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

Totally Awesome

Totally awesome picture I found on tumblr...

"I like Stonehenge"

*said like the kid below*

More than 10, 000 Sockeye Salmon

I recently lost my uncle. We buried him on this past Thursday, February 7th.

I've attended funerals before, and they're always very sad, but I'm really affected by the viewing of the casket and the music choice.

Just today I got a little teary eyed listening to "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. Don't listen if you've lost someone recently. Seriously.

I think in the case of my uncle, what saddened me the most was watching my cousins say goodbye to their dad. I looked at my cousins, and then at their children. I can't imagine losing my dad and him never seeing me graduate university, get married, or have children. I'm actually getting a little choked up thinking about it right now.

This is getting sappy, but it's true. Life is so fragile; it really is a gift. Also, don't feel guilty - don't ever feel like you could've done something more, something that would have prevented your loved one's passing. All you can do is love your family and never be afraid to tell them.

In memory of Uncle Patty. We love you more than 10, 000 sockeye salmon.

Happy Birthday 100th Mary Leakey!

I just thought it was the coolest thing ever to see Google honouring Mary Leakey's 100th birthday today! 

Check out the Google homepage, if you haven't already. It features her with her dalmatians!

Back in 2010 when I took an introductory anthropology class, one of the things that really stuck out was Mary Leakey's dalmatians. I know it's a silly thing to take away from a class (I remember the random weird trivial pursuit type information) but I love animals and thought it was the coolest thing.

I don't have pets right now but I believe that my future career must love dogs. Or pets of any kind, really. I intend to have a lifestyle surrounded by animals.

Mary Leakey, you will go down in history as the this remarkable (understatement) archaeologist who will forever be referenced by professors of anthropology classes of all levels. If one day I am teaching a class and you come up, I will be sure to mention your dalmatians, just as my professor did.

Grandpa, suit up!

I'm just reading Howard Williams' Death Warmed Up and one particular thought made me laugh at its truth.

The body undergoing decomposition and transformation affects memory through a response of fear, revulsion and avoidance (Hertz, 1960). In other cases, the experience of the cadaver creates such a unique and powerful impact on the senses that it can form the very basis of the way the dead person is remembered. (page 267)

This made me think of my grandpa's funeral. It was open casket. I had never seen a dead body before and didn't know what to expect. I approached the casket with caution, and half expected it to be lined with the upholstery of his beloved blue recliner.

I placed my hands on the soft oak paneling of the tastefully Catholic casket and peered in on grandpa Ulrich. Grandpa looked good - damn good!

Later at the reception, my dad said "The suit we got for him was the nicest suit he ever owned - he never looked better than he did today."

Can anyone else see the comic in this sentence?

When I read that particular section of Howard Williams' article, it made me think that dead grandpa was better dressed than living grandpa. And I will always remember him in the way I last saw him: looking like NPH in How I Met Your Mother.

Age: Just a Number?

My mother has always said that age is just a number. Granted she is often referring to my odd magnetism to older men but lectures on identity and this saying got me thinking about age and its presence on grave monuments.

What can a deceased person's age tell us? 

Obviously archaeologists like dates on monuments because it can help with data interpretation; but people don't put dates on monuments with the idea being that their dearly departed may one day be part of a study.

What are the cultural reasons behind inscribing the date of birth and death?


Knowing the age of an individual at their time of death can certainly evoke emotions and opinions. Perhaps creating emotion that mimics the family's response to the death is the motive when designing the headstone. A person that died at the age of 12 might cause you to feel pity and sadness for not only the individual but for the family too. This young human had only lived a short part of their life - they were taken too soon. In comparison, when viewing a monument dedicated to a 98 year old person, we might feel a sense of admiration that this individual lived so long - they must have experienced a full life, done a lot of things.

But is age at time of death (or rather years lived) an important part of someone's identity? Does age alone create a memory worth leaving behind?

Do you think it is more important to be remembered for what you accomplished in your lifetime or how old you were when you bit the bullet?

www.Wary_of_the_Wari'_Ways.com

In North America, traditional disposal of the dead usually consists of inhumation (burial in the ground) or cremation (burning the body... above ground). For many, these methods are deemed the "proper" way to dispose of the dead; but there are other options - one of which being mortuary cannibalism. 

