About Me

I'm a PhD student researching the role of the archaeological dead in contemporary British society. Think of this as a scrapbook of all the interesting links, snippets of information and random bits and bobs I come across pertaining to death, dying and the dead. Enjoy?!

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    Death – still with us, but further away than ever

    When the death of the actor Richard Griffiths was announced last week, tributes from friends and colleagues were heartfelt. Griffiths was 65, which isn’t old in modern terms, and his death from complications after heart surgery was unexpected. That much was evident from the shocked reaction of actors who had worked with him, some of them on very recent projects as well as the cult film Withnail & I. With the retirement age for both sexes set to rise to 66, Griffiths hadn’t even reached the end of his working life, and the sense of loss was palpable.

    Earlier in the week, in another continent, a much older man was admitted to hospital with a lung infection. The former South African president Nelson Mandela is 94 and clearly in the final phase of his life, which made the current president’s response all the more puzzling. Jacob Zuma asked South Africans to pray for Mandela, as though his death might be avoided through divine intercession, and added that they “must not panic”. Panic is usually a response to an unexpected event and it’s hard to see how anyone in South Africa, no matter how devoted to Mandela, could be unprepared for his demise.

    If there is an element of denial in the public attitude to Mandela’s closeness to death, it is not exclusive to South Africa. Profiles of the Queen, 87 this year, stress her good health and the longevity of her ancestors, notably Queen Victoria. It’s as if her demise is so awful to contemplate that it can’t be mentioned, so we are treated to endless upbeat announcements whenever she or her even older spouse needs hospital treatment. “Prince Philip joked with nurses last night” is how royal correspondents conceal anxiety about the fact that he is 91 and won’t be around for ever.

    There’s probably never been a time when it’s so hard to talk about death. Better health and increased life expectancy mean we don’t grow up with the bereavements familiar in the 19th century; Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, died at the age of 42, leaving her a widow for almost 40 years. These days, most of us are too young to remember the Second World War, when whole areas of British cities were erased overnight; there were thousands of civilian casualties. And while the Victorians’ belief in an afterlife doesn’t seem to have been much of a consolation to those who lost children or spouses, even fewer of us believe in it now.

    So perhaps it isn’t so surprising that public discourse about death is characterised by avoidance. When Princess Diana died, I was shocked to hear people telling their children that she was “in heaven” or “with the angels” – another example of how hard we find sudden death.

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    Grieving daughter spends EIGHT MONTHS sleeping beside the body of her dead mother because she couldn’t afford the funeral A grieving daughter spent eight months sleeping next to the body of her dead mother in their one-bedroom flat because she could not afford to bury her, it emerged today. The grim living arrangement only came to light after bailiffs were sent to the property, in Munich, Germany, to recover debts left by the 70-year-old pensioner to find her decomposing corpse on a sofa bed in the flat’s only bedroom. Most tragically however, her daughter, who had been living on unemployment benefits, was apparently unaware that she would not have been expected to stump up for the funeral in any case, police said. Read more.

    Grieving daughter spends EIGHT MONTHS sleeping beside the body of her dead mother because she couldn’t afford the funeral

    A grieving daughter spent eight months sleeping next to the body of her dead mother in their one-bedroom flat because she could not afford to bury her, it emerged today.

    The grim living arrangement only came to light after bailiffs were sent to the property, in Munich, Germany, to recover debts left by the 70-year-old pensioner to find her decomposing corpse on a sofa bed in the flat’s only bedroom.

    Most tragically however, her daughter, who had been living on unemployment benefits, was apparently unaware that she would not have been expected to stump up for the funeral in any case, police said.

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    Top 10: Movies About Death, Dying, and Loss

    Whether humorous, tragic, or a bit of both, movies about death and dying may help us deal with our own grief. Sometimes it’s cathartic to see how others cope with the pain of losing a loved one. 

    This is my top 10 list of movies about loss. Each of these movies, in their own way, has been a catalyst for understanding the complex and difficult feelings associated with death and grief.  I hope you recognize some of your favorites on this list, and discover new ones as well. 

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    Via The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice.

