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Saturday, January 29, 2011
Ancient Tools May Mark Earlier Path Out of Africa
This isn't necessarily death related, but it is Archaeology and I thought others may be interested.
Check it out
Check it out
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Streaming the Dead
A recent article in the New York Times discussed the growing trend in live web feeds of funerals. This has progressed to a point where software companies are actually creating programs specifically suited to putting any funeral on the web.
From a certain view, I can see it being an outlet for streaming celebrity funerals (They used the Michael Jackson Example) to a wide audience of fans. As a fan would you really want to see the funeral of someone you admired in life, but didn't have any personal relationship with? To me it seems pretty odd that anyone would want to do this, and it makes the actual funeral so much less personal.
On the other hand, what if you were unable to travel across the world to see your Grandmothers funeral, but beyond all doubt want to be present. This could therefore be used to include a larger family audience that is not in attendance.
Kind of an interesting idea, though potentially weird at the same time.
Click here to check out the article.
From a certain view, I can see it being an outlet for streaming celebrity funerals (They used the Michael Jackson Example) to a wide audience of fans. As a fan would you really want to see the funeral of someone you admired in life, but didn't have any personal relationship with? To me it seems pretty odd that anyone would want to do this, and it makes the actual funeral so much less personal.
On the other hand, what if you were unable to travel across the world to see your Grandmothers funeral, but beyond all doubt want to be present. This could therefore be used to include a larger family audience that is not in attendance.
Kind of an interesting idea, though potentially weird at the same time.
Click here to check out the article.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Time to excavate!
I have been entombed successfully on the coast of Vancouver Island. All of this has been done in secret in a remote mountain forest, and because of this my tomb has miraculously remained untouched for 1000 years.
It is now roughly the year 3000 and quite obviously a lot has changed in this time. Technology has continued to accelerate, the population of Vancouver Island has continue to grow until approximately 600 years ago when the big wave hit. This disastrous event was far more destructive than anticipated and has lowered portions of the island and forced almost all to evacuate.
Archaeologists have moved back to the island in order to examine what kind of burials may have been hastily completed before evacuation. As can be expected, many of the dead were washed out into the ocean, and many have been brought back to the coast with the tide. Time has buried many of these bodies, and a veritable coastal barrier of graves exists not too far under the surface. Further inland and on higher hilltops are the hastily made burials. Though I'm sure these are fascinating, it isn't nearly as exciting as finding a tomb that looks like this:
As the archaeologists moved further up into the mountains they come across this giant structure. As there is not any evidence of anything like this anywhere else on the island it is quite the discovery.
Thankfully it was not hit too hard by the wave, there there is quite a lot of water damage and in disarray. What was once a well organized, orderly tomb is now in shambles.
Thousands of books litter the floor, and as it has been so long and moisture has damaged much of the writing it is impossible to read any of them. This is also a time when technology has replaced most written texts and finding such a big collection is surprising. The Archaeologists decide that all these blank damaged books have been interpreted as being chronicles of my life, as i must have been (but wasn't) someone pretty important with a tomb like this. Many books have been interpreted as being originally blank, which the archaeologists see has means to record my time in the afterlife.
My skateboard hasn't held up perfectly but was stored within its own alcove so it has remained relatively stationary. It is possible to see the platform and the wheels, and again on the path of thinking that I was important, this was probably how I was wheeled around by hired help in life.
The drums pose quite a conundrum (pun intended?). Musical instruments have all become digital. Very few examples of acoustic music making practices remain. The skins covering the drums have been eroded or eaten away by small creatures. All that is left is a thin, red veneer and some metal fittings. Animals have made homes in all of the rings and it is difficult to interpret what, if anything, was in them previously. It is very possible that they were simply barrels or some other container which may have held food for me in the afterlife.
These Archaeologists are unable to determine who I am, but are able to interpret that this tomb was made long before the wave and are not able to concentrate on it too much initially because they were sent to study mass wave burials.
Perhaps one day they will come back and learn the truth.
It is now roughly the year 3000 and quite obviously a lot has changed in this time. Technology has continued to accelerate, the population of Vancouver Island has continue to grow until approximately 600 years ago when the big wave hit. This disastrous event was far more destructive than anticipated and has lowered portions of the island and forced almost all to evacuate.