Although the Wari' do not practise mortuary cannibalism any more, the process of disposing of their dead was once handled with great respect. Any other way was simply unfathomable and conjured up feelings of disgust and horror (much like endocannibalism does for many North Americans - lol).

When I imagine funerals, I always think of the food that awaits. Selfish? Perhaps. But if I'm going to be uncontrollably weepy all day, I think setting up camp at the dessert table isn't a bad idea. I can say (without having tried it) that shake'n'bake grandma is not my idea of a picnic. I can say, also, that it never particularly excited the Wari'. They were not eating the dead for enjoyment...

The Wari’ consider the ground to be dirty, polluted, wet, and cold: it is a very inappropriate resting site for the body of someone so beloved. They take this idea of the ground being dirty very seriously; Conklin reports adults that respect their body do not even sit on the ground, objects used in rituals never touch the ground, and people are very cautious with food so it never drops. Further extending this idea, people would volunteer to be human cutting boards when dismembering and preparing the deceased to prevent any blood of the dead from touching the cold earth (Conklin, 1995, 85).

All living things have a human spirit believe the Wari'. If a body is sent to rot underground, its spirit cannot find a new body to enter. The village shaman is able to see the spirit of the recently departed once he or she has claimed a new body. The shaman can then report back to the family and the grieving ceases.

Conklin sums up the belief to be that whoever wishes to eat must eventually become food themselves one day (1995, 89). 

I'm not totally onboard with the consumption of 3-day old rotting corpse (I've taken enough anthropology classes to know what happens to a body in Amazonian heat) but I am fully committed to the mantra hakuna matata and I believe in the circle of life. We get out of this world what we put in - the Wari' are right about that!

*queue Rafiki and the zoo-orchestra, raise Simba to the sun*

Works Cited

Conklin, B. A. (1995). ‘Thus are our bodies, thus was our custom’: mortuary cannibalism in an amazonian society. American Ethnologist, 22(1), 75-101. 

Grave Goods

Oh the power of Facebook...

I'm taking a class on mortuary and funerary rituals and our professor has asked us what type of grave goods our friends would put in our grave that would best describe our identity. Sort of morbid... But this might be funny. What would you hope to see on my headstone - quotes, random inside jokes, pictures? What items do you associate with me? I know if I asked this back in 7th grade everyone would respond, "Anything related to a horse..."

I was surprised by the flood of responses. Apparently no one thought it was the least bit morbid. A few people said it was actually kind of fun... What was fun!? To think of me and the things that remind you of me? Or to imagine me dead!?

Anyways, so a few themes materialized. 

Makeup.
Food. 
Horses.

Not neccessarily in order of popularity. However, there were so many food items posted, I'm starting to get a complex. *sucks tummy in*

A few material items that made me laugh in remembering my childhood:

1) Beanie Babies - does anyone remember these? I had a TON of them. They are now all boxed up in the garage but back in the day they were my pride and glory. I must have had over 500 of them. No exaggeration.

2) Grand Champions - "the most beautiful [toy] horses in the world" - I must have had at least 50 of these plastic miniature horses. I even had a custom made barn with all the miniature barn supplies (saddles, feed buckets, brushes, etc.). My best friend and I would get together every weekend to have competitions with our horses. And when I wasn't playing with horses, I was pretending to be one. And when I wasn't pretending to be a horse, I was actually riding a real life horse. You might say I liked horses. 

As for quotes:

"Start the car!" made me laugh the hardest:

The video that started it all...

My mother and I say this any time we wish to express excitement. I think it really encapsulates my relationship with my mom, which is important to me and something I'd like to reflect in my identity. She is very wise woman but can be incredibly silly too. Wow, I'm starting to think that would be a good thing to put on HER headstone. 

Another comment came in simply: #blondegirl

I am a big fan of Instagram and am definitely known to tag my photos with WAY too many hashtags. One that almost always makes its way in is #blondegirl - it gets me a ton of "likes" you know :P

I like this text because it reflects not only my obvious physical identity but also my intellect. I am a smart young lady when it comes to university but in other ways, I can be, well, dumb. Just the other day my friend sent me this meme which perfectly illustrates me outside the academic world.

