Online Zoom Forum: Cemeteries: Spiritual, Therapeutic, Social, and Cultural Perspectives.
Date: Wednesday 30 October 2024.
Time: 7pm-9pm (UK time).
Event Description:
Format: There will be five talks, each of 12 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion among the speakers and the chair, followed by Q & A.
Chair:
Dr Johanna Adolfsson:
Bio: Johanna Adolfsson is a researcher and writer based in Stockholm, Sweden. She has a doctoral degree in geography with special emphasis on human geography from the Department of Human Geography at Stockholm University. She teaches courses in urban planning to Bachelor's and Advanced level students at Örebro University and Linköping University and advanced level courses in human geography at Stockholm University. Themes of courses include landscape geography, political ecology and qualitative methodology. In her research, Johanna has worked ethnographically with internal settlement in south Israel where she has focused her attention to the Bedouin sheep and goat grazing that has been directed to forests planted by the Jewish National Fund. Her interest in the political aspects of nature management has recently expanded to include ongoing changes to Swedish cemetery landscapes. In a recently finished research project, Johanna began exploring the trend of multi-functionality in urban cemeteries and in particular the entanglements of recreation, biodiversity and Muslim burial. She will continue this work in a two-year research project that will look into the response from the Church of Sweden to some of the religious requests from Muslim groups. The project begins in January 2025.
Speakers:
Mgr. Jitka Cirklová, M.A., Ph.D.:
Title: Nature, Spirituality, and Identity in Contemporary Cemetery Design: New Approaches to Memory and Commemoration.
Description: This talk explores contemporary shifts in cemetery design, with a focus on the integration of nature, spirituality, and national identity. I will present examples from the Prírodní hrbitov (Natural Cemetery) in Dáblice and innovative student projects proposing a new concept for the Slavín National Mausoleum in Prague.
Slavín, located at the historic Vyšehrad Cemetery, is a national monument where prominent Czech figures are buried. It holds great significance as a symbol of Czech identity, intertwining architecture, collective memory, and national pride. My architecture students, through courses in Sociology and Aesthetics, have developed new designs for Slavín that integrate modern concerns such as sustainability, deep ecology, and humanity’s relationship with nature.
These student projects reflect a new approach to identity, where local traditions and historical memory interact with global ecological and cultural issues. The Prírodní hrbitov in Dáblice, for instance, offers a natural, holistic approach to burial, aligning with contemporary ecological and spiritual values. My talk will explore how cemeteries can become spaces for reflection, healing, and a deeper connection with nature’s cycles, while addressing both national and global concerns.
Bio: Jitka Cirklová is a member of the Department of Social Sciences at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Charles University in Prague and completed her Master's degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She teaches courses in sociology and aesthetics, methods of sociological research, and sociology of public space for both undergraduate and graduate students. She is also actively involved in teaching the Propedeutics course for doctoral students. Her research focuses on the sociology of culture, identity, and the transformation of lifestyles and intergenerational shifts in value models. She examines the transformation of value models influenced by sustainability and the formation of identity in contemporary society. She is interested in the theoretical, methodological, and empirical aspects of qualitative research, with an emphasis on the use of participatory approaches, the integration of art-based research methods to enhance content, and narrative and visual analysis through innovative methodologies such as photo-elicitation and netnography.
Professor Harold Mytum:
Title: English Churchyards: From Landscapes of Memory to Landscapes of Meaning and Reflection.
Description: This talk explores how the cultural uses and values of English graveyards have changed over time, from one where memory was dominant to contemporary meanings of graveyard landscapes and the place of reflection and understanding, whether in rural contexts or as ‘green lungs’ in urban space. A case study of the ongoing reinstatement of Castle Street burial ground, Hull, is used to illustrate how the Diocese of York is ensuring the process retains an element of the sacred within this reformulated space.
Bio: Professor Harold Mytum BA, MA, D.Phil, FSA, is Professor of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, School of Histories, Languages and Cultures, University of Liverpool, UK. Amongst his diverse research interests are the material culture, attitudes and practices associated with death, burial and commemoration since the Reformation. He is particularly interested in burial ground memorials and the non-textual information they contain. He has been running projects recording, managing and interpreting these monuments for several decades. Numerous projects involving students and community groups have been conducted in England, Isle of Man and Ireland, with his research also including locations in North America, Gibraltar and Australia. He has developed the standard archaeological recording methodology for burial monuments and has given numerous research papers at international conferences,and talks to community groups and events organised by Caring for God’s Acre. He has published widely (see https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/harold-mytum/publications#tabbed-content ), including Recording and Analysing Graveyards. Council for British Archaeology Handbook 15, 2000; Mortuary Monuments and Burial Grounds of the Historic Period, Springer, 2004; The rise of popular churchyard commemoration: Kirkdale and Ryedale in their national and international contexts Kirkdale lecture monograph, 2023.
