The class presentation by Stephanie Calce was quite interesting for the material she presented in regards to Canadian Repatriation methods. I recall in Anth 100 that we discussed NAGPRA and the effects felt by other countries however, this was done in a very broad sense. So it was not until this class (Anth 392) that I had an opportunity to learn more about repatriation within a Canadian context. I appreciated the case examples that Stephanie highlighted that while some stereotypes hold true, such as native groups unable to come together and solve their conflicts in order to repatriate their ancestors, in stark contrast we have the profound example of Haida Gwaii , a group that has put repatriation on the top of their 'to-do list'.
While there is an assortment of issues that may hinder repatriation (legal, economic, social) attempts by Native communities I do feel that we should be putting more emphasis on the Universities to do more. As Stephanie mentioned U of T did, for over three decades, maintain the ancestral remains with care and caution however I can not help but analyze that while this does cost the University a person's salary-these remains are still studied to this day inferring that students, through their tuition, are assisting in the financial maintenance of these remains. Furthermore, someone is making perhaps a decent paycheck off of what they learned from these remains therefore, I am inclined to think that the University is continuing to benefit from these remains. Perhaps an equation where the University pays 60% and the community in question pays the remaining amount in order to secure the process of repatriation could be agreed upon in order to foster repatriation.
While our class is only 50 minutes in length and after business and any questions, we really only have from 40-45 minutes of learning opportunities. Perhaps it would make for an interesting learning experience to have a panel of speakers to discuss the repatriation process. For example, Stephanie could introduce the topic with background information, a U of T representative could present a break down of costs that they have incurred through housing and paying the salary of a person to maintain these remains. An economist could project how much the University has made from the remains being at their institution and finally, we could have a First Nations community member discuss their communities expenses and the implications of an ancestor being off traditional lands (spiritual implications). This discussion would allow for an interesting 3-dimensional view of all parties that are concerned so that a better understanding can be achieved by all present including presenters, students and spectators.
Along the lines of repatriation comes the question, Why Anthropologists study human remains, while this paper does a good job in illustrating what be can achieved from the study of skeletals, it is done so in a very ethnocentric manner For example question VII: "How does the study of human remains, particularly the study of Native American remains, benefit living people?" (Landau 1996).This question tries to insinuate that because we are all humans we have the same desire to know how we came about and that the means to do so are similar (refer to page 222 ). In my impression some cultures already know where they 'came from' and do not feel the inclination to disturb and destroy their ancestors in order to answer this question and others. Furthermore this paper briefly acknowledges the possibility of diverging worldviews however only incorporates one viewpoint in their discussion to justify their actions regarding the study of human remains.
References;
Landau, Patricia (1996). Why Anthropologists study human remains. American Indian Quarterly 20(2): 209-228. Available through: JSTOR. Accessed 29 March 2012.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Massacres Of The Shang Dynasty
I was lucky enough to be flicking through television channels when I chanced upon a documentary concerning the Shang dynasty in China and I just had to blog about it!
Please click here to view the documentary in its entirity (45 mins).
Yin Xu was the capital city of this dynasty however, what makes it so interesting to the archaeologists in this program is that the living were coming to this city in order to make offerings to deceased emperors. It is through the archaeological record that we have been able to identify the remains of humans that were used as sacrifices. This form of sacrifice was unlike the Inca dynasty where they would make offerings of a few souls, notably children (click here for further information), in Yin Xu mass amounts of people were sacrificed as offerings to ancestor emperors. One archaeologist inferred that it seems as if sacrificing was a socially acceptable practice at the time.
Unlike other funerary practices where we see the cremation of the body in its entirety*, here at Yin Xu urns were found with heads inside. First impressions swayed towards accidental placement of a head inside of the urn but than more and more urns were being discovered containing the same matter. It was concluded that the heads inside the urns had been, "steam cooked" (Discovery Channel 2012).
The Shang dynasty had a brutal reputation for being merciless as warriors however as the archaeologist in the documentary notes, "we still know very little about the Shang dynasty". Through further excavations we are beginning to see that yes indeed this was a very violent culture so if all parties concerned are supportive than I say KEEP DIGGING and lets find some more answers! While it does appear they were violent, did they contribute anything else while they existed that can be noted as well?
