Transforming the dead : culturally modified bone in the prehistoric Midwest /
Transforming the Dead, is a collection of essays that examines culturally modified human bones and their roles as 'cultural and ritual objects' among prehistoric Eastern Woodland cultures. Previous scholarship has explored the role of human body parts in Native American cultures as trophie...
| Other Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Tuscaloosa :
University Alabama Press,
[2015]
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Transforming the Dead, is a collection of essays that examines culturally modified human bones and their roles as 'cultural and ritual objects' among prehistoric Eastern Woodland cultures. Previous scholarship has explored the role of human body parts in Native American cultures as trophies of war and revered ancestors. This collection discusses new evidence that human elements were also important components of daily and ritual activities across the Eastern Woodlands. The contributors to this volume discuss each case study within the unique regional and temporal contexts of the material, rather than seeking universal answers to how these objects were used. Most research addressing modified human bone has focused on cut marks and trauma associated with warfare, trophy taking and burial practices. The editors and contributors of Transforming the Dead document the varied and often overlooked ways that human bone was intentionally modified through drilling, incising, cutting and polishing for utilitarian, ornamental, spiritual or ritual use. Examples include bracelets and gorgets to be worn, as well as musical rasps, pipe stems, masks and protective talismans. The form and function of these objects are not unusual, but their construction from the remains of 'another' sets them apart. Through a flexible but systematic analysis of the archaeological record, the contributors bring into focus how the careful selection, modification and retention of particular bones or body parts of an individual after death offer insights into concepts of personhood, the body, life and death among the prehistoric Native Americans in the Midwest. |
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| Physical Description: | 369 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages [287]-353) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780817318611 0817318615 |