Repatriation = Book Burning? Enter: Virtual Archaeology

So this week in class we explored the ideas surrounding repatriation of remains and artifacts and the variety of reactions from Canada, the USA, and the UK.

The US has enforced NAGPRA and many indigenous remains and goods have been removed from museums and returned to the corresponding group to do with as they please.

Many indigenous people believe that the remains should be reburied. They were buried for a reason! Leave them to rest!

Museums in the UK, however, have been a little stubborn and claim that returning these remains would be a denial of knowledge to the museums' visiters. Repatriation of remains has been compared to book burning, by some!

When I began to think about this, it really got to me. I consider myself in full support of the indigenous peoples and they should have their ancestors' remains returned. But then, my background in science and anthropology leaves me with mixed emotions.

Analysis of remains takes hours of research and dedication. Researchers have learned so much about civilization growth and culture transmission. What archaeologists have learned from ancient remains is endless!

Now, if all these artifacts and remains are all returned and reburied, no one can view them and appreciate the amazing craftsmanship and preservation. I can see how this can be equated to book burning! Then, on top of that, who will protect these remains and prevent future exhumation? How are we stopping future archaeologists, 100 years from now, from digging up these reburied remains?

This hurricane of questions swept me away! What a headache! I completely understand the tug-o-war that must be going on between museums, academics, and scholars alike and the indigenous people requesting repatriation!

I found this article by Peter Dawson and colleagues that might just be the answer! (click the link below)

3D Virtual Displays as Knowledge Tools

3-D museums! Digital recreations of an artifact!

Here's a photo of some elders viewing the 3-D display... They look pretty stoked on the experience ;)

This is way too cool not to post...

http://imgur.com/a/wFyOo

This link will take you to some really awesome shots of the pyramids at night...

Spirits at Funerals

Spirits at funerals.

I know you're probably thinking I'm referring to the soul of the recently departed; but actually I'm talking about the use (more appropriately: abuse) of alcohol.

There are many ways to celebrate a person's life - throwing lavish parties, feasts, or gatherings is  common in North America (I'm sure it's common other places as well, but with slightly different motives).

I recently read "Funerals As Feasts: Why Are They So Important?" written by Brian Hayden (2009).

A quote that stuck with me (from page 39):

The intentional use of drunkenness
and chaos may be meant to not
only help transform grief but also to
enhance emotional mobility in order
to achieve ulterior political motives.

The bold section perfectly describes how my family celebrates ANYTHING.

Emotions are definitely enhanced when sister starts pouring dad his rum & cokes a little too stiff!

I've always thought this was silly because people get overly emotional and it becomes a competition over who loves someone more, who misses someone more, etc. when a funeral, or even a simple family gathering, shouldn't be a competition to win the affection of the deceased. Not to be insensitive but... They're DEAD! Funerals, in my opinion, are meant to be a celebration of someone who was loved and will be missed very much, someone who would be happy to know that we think of them often but also wants us to carry on with our life.

This article acted as a reminder that other families use alcohol to celebrate a lost loved one. It made me realize that my family comes by it honestly! However, the purpose of alcohol consumption at a funeral isn't always to drown the sorrow Hayden explains. He says that it can be used to gain political power and access to resources. Makes me think of alcohol's other name: truth serum.

George Carlin has a funny take on where the "spirit" of the departed goes after death...It made me laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PiZSFIVFiU

Baby... Mammoth...

I was just doing some research for my Ethnology of the Circumpolar Region class and came across this page describing a recovered baby mammoth (that's an oxymoron, folks) found in northwestern Siberia. I got all excited and thought maybe this was a recent find but the article was dated 2007. So no need to alert your fellow archaeology friends (read: nerds). It is pretty cool though! They think the wee one died over 10,000 years ago! Also, the preservation is amazing, making this a rare and marvelous find.

Here's the link if you want to check it out...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6284214.stm

Pollen! How could you lie to me!?

Today my romanticized vision of early funerary rituals was shattered. In my first post I even mentioned how the recovery of pollen in the Shanidar caves had largely contributed to my curiosity of mortuary practices in the archaeological record.

In class today, Erin explained that the Shanidar 4 remains found with pollen, that had previously been deemed as evidence of intentional burial, may actually be simple taphonomy - by rodents specifically.

Rats! Why did it have to be rats! I know one must be educated in possible taphonomic mimics when viewing human remains but I just so badly wanted the pollen depositions to mean intentional funeral!