* Mike Parker Pearson states in his book, Death and Burial, that cremation, "may leave few or even no archaeological traces". So this practice of 'steam cooking' a head is quite interesting and a unique practice it seems.
References
Clark, Liesl. (1998). The scarificial ceremony. Available through; http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/sacrificial-ceremony.html Accessed 24 March 2012.
Discovery Channel. Aired 23 March 2012.
Parker Pearson, M. (1999). The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Sutton: Stroud
Shang Dynasty Video (3 mins 43 secs)
Please click here to view the documentary in its entirity (45 mins).
Yin Xu was the capital city of this dynasty however, what makes it so interesting to the archaeologists in this program is that the living were coming to this city in order to make offerings to deceased emperors. It is through the archaeological record that we have been able to identify the remains of humans that were used as sacrifices. This form of sacrifice was unlike the Inca dynasty where they would make offerings of a few souls, notably children (click here for further information), in Yin Xu mass amounts of people were sacrificed as offerings to ancestor emperors. One archaeologist inferred that it seems as if sacrificing was a socially acceptable practice at the time.
Unlike other funerary practices where we see the cremation of the body in its entirety*, here at Yin Xu urns were found with heads inside. First impressions swayed towards accidental placement of a head inside of the urn but than more and more urns were being discovered containing the same matter. It was concluded that the heads inside the urns had been, "steam cooked" (Discovery Channel 2012).
The Shang dynasty had a brutal reputation for being merciless as warriors however as the archaeologist in the documentary notes, "we still know very little about the Shang dynasty". Through further excavations we are beginning to see that yes indeed this was a very violent culture so if all parties concerned are supportive than I say KEEP DIGGING and lets find some more answers! While it does appear they were violent, did they contribute anything else while they existed that can be noted as well?
* Mike Parker Pearson states in his book, Death and Burial, that cremation, "may leave few or even no archaeological traces". So this practice of 'steam cooking' a head is quite interesting and a unique practice it seems.
References
Clark, Liesl. (1998). The scarificial ceremony. Available through; http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/sacrificial-ceremony.html Accessed 24 March 2012.
Discovery Channel. Aired 23 March 2012.
Parker Pearson, M. (1999). The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Sutton: Stroud
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Living Amongst the Dead
While we have looked at the placement of gravesites away from the community hub we have not looked at those who literally live on top of their dead as was once the case in Kuelap, Peru.
"...while a small grave, containing the bones of old people, is found at the heart of the house, frequently right by — or even beneath — the hearth."
In a remote part of Peru, one can access this location after an arduous journey by bus.
Click here to see a video of Kuelap and the surrounding landscape
"The Chachapoyas people mummified their notables and placed their bodies, crushed into an unnatural foetal position and wrapped in thin cotton cloth crudely embroidered with a face, precariously balanced on cliff-face eyries that seem more suitable for eagles' nests than human burials. Yet these sites were selected so well that despite appearing exposed to the wind, rain and predators, they have survived, in some cases for 1,000 years, with the bodies, grave-goods (including fragile textiles und food offerings) and coverings completely intact. At one remote site above the 'Lake of the Condors', ten hours trek from the nearest road, it took until the 1990s for anyone to realise their existence. Looters led the way, closely followed by archaeologists who literally picked up pieces discarded on the path in the frantic search for gold. Despite this inauspicious start, no fewer than 219 mummies have been recovered intact, each one propped upright in a small niche. Many other objects were found, including quipus (the complex arrangements of knotted string used by the Andean peoples to record information)."
"...while a small grave, containing the bones of old people, is found at the heart of the house, frequently right by — or even beneath — the hearth."
"After the Spaniards took over the country in the 1530s, the traditional practices continued for a brief period, then ceased abruptly. At Kuelap, the inhabitants apparently stripped the site of all their possessions, then burned it to the ground, house by house."
In a remote part of Peru, one can access this location after an arduous journey by bus.
Click here to see a video of Kuelap and the surrounding landscape
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Digging through Suspected Vampire Graves
See here folks, "The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry", is getting their hands dirty in an attempt to debunk or demyth or de-however you want to say it, the most famous incidence of suspected vampire burials in the USA. While there is no vamp in these vampire case studies (four in total) the author was able to dig not through the dirt but through medical documents that explained the state of affairs of the decomposing bodies, decreasing the likelihood that some sort of supernatural realm was occurring. The medical documents highlighted that the medical examiners found no evidence that would detect the belief that what was occurring to these bodies, post mardom, was none other than a natural progression of decomposition.
