Burial of Life

     I can easily say that I have never quite thought of the moment where I would be put to rest.The idea alone somewhat scared me. It's hard to identify things that can represent you to the fullest for so many reasons: Does this object show my personality? Does it really describe who I am? Is there something better?... At first, I didn't believe I would be able to find things that could allow archaeologists to truly understand my identity but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it didn't really matter to me. Knowing that my loved ones would understand was the most important factor.
     Some items that I would choose include my ipod, a book of poetry, an award I won in elementary school, pictures of loved ones, and a camera. The reason I chose my ipod is because it holds a lot of the music that lies close to my heart; it can tell a story and say words that might be difficult to say out loud.  Poetry is something that I cannot get enough of. It is something that can be so universally meaningful and yet extremely personal. The award I won in elementary school stood for courage and standing up for what you believe in which is something I find really important. The pictures of loved ones will hopefully represent how much they all mean to me. Finally a camera. I love photography. I feel as if a photo can capture a moment in time where so many emotions can be expressed and seen though another person's vision.
      As another option, I asked my parents what they believed would be good to include in my burial. At first, they were a bit mortified and explained how they never thought of it, let alone the actual burial. Some of the items they believed would be a good addition are: a Taylor Swift shirt, a stuffed animal (preferably a dog), pictures of my family and friends (my dad thought a framed picture of him would be nice,) and a painting of stargazers that was a gift. Taylor Swift is my favourite singer and as many people might say about their favourite artist, I can relate to all of her music. A stuffed animal would represent my love of animals. A few years back, one of my closest friends painted several stargazers (my favourite flower) and gave it to me on my birthday. The flower is a part of nature and something I find truly beautiful.

     This project in general was something I never would have thought of. Though I find societies who are involved in this practice highly fascinating, it's a bit hard to wrap my head around because it is something I have not given much thought to. I think I have a better understanding of it all now.

A Reviewed Story

        A few nights ago, I read an article called "Sacred Stones and Madagascar" (source: http://brian-mountainman.blogspot.ca/2010/11/sacred-stones-and-madagascar.html) which is a type of response to the "Conversation: Sacred Stones" (source: http://archaeology.org/1001/etc/conversation.html). In the article, Luciano talks about Mike Parker Pearson's discovery at "Bluestonehenge" which was a bluestoned ditch. The idea that Mike has of the "domain of the dead" is questioned by Luciano for its authenticity.
        I believe that what Luciano is saying is right; people have different traditions and beliefs all around the world so not all thoughts are alike. As it was said, the people in the village believe that after someone passes, their spirit is still alive. By saying that there is a "domain of the dead" would be the complete opposite what the society believes is true. The ideas one person has may not be able to match up with another's. The opinion of a person should be appreciated but that does not mean that it will be taken lightly.

Hello there!

              Let me introduce myself...

      Hi, my name is Kyla and I am a third year university student majoring in anthropology with a minor in philosophy. I became really interested in anthropology in my first year at university. My two main interests in this subject are osteology and death. I find that these two things and the individuals involved are able to speak volumes. As you can see, I titled my blog "Voices Whisper in the Dark." I believe that even though they might not be able to literally speak, they are still able to tell a story.
   
    One of my main interests is human rights. The way I see it, people deserve to be treated with respect and honour. I want to be able to help people when they are in need and fight for the justice they deserve. Being able to change the future for the better would be unbelievable.

    I hope you enjoy my Archaeology of Death blog.