The blog entry to end all blog entries

Since our course is now going into its final week I’ve decided to do a wrap up on my blogging experience. When the idea was first presented in class I thought this assignment was going to be a big pain in the you know what, but it turns out I was wrong. By creating this blog it has allowed me to really gain a wider grasp on what fields of archaeology truly interests me. It was also super interesting to view my fellow class member’s blogs and learn what interests they had. By viewing a vast collection of blog posts it allowed me to see how large the archaeological world is and widened my archaeological experience. Having this blog being focused on death and death related rituals really showed me that our societies past and present are surrounded and consumed with the act of dying itself and what will follow after our deaths have occurred. Researching other cultures traditions of interpreting and practicing mortuary rituals made me realize that no one death is treated the same. It was also interesting to see which mortuary rituals are still relevant in our societies versus other practices that have died out (ha no pun intended... but actually it was). It’s nice to see that for the most part child sacrifice and disembowelment rituals are no longer a staple in modern mortuary practices. This course has changed my views on death and how I myself want to be buried, there are just too many options! Top of the list would have to be space burial, second an old school Viking boat burial and third a reef burial to give something back to the environment. These blog entries have been very useful in expanding my mortuary knowledge (although a struggle at times when rushing to finish an entry at 11:59pm on a Sunday night). All in all I’m glad this mini project was assigned it kept me engaged with the class and introduced me to topics I had never thought of. 

And now a little death joke to end what may be my last blog post.

New grave monuments found at Aigai

 Macedonia funerary monuments found at Aigai
http://www.archaiologia.gr/en/blog/2013/03/21/new-finds-at-aigai/

Elaborate Macedonian Tombs were unearthed which is leading to new theories on how this culture evolved. Three tombs were uncovered which highlighted burial styles of the Macedonian time period. Both human and animal remains were discovered within the tombs; fifteen horses and several dogs were found.  Also found were a dozen adults and the remains of infants and toddlers. The remains that have been recovered indicate that they must have been added to the empty and destroyed grave well after its primary use. Shards of pottery, tiles and pieces of marble funerary stele were found among the bodies. A magic scroll known as katadesmos was also found. The condition that both the bodies and pottery fragments were found in suggests that they were thrown into the tomb all at once. These findings imply that the remains found were mostly likely the result of tragic incident. Connections have been made with the study of pottery and bronze coins that point to the destruction of Aigai by the Romans in Pydna that led to the fall of the Macedonian Kingdom. The tombs that have been found have indications that they were violently looted. There were some grave goods that were uncovered that made it past the looters. A part of a gold shield was found which depicted fighting warriors, a golden oak was also found and there was also evidence of a golden wreath, which led to the suggestion that the deceased was man. There were also a number of golden discs recovered with the characteristics of the Macedonian empire that survived the looting. These findings help piece together how the Macedonians built grave structures. It also sheds light on a tragedy that fell upon this city and its people during in a time of warfare and cultural destruction. 

site: http://www.archaiologia.gr/en/blog/2013/03/21/new-finds-at-aigai/

Pets of the afterlife

Pets have been regarded as important members of the family for thousands of years. Many used for activities such as hunting or letter sending but others as just loved for the comfort and protection they provided their owners. The ancient Egyptians pretty much attempted to mummify any and everything. From plants to crocodiles and everything in between, cats, dogs, birds, livestock, fish, snakes and baboons was all fair game. Many pets were buried and preserved with their masters, remains of cats and dogs have been found in Pharaohs tombs. Other animals that were not considered pets were used as offerings that were intended to appease gods in the afterlife. Later on in the New Kingdom the presence of pets were more prominent. Ramses the second demonstrated his love for cats by having tomb paintings that depicted frivolous cat scenes, which included very obese cats wearing earrings and necklaces. Thousands of cats were mummified as an offering to the god Bastet (goddess of maternity and protection) but only a handful of pet cats have been discovered. Pets still share commonality in the importance they play in the lives of their owners, whether it is thousands of years ago or to present day. 

