Identity Unearthed

Identity Unearthed * Alexis Johnson B.A. Candidate, Department of Anthropology, California State University Stanislaus, 1 University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382 Received 18 April, 2018; accepted 15 May 2018 Abstract Archaeologists are tasked with understanding the past through its material remains. This includes reconstructing the identities and life histories of the site’s occupants as, individual people and a collective group. This article addresses how archaeologists and anthropologists use cultural artifacts, burial locations, and identifying features on human remains to examine and assign identities. Three case studies help to elucidate the formation of individual and collective identities in the traditional archaeological sense. National identity will be explored with a modern case of Romania utilizing place myths and pseudoscientific data to push for a national identity. A case of a Viking burial in Iceland will illustrate how grave locations and context allows archeologist derive local identity. While the famous case of King Richard III allows for the explanation of individualization as obtained in an anthropological aspect. This paper is meant to highlight the complexity of identity studies and the need for archaeologists to be more involved in in the application and representation of their findings. Keywords: Dracula, national identity, Romamia, Vlad Tepes, place myth Introduction special rituals that take place, while a national identity is credited to all polities that are controlled by a single Anthropology is the study of human beings both ruling person or group. Lastly, an individual’s identity past and present to understand the evolution of our can be marked by their profession, ideology, daily existence through spatial orientation, culture, language, activities, the sort of health they are in, and a multitude and origin. Anthropologists require the use of of factors that differs from person to person. archaeology and cultural research to expand our A national identity is an image that is attributed to knowledge of groups of different customs and heritages. every inhabitant by people living outside of that group Archaeologists look at the spatial orientations of despite the regional variances. This outside perception buildings to understand group formations. Researchers could be facilitated by the national leaders through have found that the level of leadership established at any policies and international relations. A consequence of location has often been correlated in the orientation of an expansive identity is the lack of diversity and the groups’ buildings. Nomadic hunter and gatherers authenticity. Local identity tends to be related to goods tended to have housing that was not permanent, often and services that produce significant economic gains. consisting of a few post-and-thatch conical style houses. For instance, California is known for Silicon Valley, While we see those of more industrialized settlements, wine, nuts, and Hollywood yet none of these consisting of states and chiefdoms, with clear leadership, classifications grasp the full extent of individual identity. have permanent dwellings with patios, multiple terraces, In non-literate past cultures, individuality can be individual rooms, specialized rooms for different tasks, explored archaeologically with physical remains usually sometimes burial locations, and the tale tell sign of involving their grave goods and through determining system of leadership are the presence of monuments. how healthy the person was during life. Harris lines are Spatial building layouts can give a general idea of marks of growth arrest striated on bones, where the bone how many people could have been living there and what stops growing for a period of time, indicating activities were taking place. Local identity is based on malnutrition or extreme sickness stunting growth, what is attributed to the general area, such an example similar lines can be examined on teeth. What a person is would be pottery styles that reflect the areas which they buried with can discern religious affiliation, status, are from. An area could be known for producing a reputation, and a slew of other features. certain shaped bowl, a specific pigment of paint, or This is how archaeologists and biological quality of clay. A local identity can be linked to a anthropologists arrive at the different classifications of changing of ideology over time with origin myths and identity in past societies. To further expand on this point * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] I will focus on three case studies, each of which tackles place where Egil was buried before being removed and a different area of identity. For an idea of local identity buried at a new church built at Mosfell. In trying to find the “Axed Man of Iceland” will be examined, while for evidence of this reburial, the researchers turned to an individual assessment the notorious King Richard III another oral tradition, which suggested that a small will be an excellent assemblage of biological knoll behind a horse barn in the region was known as anthropology, lastly a relatively new concept of national “Church Knoll”. This is a shocking find because there identity and the culmination of modern nation building wasn’t evidence of any architecture detected below the will explore the myths, legends, and distortion of “Vlad surface when using modern technology such as a Tepes Draculea.” All are intended to address the magnetometer to look below the ground surface. The complications of identity and how its study can tend to researchers found the structure only after hearing the get away from anthropologists and used not for the oral tradition by chance and following through with the benefit of history or accuracy but rather for monetary search. After digging, the site was found to have and prestigious gains. Archaeologists should have more evidence of domestic activities, graves, and building control of their intellectual discoveries and how these structures proven to be the remnants of the Hrisbru are portrayed to the world; all anthropologists and church. Investigators found the remains of the Axed historians should work together to insure that groups Man and, as the following discussion details, through a and historic figures are depected accurately and not rigorous process of identification, the archaeologists exploited. Thus, this paper is addressing and outlining were able to make attributions of race, religion, sex, and both the difference and the problems faced when migration patterns to the interred individual to better attributing identity. understand such relationships in the area. Sagas were used to aid in the discovery of a Local identity homicide victim in Iceland dating back the age of Vikings, 800-1066 AD. The main feat was determining To obtain local identity anthropologists use where this person came from in order to attribute an multiple clues left behind in the soil from earlier identity and understand what lives were like at this civilizations to try and gain a deeper understanding. location. This can be done with the examination of the Major clues include: grave location, buried artifacts and grave layout and any grave goods. To begin our goods, as well as skeletal remains. Each of these are assessment we should identify if the victim is in fact a vital in accessing identity and all will be examined in Viking or some other descendant. In Iceland, the case of the “Axed Man” of Iceland, named for the Christianity was not adopted into law until 1000 A.D. means of his death, an axe blow to the head. However, Previous to this time, Iceland’s Vikings practiced before there are any remains to unearth there is first a paganism. The first settlers would have been practicing story—oral traditions, sagas, or supposed “eye witness paganism and slowly converting to Christianity as they statements” that archaeologists follow as potential leads settled into Iceland. Thus, we need to know if he is one in investigating a site. In most cases they already have of the first Vikings coming in or a part of the second an idea that there is something within the vicinity generation born in the area. The archaeologists because archaeologists conduct their work in areas with eventually came to assign his religious affiliation as enough evidence to suggest that ancient civilizations Christian and, because of this, he was determined not to lived in the area, or where they know battles are be a part of the first wave of Vikings, but rather a documented as having taken place. Such is the case with member of the first generation to be born there after Viking occupied Iceland. By knowing the historical settlement. In this area, pagan graves are recognized by occupation there is likely a chance of finding remains of extensive grave goods, including sacrificed animals, these groups. buried with them and these were not present in the Axed To identify structures archaeologists look for traces Man’s grave. The only grave goods were a bit of organic on the landscape, including mounds or small hills that material, likely leather, and a Viking age pin used like a may contain a building covered up over the years with broach to keep their cloaks back while fighting. In soil and debris. In other cases the mission is to find a addition, the remains were orientated with the feet specific burial such as the case with Tutankhamen or facing to the east, towards Jerusalem, which is common K’inich Yax K’uk’ Mo’ or any great ruler. When there in Christian burials. Furthermore, he was buried near the may be an indication of a grave location in written church’s chancel, which is an indication that, not only records, that is combined with oral histories and stories was he Christian, he was also viewed as being an to guide excavation. important pious person of high rank within the church In the case of the Axed Man, investigators were hierarchy. Taking into consideration all this evidence, looking for Egil Skallagrimsson, but produced another the role stories play in tracking down archaeological puzzle that will help us explore identity.

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