The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange:
Animal & Human Deviant Burials and their Cultural Contexts

Symposium #1: Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology - 2013
Symposium #2: European Archaeological Association - 2014

Building upon recent research investigating the significance of “deviant” or “non-normative” human burials within archaeological contexts, we propose a session:

- to examine a range of deviant burials, now including the often unregarded extraordinary animal burials found in ritualistic and magic practices;

- and more importantly, to explore the cultural contexts of such treatment, as well as the various challenges that the archaeologist faces, from discovery to publication.

Deviant burials provide an opportunity to gain invaluable insight to cultural constructions of outsiders, non-conformers, or “others” of different kinds. Sometimes, based on religious beliefs or other social factors, individuals who were viewed in life as extraordinary, separate from or outside of the social group were given unique burials, reflecting the otherness or special status of the deceased.  These burials are identified in the archaeological record by evidence of different or unusual burial rites to those common in the given social group, segregated inhumations/cremations, unexpected burial accompaniments, or alterations to the corpse. Evidence of deviant burials has been documented in a variety of geographic locations and temporal periods, which will be reflected in this session.

In order to include as many researchers as possible from a wide geographic area, we have decided to organize two symposia for two different conferences – one in North America and one in Europe.

Symposium #1: Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology (CAPA)
http://capa.fenali.net/
Conference dates and location: October 17-20, 2013 in Scarborough, Canada.
Symposium abstract submission: 31 May 2013
Individual abstract submission: Date TBD (expected: September 2013)

Symposium #2: European Archaeological Association (EAA)
http://www.e-a-a.org/
Conference dates and location: September 8-13, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Symposium abstract submission: November 2013
Individual abstract submission: March 2014

Please email your interest in participating, a title and an abstract by MAY 15, 2013. Indicate the symposium (or both!) in which you would like to participate.

Contacts: Amy Scott (amybscott[ at] gmail.com), Dr. Tracy Betsinger (tracy.betsinger [at] oneonta.edu), Dr. Anastasia Tsaliki (anats2004 [at] yahoo.com )