1/22/15“You Can Take it With You” – Dead Pits at UrI. Victor Turner – British Anthropologistsa. Did studies on symbolism of the liminalb. Cross cultural death symbolismc. Main Pointsi. Journey (often across water)ii. Sex – gives creation to life, while death ends lifeiii. Death is Rebirth – reborn into the next world1. Womb  Tomb  Womb2. Fetal Position – when knees are brought up with when buried so they can be rebornII. Woolleya. Reconstruct funerals based on Woolley’s reportb. What would an arch today do differently?c. What insights gain from Hertz, van Gennep, Turner?III. Dead Pits at Ura. Sumerian Civilizationi. 1st cities: Produced earliest cities and urban life1. Uruk, Ur, Nippur…ii. Zigguratsiii. 1st writing called cuneiform: symbols recorded and dried very durable on a soft clay with a reed peniv. 1st literature: Epic of Gilgamesh – first comprehensive systemb. Woolleyi. Trying to find a wall of a city but came across death pitsii. 16 royal tombs (2700-2350 BC) – Early Dynastic III Periodc. Reconstructing of a Royal Funerali. 1st Phase: Construction of tomb1. Digging of burial pit (lot of labor)2. Build a tomb chamber3. Fill tomb chamber (principal body on coffin and added grave goods)4. Tomb chamber grave goods – costly gold, boat models, human sacrifices, 3-5 individualsa. “Closest personal attendants…are part of tomb furniture”5. Tomb sealed upii. 2nd Phase: Procession of People into pit1. Members of court, soldiers, servants, musicians, ox drawn chariots2. Bringing in grave goods: chariots or carts, wooden chests, cauldrons, vessels weapons3. Ceremony: music, feast (knives, sheep carcasses, cups)4. Human Sacrifices: Wouldn’t leave the party…they woulddie by:a. Sharp instrument driven in skullb. Strangledc. Poisond. Animals killed, bodies arranged very carefully (6 soldiers, 4 harpists, 64 women)5. Filling in of pits beginsiii. 3rd Phase: “Refilling of tomb a long-drawn ceremony involving1. When pit partially filled in:a. Fires litb. Feastsc. “Liberations” to dead down a draind. Offerings2. Another chamber made after first is no longer visiblea. This one wouldn’t have a body in it but used for ceremonial reasons a few months afterb. Additional offerings and more sacrificesiv. 4th Phase: Shrine built Over Tomb1. Evolve (over 500 years) into temples2. Dedicated to deceased royalty?d. Death Pitsi. Lots of gold headwear, jewelry, tweezers, cosmetic cases, her attendantii. Queen Puabi buried with gold head toppers and jewelryiii. Cylinder seals were only with those of importanceiv. Beaded jewelry highly valued back then (big sign of