Blog 6

For this blog post, I decided to look into other blogs that talk about ossuaries.  This blog was an interesting one, and was specifically on the topic of one of our research questions for our group project; the ossuaries in The Talpiot Tomb.  The writer, a professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Duke University, was very inclusive in his blog post.  This was a good example for me to look into, because it gave me a better sense of what details I might want to include in my blog about ossuaries.  This blog has the perfect picture to text ratio, with clear explanation of what each picture is, and how it directly relates to the subject.  There are also links to further research within each paragraph.  According to our rubric, this blog would have gotten an A.  It is clear, concise and very well written.
Here is the link to the blog:
 http://ntweblog.blogspot.ca/2012/03/questioning-identity-of-ossuary-4-in.html

Blog 5

Gay Caveman
This week I researched Gay Caveman, and came up with a few interesting results.  The first article that came up on my screen was in The Telegraph, about the first homosexual caveman discovered.  I decided to read this one, since it seemed quite interesting.  The body that was found was approximately 5,000 years old and was found buried in the way that a female would have been buried in the Copper Age.  The conclusion was made that this person must have been a male of different sexual orientation than the rest, since burial customs seemed to have been largely important; aka the Gay Caveman.
The next article I read was in The National Post, titled Gay Caveman probably not gay or caveman, this particularly caught my interest, and I decided to read the opposite side of the story.  Some people are not born female or male, but instead a third gender, and this has been seen in a few archaeological burials.  According to Rosemary Joyce, the Intersex Society of North America estimates that 1% of people are born of a third gender.  This article also puts to rest the idea of a "gay caveman", initially pointing out that the people who lived during the Corded Ware age were not actually cavemen, they were pre-Bronze Age farmers.
These articles were very interesting, and I went on to read more about the Gay Caveman in detail, why he was and was not actually a caveman or gay.

Blog 4

My group went to Ross Bay Cemetery, a beautiful park-like area right on the sea.  I had never been before, and it was a lovely sunny day when we went! When our group got there we were leaning towards recording and analyzing the war graves.  The first group of war graves that we encountered were, however, less than informational.  A last name and the date of death was all the information that was available to us.  Upon realizing this was not going to work for us, we wandered around the park for a good 45 minutes before finally deciding on another topic: mausoleums.  They were large, and easy to spot out, a total of 13.  Mausoleums have always sort of given me a chill uncomfortable feeling, and peering into them through the iron gates was not exactly what one would call a comforting act.  We spent a solid hour recording data in close to freezing temperatures: the sun being deceitful, our fingers and toes soon became very chilly.  We found that it was unnecessary for all of us to record the same information on multiple notepads, so only one person did.  On the plaques that were closer to the front of the mausoleums I took photos, and we recorded the information later, with a warm cup of tea.  It was for the most part enjoyable, and we did have a fun time.  However, if I was to do it again I would bring mittens and a scarf.

Blog post 3

There are a few things that really identify who I am and what I like to do.  The problem with the majority of these potential grave goods would be how easily they would deteriorate over time.  I would personally bury with me a few items: my camera, my one ring that I always wear, my hiking boots, a fishing pole, and a map of the world.  These are all unrealistic expectations, but they describe me, in my opinion.  I asked a few friends what they would choose for me, and they came up with some things that were a bit different, but also extremely accurate.  Christmas ornaments, bath salts, my onesie, movies, my cat; things that people know I like from the way I act.  All these things describe who I am and what I like to do to an outsider’s perspective.  Some answers came from people I don’t know very well, and some came from my closest friends.  The grave goods that I picked describe me and my life in Alaska, how I grew up and how I want to live after college. These grave goods describe the things that are most important to me; photography, fishing, hiking, and travelling.  The ring was a special gift that I have worn for almost 10 years, so it is a part of me.  My mom suggested that I take my cat with me.  Again, a very unrealistic concept seeing that he is alive and kicking, something I am sure my mom would like to remedy.  What my friends picked for me define who I am regardless of where I am; items that define my character.

Post 2

How do you find using Access and Excel for working with this kind of data? What is the difference for you between wading through a cemetery in a database, versus wandering through it in real life?

When using Excel and Access, the information is all there, but the experience is not.  I am a visual person, and without having the hands-on connection to the cemetery site, the information did not have that much meaning.  If we had the opportunity to walk through the cemetery and connect each grave with what data we have, then it would have been much more significant.  These graves are more than just information to be processed; they are special places containing people who are important to someone.  By transferring that person into a data spreadsheet, their importance is lost to us.  It are simply data, information from a time before us, information for us to analyze and critique.  Cemeteries and sacred places, there is a certain atmosphere that demands reverence.  Personally seeing and experiencing this atmosphere would help to ground our thoughts and ideas.  Seeing the landscape, the whole picture,  and where the graves are laid out, can also greatly aid one’s understanding of the information present as well.  The data on Excel and Access gave me information about a cemetery, but I had nothing to reference that data to.  I was not aware of how big St. Stephens is, how many burials are there, how many graves are in the data and what was left out if any.  By connecting the reality with the data, the awareness of all the issues and possible problems surrounding the topic is raised.

I am currently a fourth year student majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Greek and Roman Studies. Every since I started travelling at the age of 7, I have been entranced by the past and what it holds in store for us.  One of the most memorable experiences I have of travelling is discovering the mysteries of ancient Egyptian culture and how they treated their dead.  My young brain was appalled, disturbed, and yet so intrigued by these ancient practices; how could a brain be pulled out of one's nose? I love what I study, and am very much looking forward to learning more about the burial rituals and practices performed around the world.