Below is the link to the website;
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/searching_for_vampire_graves/
Stacking this particular story against by teams rubric is as follows;
Analysis- 10/10 The author not only evaluated the suspected vampire graves via a paper trail but also made a physical attempt to locate the graves of the deceased in order to verify their dates of death and their placement in succession of one another (ie The Killing Vine story)
Content and Background Information-8/10 While the author used numerous resources as evidenced through the authors reference section, a limited dialogue of peer reviewed material is discussed in the case studies. The material presented is more factual and little detail is attributed to wider trends in folklore of the USA.
Resources-3/5 A significant number of resources are not peer reviewed.
Layout, Navigation, and Presentation- 4/5 There is use of only one image that is of the author using chalk to outline a grave. More photos would have aided the overall presentation.
Contribution, Teamwork, and Cooperation- 2.5/2.5 While the author had his wife join him on one case study, the author worked mostly alone. However, the author gives credit to the individuals and institutions that assisted him in gathering his data.
Total 27.5/32.5
Below is the link to the website;
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/searching_for_vampire_graves/
Stacking this particular story against by teams rubric is as follows;
Analysis- 10/10 The author not only evaluated the suspected vampire graves via a paper trail but also made a physical attempt to locate the graves of the deceased in order to verify their dates of death and their placement in succession of one another (ie The Killing Vine story)
Content and Background Information-8/10 While the author used numerous resources as evidenced through the authors reference section, a limited dialogue of peer reviewed material is discussed in the case studies. The material presented is more factual and little detail is attributed to wider trends in folklore of the USA.
Resources-3/5 A significant number of resources are not peer reviewed.
Layout, Navigation, and Presentation- 4/5 There is use of only one image that is of the author using chalk to outline a grave. More photos would have aided the overall presentation.
Contribution, Teamwork, and Cooperation- 2.5/2.5 While the author had his wife join him on one case study, the author worked mostly alone. However, the author gives credit to the individuals and institutions that assisted him in gathering his data.
Total 27.5/32.5
Thursday, March 1, 2012
You call me gay, I call you ....
Oh Google what an interesting `tool` you are. I typed in gay caveman and proceeded to read, `Has the first gay caveman been unearthed?` (Globe and Mail 2011). I can follow the lead researchers speculation that having interpreted x number of graves, she can conclude that this particular inhumation is different however, a reader not in association with anthropology jargon and practice would not know of the scholarly work behind excavations and the processes of getting published.
Image 1-Gay Caveman
The Globe and Mail should have presented an article that contained more attention to detail. Instead the article proceeded to lure 157 people to post comments concerning this article-some that made me laugh hard and others that were blocked due to their offensive nature. While we can only speculate as to the sexual orientation of this individual, the manner in which this article was drafted made for a "these are the facts", document that is a mockery of the field of archaeology and to the larger discipline of Anthropology. Below are a few of the comments that either made me laugh or I thought were interesting;
yves couture
11:05 AM April 8, 2011
Is such "outing" of an unwilling cave man politically correct?
biologist
References
Stuhler, Elli. (2011). Has the first gay caveman been unearthed. Globe and Mail.Available at; http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/has-the-first-gay-caveman-been-unearthed/article1976257/ Accessed February 28, 2012.
(2011). The oldest gay in the village: 5,000 year old is 'outed' by the way he was buried. Available at; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1374060/Gay-caveman-5-000-year-old-male-skeleton-outed-way-buried.html Accessed March 30, 2012
 |
| Gay Caveman. Prague, Czech Republic. |
The Globe and Mail should have presented an article that contained more attention to detail. Instead the article proceeded to lure 157 people to post comments concerning this article-some that made me laugh hard and others that were blocked due to their offensive nature. While we can only speculate as to the sexual orientation of this individual, the manner in which this article was drafted made for a "these are the facts", document that is a mockery of the field of archaeology and to the larger discipline of Anthropology. Below are a few of the comments that either made me laugh or I thought were interesting;
yves couture
11:05 AM April 8, 2011
Is such "outing" of an unwilling cave man politically correct?
biologist
varun xm
sorethroat
References
Stuhler, Elli. (2011). Has the first gay caveman been unearthed. Globe and Mail.Available at; http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/has-the-first-gay-caveman-been-unearthed/article1976257/ Accessed February 28, 2012.