Citation: 

Meixler, L. (1997, May 24). Pharaohs were united with their pets for eternity: Honoured: Ancient egyptians often mummified their beloved animals. The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/docview/240085684?accountid=14846

The Marpole Midden and Improper methods of excavation

(Some artifacts that were found during the Marpole excavation) 

I was doing research for a paper in my Indigenous studies class that focuses on death practices and burials locations in Coast Salish territories when I came across a paper on the Marpole Midden and since it references both archaeological and First Nations information I thought why not kill two birds with one stone? 

The Marpole Midden was unearthed in the 1880s near the Fraser Valley River while road expansion was taking place. A shell midden can be described as a layering of deposits that include shell remains, bone fragments (animal mostly), and cultural elements such as stone tools, jewellery and artwork (Roy, 2006).  The midden was described as being a large village that housed many inhabitants for a long period of time (Roy, 2006). The Marpole culture is dated from around 1,500 to 2,900 years ago. The Marpole Midden is located near the Musqueam peoples territory. Evidence suggests that these peoples may been their ancient ancestors (Roy, 2006). The site was mined of its cultural importance on my occasions without any say form the neighboring indigenous communities. Thousands of skeletal remains were removed from this site over the decades, as well as carved bone, stone implements, ceremonial copper and beads (Roy, 2006). Many of the skeletal remains that were removed from the site were intended to be put on display in museums around the country. On many occasions there was not enough space for some of the remains, which lead them to be discarded without any proper thought or care (Roy, 2006). This site due to the time that it was being excavated was not properly processed. Cultural sensitivities were ignored; the Musqueam peoples had no input on what was being done to their ancestor’s remains. The site was processed poorly leading to destroyed artifacts and human remains. In 1991the Musqueam people purchased the Fraser Arms Hotel (Roy, 2006), the land in which midden was discovered. The Musqueam hoped by purchasing this land the destruction of their ancestors and their remains would be persevered from future disruption from outside forces. This is not the first case in which cultural sensitivities have been ignored when addressing indigenous archaeological sites. In many instances there is little care when processing First Nations territories. If historical sites stand in the way of a political campaign or developer many injustices and illegal action take place in order to get the outcome that is desired. More attention must be brought forward when these incidences occur to stop robbing indigenous populations of their cultural heritage. I believe that First Nations have been mistreated from the time of European arrival in Canada. We have stripped them from their culture and put buildings on top of sacred sites. This country was technically theres until we showed up and discredited everything they had built. We have consumed their culture and have made a mockery of their traditions and customs. No one would ever be allowed to walk into Ross bay and dig up thousands of graves and just discard of the bodies or put them on display in museums without gaining some sort of permission. No company would also be allowed to dig up graves in order to put a strip mall without facing lengthy legal processes. But somehow governments pass laws that allow this to happen to First Nations burial sites. There is a double standard when it comes respecting the sanctity of First Nations and their burial locations. Too many of these sites have been desecrated and its the First Nations that lose their cultural rights and heritage. 

Link to the paper:

http://ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/bcstudies/article/viewArticle/671
Link to image:
http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/programs/blog/2012/10/2/movments-usual-and-not-so-usual-suspects

Twin Burials in Prehistory Iron Age Germany

(Not where bodies were found, but most likely very similar to what the structure looked like during that time period. The bodies were found buried under the house posts)

 The idea of twin burials first appeared to me when I came across Carly McNeill's blog post on Ice Age twins that had been found buried together thousands of years ago (here's the link to her blog so you can check it out http://archaeologyofdeathandburials.blogspot.ca/). I wanted to see if any other cultures experienced or had commonalities when dealing with twin burials. I wasn't able to locate much information on twin burials but there was one abstract ( I wasn't able to access the full article but still.. good information for a blog post) on an Iron Age settlement that was uncovered on 2001 near Ochtendung, Germany. Two skeletons of perinatal infants in shallow impression were found in postholes of a settlement (Flohr, S. 2012). The infants that were found seemed to have buried without care and one was face down (Flohr, S. 2012). There were no artifacts found with the bodies and they appeared to be between 36- 40 weeks (Flohr, S. 2012). Investigation of the bones concludes that they died around the same stage of development; evidence also suggests that they were most likely related (Flohr, S. 2012). Ideas were proposed that these individuals may have been used for sacrificial purposes but were quickly denied due to the careless treatment of the bodies and how/where they were buried (Flohr, S. 2012). I really would have liked to been able to read the whole article but alas this is all I could piece together. It would be interesting to cross examine different cultures around this time to try and indicate if the birth or burial of twins was common during these early time periods. It would be interesting to see if burials such as these could be seen cross culturally, was it related to religion? Sacrifice? Or was a family simply the mourning the loss of young lives by keeping their bodies close to their dwellings. In any case I found this article along with Carly's to be extremely interesting when examining infant burial practices. 