A friend of mine, who was last to comment, suggested my headstone have the simple image and text as follows:

Grumpy Cat Meme

One final thing...

My stepmom said she would add the picture of me petting a penguin. I have not yet pet a penguin but it is on my bucket list. Of course there are many things I want to do in this life but petting a penguin is of paramount importance. If people remembered me as a person who delivers the perfect penguin pat, I would be okay with that.

Saxe and Goldstein walk into a bar...

I have been working on this article "The Archaeology of Ancestors: The Saxe/Goldstein Hypothesis Revisited" by Ian Morris (1991).

I am by no means an archaeologist, nor is archaeology my focus of my undergrad; however, I am incredibly interested in the treasures and stories that lie beneath our feet.

If you ever wanted to be humbled by text, read this article. The intro alone had me googling terms every other sentence. There is just so much about how the discipline of archaeology came to be that I do not know.

So, when the little light bulb went off I was more than excited. A cheshire grin spread across my face when I finally realized something about this paper. It wasn't exactly a summary of the paper's findings, but rather a simple interjection - it was something I might blurt out at a cocktail party discussion on anthropologists asserting themselves as scientists.

"Why are we looking for a universal truth? Why do the things humans do have to be described as scientific law?"

This article really highlighted for me that the use of ethnography is quite important in aiding interpretation of a site, a burial site more specifically. Of course we don't have ethnographic recounts of cultures buried beside the remains... but it sure would help.

King Herod's Tomb Exhibition

The exhibition being held in evil King Herod's honor would be a neat one to check out! If you're in the Israel area between February and October...

BBC - King Herod's Tomb

Anthropology: Grave Studies

My first anthropology course was forensic anthropology. The first half of the class was on how to catch a serial killer and the second half was introductory osteology. I was hooked on the first lecture. Why had I never heard of anthropology before!?

The following term I enrolled in all the university's introductory anthropology courses. I had never enjoyed writing papers more than I did in that term. I researched the Wari' and their treatment of the dead (cannibalism) in my Cultural Anthropology class and I researched Stonehenge for my Archaeology class.

I wanted to know more about treatment of the dead in the past. I wanted to know more about the dead.

The next term I took a class on Mass Graves and Genocide. Although the burials were not created in a funerary context, they told amazing stories. I really began to appreciate the techniques and methods of the anthropologists that exhume these bodies and discover the story that is left behind in the ground.

Archaeology of Death really excites me because (I'm hoping) the burials we will discuss were created without malicious intent - they were created under the criteria of a culture's beliefs and values.

Beliefs about what happens in the afterlife have always interested me because no one knows what happens to us after we die. We can only guess. Looking at ancient burials can definitely help us learn what others believed!

An interesting book I read about the afterlife:

"Spook" by Mary Roach

I actually recommend all of her books. She's quite funny in a sarcastic and cynical way. Plus, her footnotes are a riot! 

Get To Gnome

When I was young, I spent a lot of time with my aunt Sandy and she was a very magical person, literally. We would go on walks in the forest looking for different plants, animals bones, and bird feathers. She used to tell me about little fairies and gnomes (at age 4, I pronounced it as "know-me") and the ways of the fauna and the forest. I believe this was where my interest in animals and the earth began.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to become a veterinarian. Everyone who knew me growing up knew that I love animals. I began my undergrad with the intentions of completing the veterinary medicine prerequisites but was re-routed when I discovered forensic anthropology. I shunted my life-long dream and pursued this new field of study without a second thought.

I completed 3 years of study at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and then decided to take a break and work for a year. I was hired at an engineering firm as a project coordinator. The money was excellent but the work was dry and monotonous. My fancy office (that many people work their whole lives to get) felt like a prison - and I had a life sentence.

My life was looking rather dismal so I called my family for help. They offered, with delight, to move me back to the island and encouraged the idea of finishing my undergrad. I packed up my apartment, put everything in storage, and moved home.

My first semester back at university was busy and exhausting but I knew I made the right choice, I was so close to finishing - I would be done in the summer of 2013!

