Katherine Cook | University of Victoria BC (original) (raw)

Papers by Katherine Cook

Cambridge Journal of Archaeology, May 2015

To build a theoretical and empirical foundation for interpretation of the absence, segregation or... more To build a theoretical and empirical foundation for interpretation of the absence, segregation or simplicity of infant burials in archaeological contexts, we review social theories of emotion, inter-disciplinary views on the relationship between mortality rates and emotional investment, and archaeological interpretations of infant burial patterns. The results indicate a lack of explicit theory in most archaeological accounts and a general lack of consideration for individual variation and the process of change in mortuary practice. We outline the tenets of Bowlby's attachment theory and Stroebe and Schut's dual process model of bereavement to account theoretically for pattern, variation and change in modes of infant burial. We illustrate the value of this psychology-based perspective in an analysis of Victorian gravestone commemorations of infant burials in 35 villages in rural south Cambridgeshire, England, where individual and class-based variation, relative to falling mortality rates, is best explained as a function of coping strategies and contextually based social constraint on the overt representation of grief and loss.

SAA Archaeological Record, Sep 2014

This thesis explores the relationship between landscape and experience in understanding the histo... more This thesis explores the relationship between landscape and experience in understanding the historical trajectory of cemeteries, their ongoing role in living communities and their contribution to heritage and memory. It constructs a phenomenological history of Hamilton Cemetery, established in 1848 in Hamilton, Ontario, using a combination of material, archival and ethnographic research, in addition to visual media and statistical analyses. In tracing the physical transformations of this cemetery, as a result of fluctuating levels of maintenance, neglect and destruction, it is evident that cemeteries are implicated in the social processes constructing attitudes towards death, the dead, memory and the past.

This thesis will explore Hamilton Cemetery’s past to examine the role of commemorative activities, grave visitation, vandalism, recreational activities and heritage. The period from 1848-1950 was one of active use and maintenance of the cemetery landscape, with the frequency and recentness of burial dictating a high level of reverence and maintenance. Between 1950 and 1990, treatment of the cemetery is better characterized by the emergence of vandalism, limited use of the space, and increasing cumulative decay. Finally, from 1990 to the present there has been a resurgence of interest in the cemetery and a transition back into active management and maintenance recognizing its value to local heritage and ecology.

From their emergence as pragmatic, formalized social spaces constructed for the dead, to the saturation of the medium and a demographic shift resulting in neglect, to revitalization as a heritage-based collective past, cemeteries represent dynamic components of the landscape.

In Identity Crisis: Archaeological Perspectives on Social Identity, edited by Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, Nicole Engel and Sean Pickering, pp. 189-198. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Chacmool Archaeology Conference. Calgary, Alberta., 2011

Archaeologists have made significant advancements in recognizing transformations in identity thro... more Archaeologists have made significant advancements in recognizing transformations in identity through the material record of the past. However, there remains the assumption that once memorialized, material manifestations of identity are static, isolated and possess a singular, permanent meaning. Through the examination of one monument from Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, B.C., this paper argues that monuments exist within a temporal, spatial and social environment that literally and figuratively transforms the identity of the individual commemorated through an interactive, mutually constitutive relationship. Archival, ethnoarchaeological and material analyses are used to explore the significance of physical changes to the monument, its connections to the landscape and the interactions between people and object. In tracing these historical transformations of the monument, it is evident that identity is equally fluid in death as in life and that processes of identity construction and negotiation continue through the life of the headstone as it continues to bring about particular forms of interaction.

ArchNotes, 2012

In the face of chronic instability in economic, environmental and political climates, almost ever... more In the face of chronic instability in economic, environmental and political climates, almost every industry has had to reconsider its long-term sustainability. Massive reorganization, critical re-examination of value and viability, and the ability to predict and envision future avenues in a volatile world have become critical to survival. Archaeology has in no way been sheltered from these challenges. Major transformations in heritage legislation connected to urban development have in many ways provided a boom in demand. Nonetheless, practical, ethical and theoretical concerns continue to underline these questions of long-term viability and the quintessential issue of balancing economic, research, educational, and public heritage value of archaeology in Ontario. While the root of this issue is surprisingly simple – that is: what to do with all the collections recovered through archaeological survey and excavation – the solutions are complex, contentious and intensely challenging.

Unpublished report on file submitted to the Programs and Services Branch, Ministry of Culture, Toronto, ON., 2012

Unpublished report on file submitted to the Programs and Services Branch, Ministry of Culture, Toronto, ON., 2011

Media by Katherine Cook

The Monumental Archive Project will be a collaborative, interactive database platform focused on ... more The Monumental Archive Project will be a collaborative, interactive database platform focused on accessible, sustainable and creative engagement with the past. Development will focus on establishing a long-term database, user-friendly design, and a strong community of interest.

