Bodies on Display

It's always nice to see someone take such a strong position on something most of us are happy to leave in the grey zone.

Here is a good article about museum displays of human bodies, and an honourable mention for archaeological labs.

Enjoy.

Removing Bodies from Display is Nonsense

Museum Smell

Awesome.  How does a funding review committee keep a straight face...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/mar/27/museums-heritage-smells-university-strathclyde

Northwest Coast

Hey, if you're interested in burial stuff, but getting bored of the aimless ramblings of a student under the gun of an impending deadline, check out my group's website about burials in the Prince Rupert Harbour area.  It has a slightly less panicky motif...

Mortuary Archaeology: Prince Rupert Harbour

Thanks!

Dog Catacombs

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/15682/original/
dog-catacomb2.jpg?1301495227

Wow, this news report from a few days ago is amazing.  Mummified remains of 8 million of animals, mostly dogs and jackals, and many of them only a few days, or maybe even a few hours old.  hey were found in catacombs around Saqqara, Egypt.

Researchers point out that although this superficially looks like a sacrifice, they are calling it a pious dedication linking them to the Gods.

New Sky Burial

Ok, I have no actual pictures, no actual links, no actual evidence... nothing.  But, what I have is an idea, and idea which came to light during some group work in class the other day.  Here it is...

We have rooftop gardens, why not rooftop cemeteries.  Yeah?  I knew you'd like it...

We have discussed before about how densely populated areas, and especially those which have been around for centuries - take London for example - are running out of room for their burials.  Proper Christian interments are now a few people deep, or even in the ground standing on end.  Put six feet of dirt on a relatively flat roof and voila!  Space saver!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/
Rockefeller_Center_Rooftop_Gardens_2_by_David_Shankbone.JPG

Buried on top of Rockefeller Center?  What a legacy.

http://www.blog.designsquish.com/images/uploads/green-roof.jpg

Yep, looks like a burial to me.

Blog on a blog

http://www.favouritegraves.com/

Ok... I love photography, and the blog shown above contains some amazing photos... of graves, graveyards, cemeteries, roadside memorials and the like.

I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but beautiful images aside, I would like some information on the shots.  Some context... some meat for the bones of their website.  Sorry, that was gross and stupid.

I want to include some of their photography below, because it's really interesting looking stuff.  Furthermore, they have some great links, so please check it out.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2542/3887705986_0e42b9e3b5_z.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/3887635196_f6194e9406_z.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/3030022251_7ca0a45eb9_b.jpg

Homelessness and Funeral Rights

Thinking about non-elites and mortuary pattern led me to consider how the unfortunate homeless are treated at death.  The information is a little scant, unless discussing US homeless veterans, but here in Canada we'll look at Ontario as an example... because that's what popped up first.

When a homeless person passes away, and there is no family to contact, it is the municipality's responsibility under the Anatomy Act to properly bury the deceased person.  The city coroner issues an "Order to Bury" and the city pays the bill for the bare minimum in services.  As well, there is cooperation with the free press, who have agreed to print a death notice for one day (cited).

Interestingly, although there seems to be a sense of humanity, there is very much a sense of legality.  According to an article by Cory Habermehl on the New Media Journalism website, "unclaimed bodies" receive a funerary service as well, in order to prevent future legal problems.

Apparently, "family or friends who show up after the burial has taken place can claim they were not given the proper chance to say goodbye, and a lawsuit could potentially be filed" writes Habermehl.

Why a family who has no connection to a particular family member, to the point where they were completely unaware of their death, would sue a funeral home for not giving that person a "proper burial" is sort of beyond me.  But, I guess that is because of my mainly secular upbringing.  Everyone in my family that had passed away during my lifetime has been cremated, and I have only been to one interment of ashes.  For me, it is not about all this ritual to make peace, but it is up to an individual to do so for themselves.