“Bones in Church Ruins Likely The Remains of Early Jamestown’s Elite

1.18 Listen: “Bones in Church Ruins Likely The Remains of Early Jamestown’s Elite” Description
This task should take about 20 minutes of your time.

Please listen to this 5 minute-NPR story.

The transcript on the website is identical to the radio recording; you may choose to listen or read the story.

This assignment earns 20 points. e define colonialism as the exploitation and control of foreign land. When historians and anthropologists examine the history of our early nation, we are studying the legacies of colonialism. Listen to this 5-minute story to better understand the religious and burial practices of early American colonists.

Your Response
Please thoughtfully answer the following questions:

In addition to serving the living, what role did early colonial churches play for the dead?
How was the class system reinforced both in life and in death for early American colonists? (Hint: consider burial location, cookware, etc.)
Guidelines
❗️Please remember: it is your responsibility to demonstrate a sincere knowledge of the reading. Please reply with complete and thoughtful answers that prove – beyond any doubt – that you took the time to complete this important reading.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The ideas in your response must be your own. Do not take ideas verbatim from any “study” or plagiarism websites.
You’re always encouraged to tie in elements from other readings or lessons. If you incorporate ideas from our lectures or other readings, please remember to properly cite the source in-text. If you need help with citations, please refer to Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Length and Content
For this assignment, quality is much more important than quantity. You only need to write. 5-7 sentences for each question. But, please seriously reflect on the work before drafting your response.
Please include at least one in-text citation in this assignment. You can cite this reading, your own outside resources, my lessons, a radio story, etc. Citations need to be academic and reliable.
Be sure to practice cultural relativism and to refrain from practicing ethnocentrism.
Remember to think critically! Examine the evidence presented, consider the speaker, consider the arguments coming from your professor and classmates and, ultimately, decide for yourself!

The early colonial churches in America played an important role in providing a sacred space for the dead. The church was a place where people could come together to mourn their loved ones, and where the dead could be buried with religious rites and rituals. It was also a way to ensure that the dead would be remembered and honored by future generations. In addition to providing a sacred space for the dead, the churches were also used as a tool for social control. The location of a person’s burial within the church or its grounds was often determined by their social class, with the elite members of society being buried closer to the altar. The use of expensive cookware in burial rituals was another way in which social class was reinforced in death. These practices helped to maintain the social hierarchy of early colonial society, with the wealthy and powerful being accorded greater respect even in death.

According to the NPR story, “Bones in Church Ruins Likely The Remains of Early Jamestown’s Elite,” the location of the burial site, the size and shape of the coffins, and the artifacts found with the remains suggest that the burials were reserved for the elite members of society. For example, the location of the burial site within the church and the use of expensive lead coffins indicates that these individuals held a high social status in their community. Additionally, the presence of luxury items, such as imported wine bottles and a silver-handled knife, further reinforces the idea that the individuals buried in this site were members of the wealthy and powerful class. By examining the burial practices of early colonial society, we can better understand how the social hierarchy was reinforced, even in death.

Reference:
NPR. (2021, January 15). Bones In Church Ruins Likely The Remains Of Early Jamestown’s Elite. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2021/01/15/956179606/bones-in-church-ruins-likely-the-remains-of-early-jamestowns-elite