(2011). The oldest gay in the village: 5,000 year old is 'outed' by the way he was buried. Available at; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1374060/Gay-caveman-5-000-year-old-male-skeleton-outed-way-buried.html Accessed March 30, 2012
My Ideal Monument Analysis Project: An Analysis of Stain Glass Variation Between Canada and The Netherlands
I must say that I quite enjoyed reading the, "Stain-Glass Monuments" post of fellow classmate Erica. While it was interesting to read about Christ Church Cathedral itself, a comparative project involving other churches of the same denomination would have made for a much more nuanced report. Click here to read Erica's project and her related critique.
While I myself selected Ross Bay cemetery as my area of study, my preferred choice would have been to jump on a plane and head over to The Netherlands, to analyze the many churches throughout the district of Utrecht (Where my material grandparents are from). Keeping in line with Erica`s study of stain glass monuments, I would have been interested to see if stained glass monuments echo similar pictorial displays and if a namesake is presented as well (ie a plaque) as in the case within Canada (Christ Church has 12 stain glass windows portraying the apostles, while the church belongs to the Anglican diocese, my families Catholic church in Kingston, ON also depicts the same images). While the time spans vary greatly between the periods of construction in Utrecht (11th Century) versus church construction in Canada (1800`s), a horizontal analysis could be implemented to see how church styles of stain glass portraiture changed through time.
I found a wonderful pamphlet that briefly describes some of the rich history of the churches scattered throughout Utrecht. As well I would hope, like Erica, to receive a tour leading me into the depths of the church so I may view the crypts as there is something almost sinister about going into the deepest and darkest corners of these churches from hundreds of years ago.
Click the below link for a wonderful pamphlet of a selection of Utrect churches;
http://www.kerkenkijken.nl/doc/Routeboekje%20Nederlands-Engels%202008.pdf
The below link provides you information to tour through Christ Church Cathedral on your own. Get adventurous!!
http://www.christchurchcathedral.bc.ca/images/brochures/tour.pdf
While I myself selected Ross Bay cemetery as my area of study, my preferred choice would have been to jump on a plane and head over to The Netherlands, to analyze the many churches throughout the district of Utrecht (Where my material grandparents are from). Keeping in line with Erica`s study of stain glass monuments, I would have been interested to see if stained glass monuments echo similar pictorial displays and if a namesake is presented as well (ie a plaque) as in the case within Canada (Christ Church has 12 stain glass windows portraying the apostles, while the church belongs to the Anglican diocese, my families Catholic church in Kingston, ON also depicts the same images). While the time spans vary greatly between the periods of construction in Utrecht (11th Century) versus church construction in Canada (1800`s), a horizontal analysis could be implemented to see how church styles of stain glass portraiture changed through time.
I found a wonderful pamphlet that briefly describes some of the rich history of the churches scattered throughout Utrecht. As well I would hope, like Erica, to receive a tour leading me into the depths of the church so I may view the crypts as there is something almost sinister about going into the deepest and darkest corners of these churches from hundreds of years ago.
Click the below link for a wonderful pamphlet of a selection of Utrect churches;
http://www.kerkenkijken.nl/doc/Routeboekje%20Nederlands-Engels%202008.pdf
The below link provides you information to tour through Christ Church Cathedral on your own. Get adventurous!!
http://www.christchurchcathedral.bc.ca/images/brochures/tour.pdf
Saturday, February 18, 2012
A Quest to Find Uniqueness: A Selection of Unique Graves in Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery (to be known as RBC) was the backdrop of my teams research focus. Created in 1872, this cemetery continues to be used today however with over 27,000 plots space is becoming limited (Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria). See the link below for a detailed map of the site of reference.