 Source: Flohr, S. (2012), Twin Burials in Prehistory: A Possible Case from the Iron Age of Germany. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol.. doi: 10.1002/oa.2236

testing my mapping

This is a test of my Ross Bay cemetery map


View Ross bay cemetery in a larger map

Death rituals of the Anglo-Saxons

This week in class we discussed the way in which Anglo-Saxons practiced burying their dead. I find this era of people to be most fascinating so I decided to write a blog post on how these peoples viewed and practised life after death rituals. We all know that the Anglo-Saxons were not the most gentle or soft worded individuals, having said that they still mourned the losses of their loved ones like most people do today. They may have seemed hard and rough on the inside but deep down they were softies. Death was a big part in Anglo-Saxons lives, this was reflected in how they honoured their dead. They practiced cremation as well as burial. In both rituals individuals were burned or buried with their worldly possessions, just incase they might need them in the after life. Items that have been found in these burials range for ornate jewelry, weapons, tools livestock such as horses, donkeys and even slaves have been found buried with their masters. 

Burial has been found to be the most common way the early Anglo-Saxons buried their dead (recorded thus far). When they would burry their dead they would form large mounds of dirt and rock around the body, these were referred to as barrows. The size of the barrow was determined by how important the dead was, the bigger the barrow the more special the deceased. Barrows were formed to honour the nobles of the time, less important people did not have as large burial sites. 

When Christianity begun to take its control over Europe the pagan Anglo-Saxons reacted by forming even more elaborate rituals and cremation started to become more common. They defied the Christians in this manner because the act of burning a body was seen as taboo in the Christian faith. But as can be seen in history books, Christianity washes over paganism and the Anglo-Saxons rituals were swept down river and were eventually  forgotten. 

Site I got my information from: http://www.helium.com/items/1260472-anglo-saxon-burial-rites

Sokushinbutsu new burial trend?

Self mummification is a death practice that is a few hundred years old and is no longer used on a general basis, but whose to say this won't be the new death trend for the self- righteous? The ritual of Sokushinbutsu originated in ancient Japan. It was practiced by Buddhist monks, they would basically starve themselves for three years restricting their diets to only eating nuts, seeds, bark and roots along with a toxic tea concoction that would strip them from their body fat. Drinking tea from the sap of urushi tree would cause the monks to vomit and lose bodily fluids at a rapid rate, this tea also killed off maggots that would cause their bodies to decay after they had died. Months would pass and once the was ready he would submerse himself into a stone tomb that was so small he could only sit in the lotus position. The tomb would be sealed and the only connection to the outside world was a tube that would allow him breathable air and a bell. He would ring the bell everyday he remained alive while in the tomb, once the bell fell silent the tomb would then be sealed shut. Once the tombs were opened they would reveal a mummified preserved corpse or a rotten decaying one. If bodies were mummified they were considered to be one with Buddha and were celebrated for being godlike and would be put on display. Others that were not so successful would be resealed in their tombs, no celebration was had but they would be respected for their endurance.

Self mummification was outlawed by the Japanese government in the 19th century but was said to still be practiced into the 20th century. There are only around 28 of these mummies left but only 16 can still be visited and worshiped. The most famous monk can be seen at the Dainichi Boo Temple on holy Mount Yudono. Many of the monks that under went this process had success in this location, this may be due to recent findings of arsenic in local spring waters. The arsenic may have helped with the overall mummification process. 