Is there any chance the rats held a funeral for this individual? Seeing Secret of Nimh was enough to know rodents have their own culture...

image: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/the-secret-of-nimh/images/26107985/title/secret-nimh-wallpaper

I realize everything is open to interpretation, especially in Anthropology, but come on... I thought this one was cut and dried (flower joke - lol).

So... I looked into it. Who was this evil arachaeologist (is there just one, or do a bunch of people believe this?) who proposed such a logical explanation of the pollen!?

This is one article I pulled up... click here to read it.

According to Elspeth Ready, there was not a whole lot of information on taphonomy when the Shanidar remains were found (2010: 68). Well! That changes everything... So basically they're saying researchers jumped to conclusions and got excited and wanted SO badly for Neanderthals to have culture. A book was even published titled "Shanidar, the First Flower People" in 1971. THAT alone could mislead anyone. Ready paraphrases Trinkaus and Shipman (1993) as describing the Shanidar Neanderthals as being "behaviorally modern but anatomically primitive" (2010: 62). No ethical concerns with that statement *cough cough*.

Okay, so maybe the pollen was not athropogenic...

I think I just figured out how university works...

In first year they teach you a whole bunch of neat stuff. In fourth year they teach you to be critical and skeptical of everything you learned in first year - your goal becomes to disprove these first year fantasies.Can I have my degree now?

Works Cited:

Ready, E.  2010  Neandertal Man the Hunter: A History of Neandertal Subsistence. vis-à-vis: Exploration in Anthropology, 10(1).

Trinkaus, E. and Shipman, P.  1993  The Neandertals: Changing the image of mankind. New York: Jonathan Cape.

Roadkill on Rodeo Drive

I am an animal lover and do not support animal cruelty. Then I look around at my home, my clothes, my electronics, and think, animals are really being hurt by everything humans do and consume - there is no limit to the damage humans are doing.

I do realize there are sustainable options and more people really need to get on board with them! When I read Maia's post about Victorian taxidermy and hummingbird head earrings, I assumed the birds must have already been dead (there couldn't possibly be a hummingbird mill devoted to harvesting birdie heads, right?). I thought they were quite fashionable actually. Consider the growing trend of feather hair extensions and feather earrings...

Perhaps my assumption that these hummingbirds died of natural causes is silly or naive, but it got me thinking about how people really feel about animals in fashion.

Emotions surrounding fur in fashion is circumstantially dependent! Some people would say it is always horrible, regardless of the situation. Some people would say that it's fine as long as they never have to hear about the conditions the animal was living in or its treatment.

What do people think about roadkill fashion?

I was a weird child and have many fond memories of trying to spot exotic roadkill whilst on family road trips. Could I make any money if I stopped to collect my finds and harvest the fur that was salvageable? Or maybe it's already been done...

Etsy (click this link to see what sort of "roadkill" items one can find on Etsy)

Here's a "roadkill necklace"... (click the link if you wish to view this artist's other pieces)

Although I did come across real roadkill items, there was also a large collection of roadkill inspired objects... A popular item? Knitted roadkill animals. This is a "roadkill kitten" with adorable knitted guts and cartoonish X's for eyes (this makes it kid friendly right?)...

Archaeologist of Death

So I think I'm an archaeologist of death now... No big deal. 


A few weeks ago my research team and I went to St. Luke's cemetery (located on Shelbourne and Cedar Hill X Road) and collected data on monument designs and inscriptions. We meandered around the compact but cute (acceptable descriptive word for a cemetery?) cemetery, admiring the variety of monuments. 

It was really weird and satisfying to actually get out in the field and take data but then when I wrote the monument analysis essay I really felt like a big time PhD archaeologist expert extraordinaire. I found it hard to cite outside sources because I was so sure of what I had discovered from my own data. I didn't need another person's opinion to back me up! Psshh! Who has time for other people's ideas? (I managed to fit them in, in case you're wondering...)

Also, another thing that made me feel like a real researcher... We made a map! Monuments are plotted and boundaries are comin' at you left, right, and centre. We did have a debate over the icon used to symbolize the church... I still think we should have used the volcano. One of my group members thought it would be misinterpreted and disrespectful. I guess I can see that... It looked cool though!!

Click the link below to view the map!

St. Luke's Anglican Church and Cemetery