View A Selection of Unique Graves in Ross Bay Cemetery in a larger map
View A Selection of Unique Graves in Ross Bay Cemetery in a larger map
As the heading indicates our research was focused on unique graves however, what qualifies as unique varies in the eye of the beholder. Eleven graves were selected by two members who scouted RBC a day prior to the groups gathering (Thanks Meredith and Kristina). This was done in order to maximize the groups time together due to scheduling conflicts and time restraints. However, as was later mentioned by group member Noori, would it not have been interesting if we had all gone into RBC separately and chosen our own dataset of unique graves and then complied our data to see if there was any overlap thus demonstrating a more “unique” dataset. Oh hindsight is a beautiful thing, isn’t it!!!
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| Ross |
Graves selected were based on their prominence or lack thereof within their appropriate environments. For example the gravestone of D.B. Campbell was flanked by the Helmicken family plot (not included in our dataset but a rather large enclosed monument) and had other larger monuments surrounding it therefore drawing the eye downwards.
 |
| Erickson and Layton |
Further to the selection of graves, our group selected graves that had features that may be attributed to passions in life. For example the grave sites of Ross, Erickson and Layton, and finally Schultz and Sims (all pictured), had monuments that resembled a life long love of gardening, a fondness of bird viewing/research, and finally a sailors life at sea respectfully.
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| Schultz and Sims |
Furthermore an additional three were chosen for their size (Deans) and for being contained either by an iron fence (Charles Moss) or via a stone enclosure (Agnew). Of these three larger monuments two had the marks of the mason.
Of the graves selected three belonged to children, Verna M, William Rhys Henderson-Van Rhyn and, D.B. Campbell and it should be noted that these monuments were all of a small nature in size perhaps a purposefully representation of their small stature in their short lives.
Additionally the two remaining monuments were of a nature not common to RBC or other monuments that I have seen before. For example, Nesbitt had a plaque that was attached to a stone wall, leading us to believe that it contains the ashes of Mr. Nesbitt who will one day be joined by Mrs. Nesbitt. Also, this North facing monument was placed quite close to the edge of the cemetery making me question if perhaps one day the contents will be lost to sea as was the case in the 1920's at RBC (Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria) .
 |
| Nesbitt |
Finally, the grave site of Mr and Mrs Bermarija contains a black granite slab that covers the ground surface just above the presumed caskets. While unique to RBC (there is only one other slightly similar in section H however it is two separate brown stone slabs over the presumed casket locations) it turns out this practice is common in Croatia where I can assume was the birth place of this couple as their headstone is inscribed in Croatian (personal communication). Also there is a picture of Mr and Mrs Bermarija which adorns the monument. While I have seen this in other cemeteries there are none that resembled this style in RBC.
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| Bermarija |
While additional time would have been utilized to further explore common trends amongst those selected monuments and increasing the existing dataset, worthwhile information was achieved through our initial work. That being said, as already noted the trend towards erecting a small headstone for a child's grave site was observed as well as the markings of the mason. However, as we only had two graves that had the markings of the mason it would be interesting to examine all graves to see when this practice ceased or if it still continues to this day however is size dependent.
Uniqueness is not stasis. There are monuments that span across the entire 140 year span of RBC that demonstrate lack of adherence to the "status quo". That being said we would have to interview the next of kin to discuss why certain monuments were chosen however, I suspect in numerous cases there are no next of kin that would have the knowledge behind monument selection.
An unavoidable flaw in this project is the inability to see beyond the monument. As people erect headstones there is no way to indicate what is buried beneath the ground. We cannot assume that just because a headstone is small that there is no wealth in that family. Perhaps the family greatly valued an object that was buried with the person than placing value on a headstone. Case in point would be my own family. With the death of a sibling a plaque was erected in memory of him. To an outside observer it would seem as if there was not enough money for anything more however, this is not the case once my parents die a headstone will be erected and that structure will than be inscribed with the names of my parents, my sibling and whoever else departs this world. Robb et al (2001) discuss that you need more than one indicator to determine status for an individual. As the above example demonstrates a closer inspection is needed.
References
Robb, J et al. (2001) Social "status" and biological "status":A comparison of grave goods and skeletal indicators from Pontecagnano. Physical Anthropology 113 (3): 213:222 Available Through: Wiley [Accessed January 21, 2012].
Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria. Accessed February 8, 2012, http://www.oldcem.bc.ca/cem_rb_his.htm
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