Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Embalming'

This thesis explores the embalming ritual of the Egyptian Late Period through Ptolemaic era (664 – 30 BC). Using an interdisciplinary approach, I incorporate primary and secondary texts, Egyptian funerary art and archaeological remains into my study. I utilize these lines of evidence to reconstruct the embalming ritual to the degree possible and analyze the ways in which its various stages were believed to fulfill the ultimate goal of this rite: preservation of the physical body and eternal life for the deceased. I focus particularly on the archaeological material and explore the visibility of religious practice in the archaeological record. I identify key changes and developments in the embalming ritual from the Late Period through the Ptolemaic Period in order to highlight religious significance placed on embalming during this time period. Funerary art, literature, and archaeological material of the Late through Greco-Roman Periods illustrate an increased focus on the integrity of the corpse as well as the manifestation of decay, the liquid \(rDw\). I examine these ancient sources in order to better understand the nature and development of body-centered funerary practices during this period of Egyptian history.

This research study analyses the construction of meaning surrounding the embalmed corpse in contemporary England. It documents a process of social change in which Legal, Medical and Religious discourses concerning the dead, once dominant and unchallenged, now co-exist, if somewhat uneasily, with modern constructions of death and the possibility of an after life. The meaning of the embalmed corpse is considered to be constructed by different elements which are presented historically. Initially religious discourses governed the meaning of the body, which was preserved for religious reasons. 17th century surgeon-embalmers requisitioned the corpse for reasons of status assertion, presenting their arguments in medical terms. Contemporary hygiene issues, in tandem with legal issues, today have a powerful impact on the corpse, which is usually experienced by mourners in the context of contemporary consumer culture, after the process of embalming has occurred. The decline of religious practices also mean that the contemporary corpse has assumed a far greater significance than in the past. From the perspective of the sociology of the body, based on the seminal work of Turner, this thesis discusses how changing experiences of live bodies are inextricably linked with changing experience of dead bodies in contemporary societies. This is accomplished through an interpretation of the different meaning attributed to embalmed corpses, together with an appreciation of the work of Hertz and Van Gennep, both of whom identified, in pre-literate societies, the centrality and embeddedness of the treatment of the corpse to funeral rituals. The thesis reports some empirical investigations of embalming-related issues which provide an analysis of contemporary meanings of the corpse and cast light upon the contemporary structure of the English funeral world. Embalmers expect to produce a culturally acceptable ‘death disguise’ for the benefit of mourners whose encounters with the corpse are surprisingly numerous in contemporary death-denying society. Culturally acceptable death images appear to focus upon the dead being in a condition of 'liminal repose', where the illusion of rest is constructed. Embalmers and funeral directors comprise occupations that are quite distinct, although working with the dead in different parts of the same process. Highlighting the significance of corpse appearance, whereby it is rendered 'normal', has also highlighted the socio-cultural process whereby this transformation occurs. As the dead are carefully re-presented, this has hidden the 'true' condition of the dead and therefore also hidden the covert technicians, embalmers, who accomplish this transformation. Embalming therefore appears a hidden aspect of the social construction of the dead, as death is now estranged from the popular context.

