The Remains of the Day

Episode 1 - This isn't a Viva. Don't @ Me.

Welcome to The Remains of the Day, where Sarah and Matt (the 'Almost Doctors of Death') intellectually offload their knowledge onto the unsuspecting public.  Have you ever wondered how humans across the world deal with death? Or what we can learn from the bodies of the dead? Or if we can even comprehend our own non-existence?  You're not alone, and wow is this the podcast for you.  In episode one, we dive right in. You'll learn about cremated bones, incredible death rituals, the Guatemalan and Cambodian genocides, and some of the realities of doing academic research on death.     Considering this (and some mildly spicy language) we do not recommend this podcast for young listeners. And while we will always endeavor to give you the best academic insights we can, our opinions are our own and may not reflect the opinions of the institutions we're affiliated with!  On with the show! 0:00 - Sarah and Matt sit down together for the first time to discuss their research on death and the experiences that compelled them to do this work. Sarah talks forensic identifications after disaster and violence, and Matt talks religious functionality in death rituals.  24:50 - (Sarah) The Guatemalan Civil War, Maya Genocide, and Scientific Shortcomings in Forensic Anthropology  52:30 - (Matt) The Cambodian Genocide, Karma, and Visiting the Killing Fields  Boney Fun Facts 1. Cremated remains = Cremains 2. Cremains are often ground to create the fine ash of contemporary expectations  3. Burned bones turn different colors depending on heat. Brown/Red/Black = Carbonized, Blue/Grey/White = Calcined Religiony Fun Facts 1. Bahá'ís cannot transport a dead body more than an hour from the place of death 2. Zoroastrians sometimes electrocute remains to reduce them to ash  3. In Judaism, the dead body must be kept company at all times by a watcher ('shomer'), and ritually washed ('taharah')  Further Reading 1. Civic engagement in extreme times: The remaking of justice among Guatemala’s ‘postwar’ generation (M.J. Bellino) 2. Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala (D.M. Nelson) 3. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/modern-day-maya/ 4. A Cambodian Prison Portrait (V. Nath) 5. A Dragon Apparent (N. Lewis) Watch this space for Episode 2, where Sarah and Matt discuss the Zoroastrian concept of death pollution, and the archaeological analysis of death rituals. (We pinky-promise to have our technical issues fixed by then!)