In the second chapter of our textbook I was intrigued by the portion on placing the dead, and how this is a crucial way diverse human societies map out and express their vast number of relationships. With this in mind looking at western societies it is interesting to note the assumed separation our society holds between the dead and the living. It seems there is a huge imbalance; life leaves little room for the dead, not just in the material sense but in the spiritual as well. Pearson mentioned this as an indication of a troubled and alienated society disconnected from our roots and ancestors. I think that he is touching on a really crucial point here, as social beings our relationships to both place and kinship are an essential part of our identity. In a world where our ideas are based so much on concrete science we could benefit from admitting the unknowable nature of life and accepting it’s inseparability from the last rite of passage: death.
Pearson, M.P. (1999). Separation of the Dead from the Living. The Archaeology of Death and Burial. Texas A&M University Press, p 25.
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