Often I get asked what I intend to do with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Anthropology. And often I don't know what to say. I had this idea of becoming a coroner but the more I researched it, the more dim that future became. I was so close to graduating I decided I would meet with an advisor to discuss where to go after that looming date.

Upon meeting with the advisor, I was presented with a slight kink in my plan. I had overlooked that universities require you to have done at least half of your degree at their institute. I was looking at another year of full-time classes. Slight miscalculation you could say.

The universe whispered, "Remember how badly you wanted to be a veterinarian?"

That's right! I did want to be a vet. What's stopping me now? I have over a year left in my degree and it would be filled with electives anyway. Might as well get back to working on the prerequisites for DVM! Double major! Boo-yah!

So, here I am... At the end of this term I will have completed all the requirements for a major in anthropology. For the remaining time in school I will be working on Biology. Imagine it. In bright neon lights. Caitlin Dawn, the forensic veterinary extraordinaire!?

Stonehenge Connected to Malagasy Megaliths?

On Friday, January 11, my "Archaeology of Death" class was instructed to examine the ideas presented in an interview between journalist Richard Covington and Madagascar native and archaeologist Ramilisonina. They discussed the potential connection between the Madagascar beliefs and Stonehenge, Woodhenge, and the newly discovered Bluestonehenge. The interview can be found by clicking the link below:

http://archive.archaeology.org/1001/etc/conversation.html

A fellow blogger, Brian John, responded to this article with disagreement. The link to his post is below:

http://brian-mountainman.blogspot.ca/2010/11/sacred-stones-and-madagascar.html

Immediately a quote from Sherlock Holmes comes to mind.

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” -The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1892, p. 163

I must say I agree with Brian John's response on this one. Or perhaps I am misinterpreting Ramilisonina's definition of "connection".

Ramilisonina explains that stones represent the dead in Madagascar beliefs while wood is associated with the living. He goes on to make the connection that the same thing is happening with Stonehenge and Woodhenge, a place for the dead and a place for the living, respectively.

How can he say with such conviction that these two sites are connected? As I said before, perhaps we are reading into the meaning of connection. Maybe Ramilisonina meant to say "coincidence"? I don't think that the Malagasy people are taking queues from the creators of Stonehenge. I think they're both just doing what the aliens told them to do. Just kidding. It was the Chinese, definitely the Chinese. They always seem to know everything (Chinese medicine is, like, so totally old!) before everyone, Okay, semi-kidding again. Let's be serious.

I think that this is mere coincidence. To say wood represents the living is easy - you just look at a tree and know that majestic life-form is onto great things, i.e. delicious air to breath, shade, tree fort foundations, etc. Then you look at stone and know it's going no where fast, much like a human corpse! Bam!

Now, going back to the Sherlock Holmes quote. I believe that Ramilisonina just got a little excited and instead of telling the journalist that these sites and cultures are both very neat-o uses of stones and wood, he implied that there was a direct connection. Maybe a stretch, geographically and contextually.

Greetings and Hallucinations

Ah, my first blog post. Pardon me, that's incorrect. This is my first blog post that might be read by people I know.

Now, what's this blog going to address? Mostly my "Archaeology of Death course - I still haven't read the syllabus (I'll do that next - perhaps I should've done that first?). I am very excited for this class. I've heard great things about Erin and God knows I appreciate a fun professor. I believe they make or break a class, no matter how interesting the material. 

I would say my interest in burials and their meanings first sparked in one of my anthropology intro classes. The professor mentioned the presence of pollen at the Shanidar Neanderthal burial. This find suggested that a funeral had been held. I couldn't believe something so small could tell us so much. I look forward to analyzing these types of details further.

You might have noticed my blog's name is Darkly Dreaming Dawn. I must give credit to my muse: Dexter Morgan. How cheesy(convoluted maybe?) is that that? My muse is a fictional serial killer. The "Dawn" part comes from my middle name. 

I'm not much of a tv person but my sister recently got me hooked on the series - she said it would be right up my alley. Of course I've heard of it before but I just never took the time to sit down and watch it. Needless to say, I'm hooked. I'm only on Season 3 so please no spoilers!