Fatıma İkbal Polat:
Title: The Cypress Tree as a Spiritual Symbol and Grave Marker in Istanbul’s Cemeteries.
Description: The cypress tree has long held spiritual and cultural significance in Istanbul, particularly within the city’s cemeteries. While the Byzantines included cypress trees in their burial sites, it was under Ottoman rule that the tree evolved into a powerful visual and symbolic marker of death. Known for its practical attributes in graveyards, the cypress also became a key element in shaping the city’s skyline, standing tall alongside minarets and domes. Though it never physically marked individual graves, the cypress became the primary visual cue for cemetery locations in maps and artistic representations of Istanbul.
This presentation will explore the cypress tree’s role as a spiritual symbol and its emergence as a visual grave marker. By examining early city views, travelogues, photographs, and artistic works from the 15th to the early 20th centuries, I will discuss how the cypress’s vertical form mirrored both human figures and architectural elements, reinforcing its place in Ottoman death culture. The talk will ultimately argue that the cypress tree was not merely a symbolic element, but an intentional visual feature within the urban fabric, heightening the visibility of cemeteries and their connection to the spiritual landscape of Istanbul.
Bio: F. İkbal Polat is an architect and emerging architectural historian. She graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2018, with a semester spent at La Sapienza University in Rome. After conducting independent research at AURA Istanbul and practicing as an architect, she earned her master’s degree in Architectural History from METU. Her thesis, “Death on the Margin: An Urban History of Istanbul’s Land Walls Cemeteries,” investigated the city’s extramural cemeteries in the longue durée across the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. at METU, participating in a DAAD-funded research project led by Goethe University, and works as a Research/Teaching Assistant at Gebze Technical University. She is also a member of the organizing team for DocTalks. İkbal has presented her research internationally at conferences in Türkiye, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA, including Cemeteries Research Group at University of York, and receiving recognition with awards such as the Stockton Award from the Association for Gravestone Studies and the Scott F. Opler Fellowship from the Society of Architectural Historians for the SAH 2024 conference. Her current research focuses on the urban planning history of Ottoman cemeteries, with the aim of situating them within the broader framework of Ottoman urbanism.
Dr Myra Giesen:
Title: Worldviews of the Dead: Navigating Cultural Beliefs and Legal Frameworks.
Description: Different cultures have unique views on protecting graves and caring for the dead, shaped by beliefs about death, the afterlife, and how human remains should be treated. Some cultures regard burial sites as sacred due to spiritual beliefs, while others focus on their historical significance. In some traditions, the connection between the body and spirit is key to understanding how burial sites are handled. Laws protecting these sites also differ worldwide. In the U.S., the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) ensures that ancestral remains are protected, and descendants are consulted before any disturbance of their final resting place. Other countries have local or international regulations for preserving cemeteries. Additionally, practices of memorialisation play a crucial role in honouring the deceased and shaping collective memory within communities. This talk will examine some of these varied beliefs, laws, and practices to explore how they influence the ethical care of burial spaces. Time permitting, the speaker will also share how these ideas have shaped her work on the Ballast Hills Burial Ground project in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Bio: Myra is an anthropologist with experience in NAGPRA compliance for the U.S. government between 1993 and 2006, during which she developed expertise in the legal and ethical aspects of grave protection and collection management. Since moving to the UK in 2006, she edited the book Curating Human Remains: Caring for the Dead in the United Kingdom and authored the definition for "human remains" in the International Council of Museums’ Dictionary of Museology. These contributions reflect her commitment to advancing understanding and advocating for ethical standards in the treatment of human remains across cultural contexts. She has taught courses in human osteology, mortuary archaeology, and heritage management at Newcastle University. Recently, she launched a scoping project at Ballast Hills Burial Ground, a little-known and poorly understood burial site with over 40,000 burials. The project seeks to explore the site's history, significance, and archives, while giving voice to those buried or memorialised there, and engaging a wide range of stakeholders.
Dr Alison McCall:
Title: The Dichotomy of Memorials: Status, Spirituality and Superior Virtues.
Description: Gravestones and memorials are often a visible signifier of wordly status. This is demonstrated by the size of the memorial, the costliness of its material, such as marble or polished granite, and by ostentatious carving. By contrast the words used to describe the deceased generally focus on intangible virtues and signifiers of spirituality. This talk will explore this dichotomy, focusing on gravestones and memorials of Scottish women.
Bio: Dr Alison McCall is an Independent Researcher with a particular interest in Women in Victorian Scotland. She is a former Chair of Women’s History Scotland and an admin in the Mapping Memorials to Women project https://womenofscotland.org.uk/memorials
An archive recording will be made for the EICSP archive.
NB: There will be no refund if you cancel your booking.
Cost: By Donation:
Contact: Neill Walker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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