Thiel embalmed cadavers were first used by the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, University of Dundee, in 2009, marking their introduction to the UK having been developed by Professor Walter Thiel in the University of Graz, Austria, over a thirty year period to 1992. The cadavers produced by the Thiel embalming method have many advantages over those produced by the more traditional formalin-phenol based method including a high degree of flexibility on par with in vivo conditions. However there is a distinct paucity of information regarding the way in which Thiel embalming affects the cadaveric tissues and the inherent implications for anatomical teaching and research. In addition, the Thiel solution uses formalin and boric acid, two chemicals which may be affected by changes in legislation governing their use within the EU. On that basis, the need to understand the effects of Thiel embalming on tissues, as well as the need to investigate the potential removal of formalin and boric acid from the Thiel solution, was acknowledged. This study presents an analysis of the effects of Thiel embalming using skeletal muscle and tendon samples, taken from an animal model, as these tissues are believed to be important to the flexibility of Thiel cadavers, using a number of methods. The way in which the effects are related to the flexibility caused is also considered in the context of existing relevant literature. In addition, the potential to remove and replace formalin and boric acid from the standard Thiel solution is also addressed. In assessing the effects of Thiel embalming solution on skeletal muscle and tendon, the aim of the thesis is to test the hypotheses that (i) changes in muscle and/or tendon structure, particularly in relation to collagen content, are responsible for the exaggerated flexibility seen in cadavers preserved using this method, (ii) it is the high salt content of Thiel embalming solution which is responsible for the change in tissue structure, and (iii) is it possible to replace the formalin and boric acid content of the Thiel solution and continue to successfully preserve specimens for anatomical teaching and research. The results of this study indicate that Thiel embalmed tissues, skeletal muscle in particular, undergo considerable histological modifications to their internal structure when compared to formalin and fresh samples whilst gross structure appears to remain intact through the maintenance of connective tissue integrity. This is supported by results which show a change in the biomechanical characteristics and protein content profile of target tissues. It is suggested that these changes are the basis for the increased flexibility observed in Thiel embalmed specimens. The results of a pilot study also indicate that it is possible to replace formalin and boric acid from the Thiel solution whilst maintaining successful preservation of specimens. A number of preservation techniques are considered throughout the study including Thiel, formalin and modified Thiel, and are compared to fresh samples as a control. A number of methods, including histological, biomechanical and protein analysis, are used to investigate differences between samples from each treatment group.

Le cérémonial funéraire qui suit la mort d'un roi se compose d'un ensemble d'étapes, appelées rites funéraires. Ces derniers débutent par l'exposition publique du corps où chacun peut venir se recueillir. Puis les étapes de l'autopsie et l'embaumement permettent de préserver le plus longtemps le corps royal de la putréfaction. Ces deux opérations sont pratiquées par les médecins et les chirurgiens du roi. Au cours de l'embaumement le cœur du roi est extrait pour être donné à un lieu préalablement identifié par le monarque. Se déroule ensuite l'exposition du cercueil et de l'effigie, mannequin de cire à la ressemblance du défunt. Elle représente le roi vivant couché sur un lit. Pour certains historiens , le mannequin est un substitut du corps qui permet une plus longue exposition du roi avant son inhumation sans portée politique. Pour d'autres, elle est une représentation politique de la continuité de la monarchie . Ce rite a entraîné l'apparition de pratiques comme celle de donner à manger au mannequin, comme si le roi était vivant. Le convoi funèbre clôt l'ensemble de ces rites composant le cérémonial funéraire des rois de France. Il mène, dans un premier temps, le cadavre royal à la Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Paris pour une messe, puis à la nécropole de Saint-Denis. Le corps est l'objet central de ce cérémonial.À partir de l'exemple des rituels funéraires identifiés pour Henri IV, ce mémoire met en évidence les continuités et les ruptures des rites funéraires entre ceux de la période médiévale et ceux des temps modernes. L'année 1610 marque en effet un tournant dans l'histoire du cérémonial funéraire des monarques français, dans la mesure où s'opère un processus de simplification des rituels tels qu'ils avaient été établis depuis la mort de Charles VIII en 1498. À titre d'exemple, l'effigie représentant le monarque vivant est abandonnée tout comme la cérémonie à Notre-Dame.Enfin, certaines funérailles de la famille d'Henri IV viennent alimenter la réflexion concernant ces changements funéraires : les exemples de sa première épouse répudiée, Marguerite de Valois, et seconde épouse, Marie de Médicis, morte en exil à Cologne, ainsi que ceux de deux de ses fils, le duc d'Orléans mort à l'âge de 4 ans, et le roi Louis XIII, son successeur mort de maladie. Tous ces précédents présentent des caractères particuliers, qui se retrouvent dans leurs rites funéraires
