes to it and while I shouldn't seem excited about it I just might be.
As for the title of my blog, it just happens to be a title of song by a British alternative rock band... who you might ask, none other then Coldplay. Thought it would be fitting for my class blog as we are talking about death beyond the grave. What a better way then to celebrate it with friends 6 ft under. Check it out. Not a Coldplay fan skip the link below...
