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.