The funeral ceremonial that follows the death of a king consists of a set of steps, called funeral rites. The latter begin with the public exhibition of the body where everyone can come and meditate. Then the autopsy and embalming stages make it possible to preserve the royal body from putrefaction for as long as possible. Both operations were performed by the king's physicians and surgeons. During embalming, the king's heart is extracted to be given to a place previously identified by the monarch. This is followed by the exhibition of the coffin and the effigy, a wax mannequin in the likeness of the deceased. It depicts the living king lying on a bed. For some historians, the mannequin is a substitute for the body that allows for a longer exposure of the king before his burial without political significance. For others, it is a political representation of the continuity of the monarchy. This rite led to the appearance of practices such as feeding the mannequin, as if the king were alive. The funeral procession closes all these rites composing the funeral ceremony of the kings of France. He first led the royal corpse to Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral for a mass, then to the necropolis of Saint-Denis. The body is the central object of this ceremony.Based on the example of the funerary rituals identified for Henry IV, this dissertation highlights the continuities and ruptures of funerary rites between those of the medieval period and those of modern times. The year 1610 marked a turning point in the history of the funeral ceremonial of French monarchs, insofar as a process of simplification of the rituals as they had been established since the death of Charles VIII in 1498 took place. For example, the effigy depicting the living monarch was abandoned, as was the ceremony at Notre-Dame.Finally, some funerals of Henri IV's family provide food for thought about these funeral changes : the examples of his repudiated first wife, Marguerite de Valois, and second wife, Marie de Medici, who died in exile in Cologne, as well as those of two of his sons, the Duke of Orléans, who died at the age of 4, and King Louis XIII, his successor died of illness. All these precedents have particular characteristics, which are reflected in their funeral rites

La méthode de conservation des cadavres selon Walter Thiel a été publiée en 1992. Cette technique, contrairement aux techniques classiques, permet de garder au cadavre une certaine souplesse, proche du sujet vivant. Depuis sa description initiale, cette technique s’est peu développée, malgré des possibilités très intéressantes pour les cliniciens soucieux d’apprendre et de perfectionner leurs gestes médico-chirurgicaux par simulation. En effet, la simulation en médecine est en train d’apporter une révolution pédagogique afin que les étudiants n’apprennent plus directement sur le patient les gestes à potentiel iatrogène important, mais sur des simulateurs. La question soulevée par notre travail est celle de ce double paradoxe : la technique de Thiel est très intéressante mais pourtant ne se développe pas beaucoup, et d’autre part, la simulation connait un essor considérable mais ne prend pas beaucoup en compte le potentiel de l’apprentissage sur cadavres. A la lumière de plusieurs travaux explorant divers aspects de la méthode de Thiel, nous démontrerons les possibilités des cadavres conservés par cette méthode en termes d’applications cliniques pour l’enseignement et la recherche par simulation en anesthésie et en chirurgie
Walter Thiel’s method for the preservation of cadavers was published in 1992. Unlike conventional preservation techniques, this method provides a spectacular lifelike flexibility. Despite of its interesting possibilities in learning and training for clinical practitioners, this technique has had a poor development around the world. Simulation represents a revolution in medical education because it allows students to train before act on real patients, particularly the situations with a high iatrogenic risk. The question raised by our work is that this double paradox: the Thiel’s method is very interesting but still not well developed, and secondly, the simulation has expanded enormously but does not take much account of the potential learning on cadavers. In several studies exploring various aspects of Thiel’s method, we will demonstrate the possibilities of cadavers preserved by this method in terms of clinical applications for teaching and research in the fields of simulation in anesthesia and surgery

This paper deals with the embalming process in ancient Egypt. Samples were collected from six objects from Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm. The objects were one supposed ladle and five different contents from pottery. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and gas- chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to characterize the components of the materials. The result was then correlated with previously made analysis of embalming materials to discover similarities. The results show complex mixtures mainly consisting of resin from Pinaceae origin, also beeswax, vegetable oil and Castor oil. Some samples show differences in the mixture, one dominated by cholesterylacetat. The results of the ladle samples is comparable to previous samples from other analysis and can therefore be confirmed as an embalming ladle.