Talks by Katherine Cook

Cambridge Journal of Archaeology, May 2015

To build a theoretical and empirical foundation for interpretation of the absence, segregation or... more To build a theoretical and empirical foundation for interpretation of the absence, segregation or simplicity of infant burials in archaeological contexts, we review social theories of emotion, inter-disciplinary views on the relationship between mortality rates and emotional investment, and archaeological interpretations of infant burial patterns. The results indicate a lack of explicit theory in most archaeological accounts and a general lack of consideration for individual variation and the process of change in mortuary practice. We outline the tenets of Bowlby's attachment theory and Stroebe and Schut's dual process model of bereavement to account theoretically for pattern, variation and change in modes of infant burial. We illustrate the value of this psychology-based perspective in an analysis of Victorian gravestone commemorations of infant burials in 35 villages in rural south Cambridgeshire, England, where individual and class-based variation, relative to falling mortality rates, is best explained as a function of coping strategies and contextually based social constraint on the overt representation of grief and loss.

SAA Archaeological Record, Sep 2014

This thesis explores the relationship between landscape and experience in understanding the histo... more This thesis explores the relationship between landscape and experience in understanding the historical trajectory of cemeteries, their ongoing role in living communities and their contribution to heritage and memory. It constructs a phenomenological history of Hamilton Cemetery, established in 1848 in Hamilton, Ontario, using a combination of material, archival and ethnographic research, in addition to visual media and statistical analyses. In tracing the physical transformations of this cemetery, as a result of fluctuating levels of maintenance, neglect and destruction, it is evident that cemeteries are implicated in the social processes constructing attitudes towards death, the dead, memory and the past.

This thesis will explore Hamilton Cemetery’s past to examine the role of commemorative activities, grave visitation, vandalism, recreational activities and heritage. The period from 1848-1950 was one of active use and maintenance of the cemetery landscape, with the frequency and recentness of burial dictating a high level of reverence and maintenance. Between 1950 and 1990, treatment of the cemetery is better characterized by the emergence of vandalism, limited use of the space, and increasing cumulative decay. Finally, from 1990 to the present there has been a resurgence of interest in the cemetery and a transition back into active management and maintenance recognizing its value to local heritage and ecology.

From their emergence as pragmatic, formalized social spaces constructed for the dead, to the saturation of the medium and a demographic shift resulting in neglect, to revitalization as a heritage-based collective past, cemeteries represent dynamic components of the landscape.

In Identity Crisis: Archaeological Perspectives on Social Identity, edited by Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, Nicole Engel and Sean Pickering, pp. 189-198. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Chacmool Archaeology Conference. Calgary, Alberta., 2011

Archaeologists have made significant advancements in recognizing transformations in identity thro... more Archaeologists have made significant advancements in recognizing transformations in identity through the material record of the past. However, there remains the assumption that once memorialized, material manifestations of identity are static, isolated and possess a singular, permanent meaning. Through the examination of one monument from Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, B.C., this paper argues that monuments exist within a temporal, spatial and social environment that literally and figuratively transforms the identity of the individual commemorated through an interactive, mutually constitutive relationship. Archival, ethnoarchaeological and material analyses are used to explore the significance of physical changes to the monument, its connections to the landscape and the interactions between people and object. In tracing these historical transformations of the monument, it is evident that identity is equally fluid in death as in life and that processes of identity construction and negotiation continue through the life of the headstone as it continues to bring about particular forms of interaction.

ArchNotes, 2012

In the face of chronic instability in economic, environmental and political climates, almost ever... more In the face of chronic instability in economic, environmental and political climates, almost every industry has had to reconsider its long-term sustainability. Massive reorganization, critical re-examination of value and viability, and the ability to predict and envision future avenues in a volatile world have become critical to survival. Archaeology has in no way been sheltered from these challenges. Major transformations in heritage legislation connected to urban development have in many ways provided a boom in demand. Nonetheless, practical, ethical and theoretical concerns continue to underline these questions of long-term viability and the quintessential issue of balancing economic, research, educational, and public heritage value of archaeology in Ontario. While the root of this issue is surprisingly simple – that is: what to do with all the collections recovered through archaeological survey and excavation – the solutions are complex, contentious and intensely challenging.

Unpublished report on file submitted to the Programs and Services Branch, Ministry of Culture, Toronto, ON., 2012

Unpublished report on file submitted to the Programs and Services Branch, Ministry of Culture, Toronto, ON., 2011

The Monumental Archive Project will be a collaborative, interactive database platform focused on ... more The Monumental Archive Project will be a collaborative, interactive database platform focused on accessible, sustainable and creative engagement with the past. Development will focus on establishing a long-term database, user-friendly design, and a strong community of interest.