The last taboo?

So: Is it okay to put human remains on display in a museum? Based on the number of mummies, skeletons, and burial artifacts we've seen on display, the answer among most curators seems to be a definitive yes. I'm not sure if this is even a debate in the museum community. Museologists – comments?

Surely there are many good and pragmatic reasons for studying remains, even displaying them for the public to see. But does that mean that we should do it? I've only recently started thinking about this, but I have doubts.

There are all kinds of taboos surrounding death, particularly in my own culture, so maybe this is just another and I am desperately clinging to it. But still I can't help thinking that's just the point. Especially among ancient cultures, we can't know what taboos existed, what the wishes of the deceased might have been, what beliefs they may have had. Who are we to trample over these things?

Some suggest that the scientific value of studying and displaying cultural remains is so great that when there is no one left to advocate on behalf of them, to represent their wishes, religious beliefs, etc., that we have the right, maybe even the responsibility, to study and understand them, then communicate findings and make the artifacts accessible to the public. Though I clearly see the point, the utter pragmatism of this argument disturbs me.

Such arguments are easily made about remote ancient peoples – but what about the recently dead cultures and people who have no advocates because they have been oppressed and overpowered? Who gives voice to the conquered? Have we come to a consensus that they deserve nothing? Or that our scientific need trumps any sort of individual wish? I'm not sure we've stopped to consider it.

The Body Worlds exhibit is a perfect case in point. Does it matter if the consent given by the subjects was highly questionable? Do these people stop having rights when their bodies die? If one were someone I loved, I would think these things would matter a great deal to me, as it would likely to most of us. So why is our concern not generalized? Maybe death is just not very real unless it is close to us.

Or maybe I am just simple and sentimental and have been in too many museums lately.

Virtual postcard

In case you are not getting a real postcard from me from our trip (hint: most of you), here is a virtual one (photo compliments of the Library of Congress), likely more interesting than anything I would jot out to you in a tired vacation haze anyway (read: if you do get a postcard, please remember it is the thought not the content that counts). 

Interestingly, this early 20th century photo of Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia in English) is labeled the "Mosque of St. Sophia." This strikes me as a clever way for the probably Western person who labeled it to remind everyone that this mosque used to be a basilica, but I could be wrong. St. Sophia is actually an abbreviation of the Latin version, Sancta Sophia, of the original Greek name (meaning Holy Wisdom). So the name still worked when it became a mosque. 

Most of the church/mosque combo buildings that I have seen are in Spain, churches built on Moorish foundations after the Reconquista. These buildings (such as the Mezquita in Córdoba) always left me feeling vaguely sad and, the good condition of Moorish forms notwithstanding, like something important had been lost in a probably violent way. Its antipode in Istanbul, Ayasofya, on the other hand, left me with no such feeling – a testament to my Western/Christian guilt, I suppose. 

Not long after this picture was taken, Ayasofya was converted into a museum. I suppose one of the reasons for this was to uncover many of the Byzantine mosaics from the basilica. The most famous of these is the Deesis (a mosaic of Christ which for some reason I had always thought was Justinian - ??). Uncovering them is apparently tricky work, sometimes requiring them to destroy paintings that were added when it became a mosque. (Some variant of the robbing Peter to pay Paul joke seems appropriate here but I can't think of one that isn't possibly offensive, so insert one of your own (that doesn't offend you).) There may be a huge mosaic remaining under the dome, but uncovering it would involve more destruction. Certainly there were and are many delicate decisions to be made.

Small grace, I suppose, that such terrible conflicts leave in their wake such diverse and fascinating cultural artifacts. To me, there is nothing more interesting than discovering signs of some extinct or dying culture hiding out under or even integrated into the dominant one; some of the most troubled places are the most interesting. But all this really doesn't make it less sad that in the end, one side usually loses almost everything. 

Missing you all more than ever! 

[Sigh]

Our last remaining wild oats heartily having been sown, we have returned to the wonderfully efficient, arid, nearly-queue-proficient and quiet alpine lands that these days we call home. We are not as tired as we thought we might be. But it is time for a reflective rest to contemplate the vast quantity of information and experiences we have collected. Most things seem to make more sense at home – something for which I know I shall be grateful these days.

So: oat-sowing photos (with our new, not very impressive camera) and maybe even some contemplation in short order.

Have a nice sigh to yourself this Sunday; it's good for you.

Places untouched by Google

Just had the thought that we should find out where our hotel in Bucharest is before we jump on the train, but it appears that Google has not made it to Romania?

When we were looking for a guidebook the other day (our trusty Lonely Planet having been left on a train several countries ago) some Hungarian overheard us and said "Bucharest? Does anyone even go there?" Well, yes, trying to, at least.

Is Romania such a remote place? It didn't seem remote until we got within a country of it. Hopefully we find a serviceable map at some point or else we may have to throw ourselves at the mercy of a Bucuresti cab driver. Which may or may not be recommended by the guidebooks, we don't know.

king of pop everywhere

Swiss mr is asleep, in a deep, pierogi-induced stupor. I should maybe wake him up, as it's 8:30 pm, but since we can't seem to sleep enough these days I think i'm okay to sneak in a quick blogpost.
can I say how lucky we are to have added some MJ hits to our iPod before leavin for this trip? otherwise I'm not sure how we could pass this time of mourning appropriately. I'm sure cable news is doing a good job for everyone in the us but the BBC has stopped its 24 hour coverage. wait, did i say appropriately? anyway, we are so tempted to see if we can start a spontaneous group moonwalK or if that's only in paris. there were some heartfelt memorials at the us embassy in Moscow. interesting time to be away. I wonder what made us decide we needed billy jean with us on this trip?