    Spontaneous Mourning and Material Culture: The Archaeology of Roadside Memorials

    American roadsides are home to a vast range of impromptu memorials, some anonymous and modest crosses at the scene of a tragedy and others elaborate and well-maintained commemorations.  Most of the markers on the shoulders of American streets commemorate the victims of an automobile accident, but there seem to be no especially systematic surveys of the geographical distribution, styles, composition, or duration of such markers.  The phenomenon is not restricted to the US:  In Australia, for instance, an astounding one in five auto accident fatalities is commemorated by a roadside memorial, and a thorough and fascinating catalogue of its roadside memorialsreveals exceptionally complex markers and a diverse range of material commemorations; in the Ukraine, markers are traditionally placed at the site of tragedyand dot Ukrainian roadsides; and an ambitious French study by anthropologist Laetitia Nicolas inventoried markers and elements of roadside shrines throughout the country, with some thorough ethnographically researched studies of some shrines.  While these memorials appear to have become much more common in the past few decades, the historical roots for such memorials extend well into the past, too, evoking the trailside burials left along arteries blazed by the earliest settlers into the American West.

    There is a series of compelling archaeological questions in these spontaneous shrines that reflect how we manage tragedy and loss and collectively approach public space.  

    This is a brilliant post - click through to read the rest!

    South Korea Adopts New Mourning Tradition

    Death in any culture has predominately become a paradox of emotions. Throughout our lives we learn that death is inevitable and that it should be approached with acceptance, on the other hand, when someone close to us dies, we are filled with grief – even as we get older, our perception of death is one of trepidation. To overcome these feelings, we’ve turned to commemorating the memory of our loved ones withkeepsake memorials, from memorial tattoos to the revival of Tear Bottles.

    However, for Kim Il-nam, his grief was one that he endured every day since the death of his father 27 years ago. In fact, his loss led  Kim to make a startling decision. Digging up the grave, he had his father’s bones cremated and paid $870 to have the ashes transformed into gem-like beads.

    Another great article from Mysendoff - click through to read the rest!

    Ghost bikes

    Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.

    The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. Currently there are over 500 ghost bikes that have since appeared in over 180 locations throughout the world. For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow bicyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us. Each time we say we hope to never have to do it again — but we remain committed to making these memorials as long as they are needed.

    Ever seen a white bike chained to a railing and wondered what that was all about? It’s a ghost bike and this great website explains all.

    Sheffield memorial removed after threat from objectors

    A MEMORIAL gate to help mourners grieve has had to be removed - as people said it ‘reminded them about death’.

    Volunteers at Your Good Mourning shop, in Walkley, were ‘gobsmacked’ to be told to take down the gate or it would be torn down by objectors.

    Tributes, ribbons and memorial doves had been tied to the gate, which had permission to be attached to the tree outside on South Road, in memory of lost loved ones.

    Its aim was to help people come to terms with a death as part of the Dying Matters national campaign.

    Glenda Kirkby has founded the shop, which acts as a chatroom to help people dealing with the death of a friend or loved one.

    She said: “We want to make people aware that to be able to grieve and talk about it does help the process of losing somebody.

    “The gate was up there for two days when a woman came in the shop and said ‘can you take it down because it’s upsetting people’.

    “We were gobsmacked so asked why and she said it was reminding people about death.

    “She said there was a group of people who don’t like it and they will rip it down if you don’t take it down.”

    Hours later, posts at the side of the gate had been ripped down and Your Good Mourning volunteers felt forced to remove the memorial.

    Glenda, who set up the shop after finding a lack of support when her father died, wants Star readers to give their views on what happened.

    She added: “We were worried that some of the tributes people had left might be taken which would be far more disrespectful.

    “The only problem we possibly thought could happen with the gate is that somebody take it for scrap, that’s why we secured it.

    “We never thought people would complain because it reminded them of death.

    “The situation we have faced is crazy. This just shows there are still a lot of taboos about death.”

    A devoted farmer created this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife - by planting thousands of oak trees. Dedicated Winston Howes, 70, spent a week planting each oak sapling after his wife of 33 years Janet died suddenly 17 years ago. He laid out the fledgling trees in a six-acre field but left a perfect heart shape in the middle - with the point facing in the direction of her childhood home. The labour of love has now blossomed into a mature meadow - a peaceful oasis where Winston can sit and remember his wife of 33 years. His meadow cannot be seen from the road and has remained a family secret until a hot air balloonist took this photograph from the air. So sad and yet so beautiful at the same time! *sniff*

    A devoted farmer created this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife - by planting thousands of oak trees.

    Dedicated Winston Howes, 70, spent a week planting each oak sapling after his wife of 33 years Janet died suddenly 17 years ago.

    He laid out the fledgling trees in a six-acre field but left a perfect heart shape in the middle - with the point facing in the direction of her childhood home.

    The labour of love has now blossomed into a mature meadow - a peaceful oasis where Winston can sit and remember his wife of 33 years.

    His meadow cannot be seen from the road and has remained a family secret until a hot air balloonist took this photograph from the air.

    So sad and yet so beautiful at the same time! *sniff*