Can or will this practice of self mummification recirculate into current culture? Or is this ritual too time consuming and painful for our population as a whole.  These days most people don't even have time to make a phone call, would anyone really set aside months of devotion to complete this process? This practice could be the next celebrity trend, it could give fading celebrity stars reason for the public to watch their every move even after death (New reality TV show?) . Once death fell upon them they could be worshiped for their "sacrifice" never allowing for their star to diminish in the world of hollywood.

Heres the link to the website where I found out about Sokushinbutsu.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sokushinbutsu-dainichi-temple
Image link: http://blog.blix0r.de/2012/06/22/selbst-mumifizierung-bei-japanischen-monchen-19-jh/

Death Identity

I picture myself to be found in a little ceramic pot deep in the ground surrounded by my favourite things: something comfy to rest on, a mountain of what I loved to eat and objects form past hobbies that I took part in while still living.  Being cremated is the way I would want to buried, my whole life contained into a little pot leaving behind nothing but ash. Items that I would like to be found with would be my guitar, my painting supplies, a soccer ball, pickles and pictures of my life's exploits  and adventures. I take a lot of photos and if I were to be found with these pictures archaeologists would get a crystal clear image of how I lived my life.
If someone else were to burry me I would hope that they knew me well enough as a person to know what I should be buried with. I proposed this question to my mother she looked at me like I had just smoked something... After she thought about it for a few minutes she said she would burry me with, chips/ salsa, my dog, my soccer cleats, a pair of comfy pyjamas so I'd be comfortable in the afterlife and pictures. My mother wanted me to be buried with items that would make comfortable well fed and with things that made me happy while I was still living. The items she selected were very similar to what I would have picked. My identity of who I was in my living life would still be intact if my mother were to bury me. Anyone who really knows me for me would be able to compile a pretty similar list to what is listed above. And if I were to die I would hope that someone who did know me well would burry me  with my belongings, not some random stranger who could care less on how I was buried and what I was buried with.

Tombs Discovered at Maya Site of Xtojil

I found this article to be pretty interesting! Its a pretty recent find so theres not much on it yet but I intend to follow it and see what else they uncover. Archaeologists have found a set of twelve Mayan burials  dating back more than 1,200 years at the Xtojil site. These tombs were unearthed while road construction was taking place. Human remains were found in lithic tombs referred to as "cistas" which are rectangular caskets protected and covered in stone slabs. In their findings they also found 30 pieces of ceramic pieces in which a hieroglyph was found to be inscribed. They also found bowls, pots pans and cups, obsidian razors, jade beads and shell earrings. Archaeologists believe that the earrings acquired by trading with near by Mesoamerican people.  The tombs that have been recovered were dated to between 600-800 A.D. These remains were found just outside the ancient city of Chichen Itza. These findings have led to greater understanding in Mayan burial sites and have shed more light on possible trade routes during this time period. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post it is a recent find with limited research so this is all I really have to report for now!
If your interested in this story here are the links I found on this topic.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=662627&CategoryId=13936
http://www.archaeology.org/news/453-130117-maya-tombs-xtojil

Little bit about me

Hello there, my name is Tegan Lang and I am a 3rd year anthropology student. I was born and raised on Vancouver Island and decided to stay on this beautiful little rock to do my schooling. Anthropology first caught my eye when I randomly decided to take the introductory course back in first year. After that I was hooked. Learning about past cultures rituals and ways of living fascinated me and I was drawn to learn more! 
I would say cultural and archaeology are areas that I'm interested most. Archaeology for its aspects in uncovering past cultures and learning how they functioned and survived in unknown terrains. Cultural supplies a deeper connection and allows people to understand how past and current cultures operate within an always changing environment and world. The combination of these two fields paints a clearer picture for past societies and how they have evolved into their modern forms. 
I was drawn to this course because it focuses on death and rituals surrounding what happens after death, which is something that has always interested me ever since I saw Brendan Fraser in the Mummy.