Letting Go of Preconceived Notions...

First homosexual caveman found - The Telegraph

The oldest gay in the village: 5,000-year-old is 'outed' by the way he was buried - Mail Online

Has the first gay caveman been unearthed? - The Globe and Mail


Really? I mean... really??

I had three reactions when I first heard about this in class: 1) is this serious? 2) where's the evidence? and 3) where does sexual orientation come into this? It wasn't until later that these wild claims were 'toned down' in:

'Gay Caveman' Story Overblown, Archaeologists Say - Live Science

and

Gay caveman probably not gay or a caveman - National Post

The implications of these labels are ridiculous, but I have to hand it to the media, at the very least it seems to have generated a public interest in archaeological discovery - which is often difficult to accomplish. However, I believe interest can be generated in more appropriate ways, and be more accurate as to the facts.

The discovery was of a male skeleton buried in a traditionally female position (on his left side with his head facing west (the Globe and Mail appears to have made a mistake and says East... )). The grave goods were not gender-specific, although there appears to be differing reports of different grave goods in each article...

This issue, for me, brings up the importance of differentiating between sex, gender, and sexual orientation. Sex is biologically determined, gender is a cultural construct, and sexual orientation is the individual practice of sexuality. To understand the grave of this coined 'gay caveman' we have to realize that first of all, determining the sex of a skeleton is by no means exact and open to subjective interpretation. Gender is dictated by culture, and thus, portrayed differently across cultures - what we understand to be culturally male and culturally female is by no means the same as what was thought in 2,500 BC and we should not use our own preconceived notions to determine the gender of ancient remains. Finally, sexual orientation is personal to the individual and may or may not be openly expressed or accepted in the individual's culture, let alone revealed in the archaeological record.

In conclusion, I believe its important to separate ourselves from our ideas of gender. The 'gay caveman' is not a caveman, and there is no direct evidence to conclusively state that he was gay. There are many other explanations to account for the irregularities of this particular burial including: he was of a 3rd gender, those that buried him had different reasons for altering the way he was buried, or maybe the initial interpretation of the skeleton as male was incorrect. I hope that one day we can disassociate from our own cultural understanding of sex, gender, and sexual orientation and view ancient burials in their own cultural context.

The Final Choice

The topic of one's own death is unsettling to say the least, yet it's interesting to consider. When the question was first posed as a topic, I admit I was at a loss as to an answer. What do I want done with my body after I'm gone? I tried to break it down into three factors: what will be done with my body, what type of funeral, and what kind of grave marker?

It would be great if I could donate my organs to those in medical need, yet preferably I'll live a very long life which would mean my organs may not be in the best condition for such a thing. So in that case, how about donating my body for science? (Insert 'For Science' meme here.)

Upon completing the required paperwork, you can agree to a full body donation, or a partial one, but not both. You can also specifically donate your brain to facilities that study mental health. There is a nice little article that describes the medical uses of donating ones body found here, it's not the most scientific but it's an easy read and gives a general overview. However, you can also donate your body to other scientific purposes, such as Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds. I personally would prefer to donate my body specifically for education in medical training. For reasons that I find hard to explain, I would not wish to have my body 'posed' for public display. I recognize the educational value, but I still find it rather impersonal and I still would like to be considered a person instead of a 'specimen'.

So what then are my other options? How about a traditional Western burial, one of the most, if not the most common practice: interment. There is something very connected about burial within a cemetery, especially when you know that you will be surrounded by your closest family. Then again, I find being dolled up, placed in a sealed coffin, then placed into the ground a bit... unnatural. Ideally, I would like to be placed in the ground without a coffin, however to human body is too toxic for this to be possible. To make up for this there is a relatively recent practice that is rising in popularity: green burials. The effort of simplifying the burial procedure to better the environment, however, is ironically rather complex.

Overall, I'm drawn to cremation, and to have my ashes cast out into the ocean. For those that know me, I have somewhat of an obsession with ships, nautical gadgets, and the feeling of being surrounded by ocean on all sides. What could be more perfect than finally becoming one with the sea? The drawback in this, for me, would be that no physical trace of my remains would be left with my family. Would it be possible to spread some of my ashes in the ocean, and bury the rest next to my family in a quiet cemetery with a little plaque?

Such a decision about what I should do with my body, I feel should not be made quickly. The choice will affect how you are remembered and seen by family and strangers. My preference right now will not necessarily be the same as in the future when I have graduated and have a job and family of my own. So the answer to my 'final choice' would be: 'Has yet to be determined.'