Archaeologists have moved back to the island in order to examine what kind of burials may have been hastily completed before evacuation. As can be expected, many of the dead were washed out into the ocean, and many have been brought back to the coast with the tide. Time has buried many of these bodies, and a veritable coastal barrier of graves exists not too far under the surface. Further inland and on higher hilltops are the hastily made burials. Though I'm sure these are fascinating, it isn't nearly as exciting as finding a tomb that looks like this:
Thankfully it was not hit too hard by the wave, there there is quite a lot of water damage and in disarray. What was once a well organized, orderly tomb is now in shambles.
Thousands of books litter the floor, and as it has been so long and moisture has damaged much of the writing it is impossible to read any of them. This is also a time when technology has replaced most written texts and finding such a big collection is surprising. The Archaeologists decide that all these blank damaged books have been interpreted as being chronicles of my life, as i must have been (but wasn't) someone pretty important with a tomb like this. Many books have been interpreted as being originally blank, which the archaeologists see has means to record my time in the afterlife.
My skateboard hasn't held up perfectly but was stored within its own alcove so it has remained relatively stationary. It is possible to see the platform and the wheels, and again on the path of thinking that I was important, this was probably how I was wheeled around by hired help in life.
The drums pose quite a conundrum (pun intended?). Musical instruments have all become digital. Very few examples of acoustic music making practices remain. The skins covering the drums have been eroded or eaten away by small creatures. All that is left is a thin, red veneer and some metal fittings. Animals have made homes in all of the rings and it is difficult to interpret what, if anything, was in them previously. It is very possible that they were simply barrels or some other container which may have held food for me in the afterlife.
These Archaeologists are unable to determine who I am, but are able to interpret that this tomb was made long before the wave and are not able to concentrate on it too much initially because they were sent to study mass wave burials.
Perhaps one day they will come back and learn the truth.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Bury me now, and I will excavate later.
So its time for me to get buried. I've died of some horrible affliction and everyone I know is really quite saddened by it. I usually would not be terribly interested in being entombed for eternity with a whole slew of items, but on the very day I died I have decided to be extremely materialistic and i just NEED all of my favorite things to accompany me.
Hanging on to the last remnants of life I have only moments to try and outline to my family, specifically my sister and mother, what kind of items I will need to keep me occupied for all of time. I am able to utter 3 words as I drift off, and I have to hope they are interpreted correctly.
Music
Book
Wheels.
Alright, so these are not THAT difficult to interpret correctly, considering how well they know me.
1. It would be completely logical if a couple albums were simply thrown in, but I want a big tomb and a lot of open space, so why not simply bury me with my drums? I have the most fun when banging on them so they should probably stay with me.
2. Considering I worked at a bookstore while I was alive it is little surprise that books are pretty important to me. I am definitely going to need some in the afterlife to keep me occupied. I have quite a few books already, but I might as well just get a whole library, Right?
Hanging on to the last remnants of life I have only moments to try and outline to my family, specifically my sister and mother, what kind of items I will need to keep me occupied for all of time. I am able to utter 3 words as I drift off, and I have to hope they are interpreted correctly.
Music
Book
Wheels.
Alright, so these are not THAT difficult to interpret correctly, considering how well they know me.
1. It would be completely logical if a couple albums were simply thrown in, but I want a big tomb and a lot of open space, so why not simply bury me with my drums? I have the most fun when banging on them so they should probably stay with me.
3. I like to go fast, and I like to go fast while rolling on my skateboard. Obviously I am not going to be going very far while in my tomb, but my skateboard is too precious to me to be left behind.
That seems like a pretty good assemblage of items to me. Now i just need to find a tomb. A grave isn't nearly fancy enough for me.
How about something like this? Excessive? Most certainly, but while I'm dreaming I might as well hope for something as beautiful as this.
I will just have find somewhere here on Vancouver island to sneak in something like this.
Next I will jump ahead a couple hundred (or thousand) years in the future and become an Archaeologist excavating the mysterious tomb of Polkey.
-SDP
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Time to talk about the dead!
Blog Created!
My name is Shane (Obviously!) and I am a 4th year Anthropology student focusing on Archaeology. I have previously gone to school for Visual Arts and I am working towards combining these interests and studying Rock Art and other prehistoric Art making!
I recently traveled to Africa (Rwanda & Botswana) to volunteer and do field school. It was awesome, and I cannot wait to go back!
More to come!
-SDP
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