The recent events in Japan have had me following the news closely, with both awe and sadness. The huge earthquake and tsunami absolutely wreaked havoc on the coast and left nothing but devastation. And the death toll continues to rise. It saddens me to think in these terms, but it's also an interesting comparison: given the reading we did early in class on the earthquake in Bam, will we see similarities in changes of burial patterns/styles in Japan after this disaster?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm
I was unable to put a direct copy of the images into my blog, but the link above goes to a page that shows "before and after" aerial shots in various locations. It seems impossible that anyone could have survived, and it is a miracle and blessing that so many did. Among the wreckage, though, it is inevitable that many were lost. The upheaval (not just physical, but economic, social, political etc.) caused by this earthquake has likely created a situation where there are many people to be buried, with little space, time, or money to do so. This is where I see the parallels to the earthquake in Bam. There, burial patterns changed in response to these upheavals, and the survivors found new and creative ways to honour and respect the dead. I am not familiar with current burial styles in Japan, but I imagine they will be changing, and that these changes will be visible in the archaeological record. It may include changes in burial placements, kinship arrangements, or style/type of tombstone.
I hope that this blog is not too soon, and that no one is offended by my analysis of the recently deceased. I have kept it short to be respectful, and only propose the idea as something to keep an eye out for from an archaeological perspective.
Garazhian O., Papoli Yazdi, L. (2008) Mortuary practices in Bam after the earthquake: An ethnoarchaeological study. Journal of Social Archaeology, 8 (1), pp. 94-112
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