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of Insular gliomas is technically challenging and may lead to high postoperative morbidity. However, previous research has proven that maximal safe resection is critical for maintaining quality of life as well as enhancing overall and progression-free survival. Insular gliomas are currently resected through either a transsylvian or transcortical approach. However, there is no objective evidence to aid surgical management to maximize safe resection rates. OBJECTIVES: To define an optimal treatment strategy for the neurosurgical management of insular gliomas using a sequential research protocol. Phase A1- Design a custom embalming formula for preserving native brain features in cadavers to optimize the validity and clinical applicability of laboratory-based operative research. A2- Design a laboratory method to obtain objective data to assess -and compare- neurosurgical techniques in cadavers. Phase B- Define an optimal surgical technique for the management of each insular glioma of the Berger-Sanai classification system using our surgical simulation method in cadavers. Phase C- Validate the existing anatomical classification of insular gliomas to predict extent of resection (extent of resection) and anticipate neurological morbidity. METHODS: We aimed to provide sound objective evidence to the surgical management of insular gliomas through a multidisciplinary, sequential method including basic laboratory research, neurosurgical simulation using cadavers and a prospective clinical study. We first developed a customized embalming formula to create a neurosurgical simulation method that best resembles life surgery (a). We then used this optimized surgical simulation method to objectively determine and quantify the best surgical approach (transsylvian vs transcortical) for each type of insular tumor according to the Berger-Sanai insular glioma classification (b). Finally, we carried out a prospective clinical study to assess the predictability of the Berger-Sanai insular glioma classification regarding extent of resection and patient outcomes (c). RESULTS: We designed an embalming solution that dramatically improved validity and applicability of research using neurosurgical simulation in cadavers. Our formula optimizes resemblance to life surgery (lower retraction pressure and greater retraction area) compared to the gold standard (formaldehyde). Our embalming method preserved specimens for significantly longer use than un-embalmed cadavers, which allows for complex research designs (such as Phase B of this work). We described cutting-edge surgical simulation techniques to objectivize surgical techniques in the laboratory. Our surgical simulation experiments show that the transcortical approach performs better than the transsylvian approach on all parameters for zones I and IV. On Zones II and III, cortical mapping and specific anatomical features may make the transsylvian approach more favorable. Our prospective clinical study showed that the Berger-Sanai insular glioma classification is a reliable tool to predict extent of resection (highest on zone I, IV) and postoperative complications (lowest on zone II and IV) following surgical treatment. CLINICAL AND SCIENTIFIC IMPACT: Overall, this work improved the field of neurosurgical simulation research by providing a detailed description of cadaver preparation (including public disclosure of the embalming chemical formula) and methodology to carry objective measurements to compare surgical techniques. For the first time, we provided objective data to aid the neurosurgeon in choosing the best surgical approach to maximize resection rates of insular gliomas tailored to the Berger-Sanai insular glioma classification. Finally, we validated the Berger-Sanai insular glioma classification as a tool to anticipate resection rates and postoperative neurological complications. As a whole, this work will substantially impact management of insular gliomas and patient informed decisions.
En la present tesis doctoral es presenten els resultats de sis anys d’investigació del doctorand sobre els gliomes que afecten el lòbul de l'Insula. La present tesis doctoral es divideix en tres parts en les que es desenvolupa un programa seqüencial dirigit a la investigació i optimització del tractament quirúrgic de les lesions de la Insula (amb especial atenció als gliomes cerebrals d’alt grau). En primer lloc es desenvolupa un treball de laboratori per al disseny d’una metodologia òptima per a la simulació quirúrgica d’abordatges Neuroquirúrgics intracerebrals en un model cadavèric. Es descriuen els mètodes i estratègies per al disseny de la composició química del líquid de embalsamament que el cervell humà així com la metodologia per avaluar objectivament l’esmentada fórmula química i el mètode de embalsamament. Es descriu la superioritat del mètode desenvolupat respecte de l’estàndard de preparació de cadàvers però simulació quirúrgica i es discuteixen els avantatges principals del mètode dissenyat respecte la investigació referent a la tècnica neuroquirúrgica. Aquests són, en breu, la millora substancial d’elastança cerebral que permet la retracció del teixit cerebral de forma similar a la cirurgía en ésser humà viu, la disminució de l’exposició del personal de recerca a components carcinogènics com el formaldehid, la superioritat en la preservació del material cadavèric respecte el teixit no embalsamat, etc. L’esmentada metodologia és la base per la segona fase de la present tesi doctoral. En segon lloc es desenvolupa un projecte d’investigació sobre la tècnica quirúrgica per la ressecció de lesions del lòbul de l'Insula, amb especial atenció als gliomes insulars. Prenent el mètode de simulació neuroquirúrgica desenvolupat a la primera fase d’aquesta tesi, es comparen les dues tècniques principals per l’accés a la Insula: l’abordatge Transilvià i l’abordatge Transcortical. Es descriuen els perfils quirúrgics d’ambdues tècniques quirúrgiques respecte a l’accés a cada una de les parts de la Insula (anterior superior, posterior superior, posterior inferior, i anterior inferior). Es descriu, per primera vegada, la tècnica quirúrgica més favorable per cada part de la Insula i s’introdueixen conceptes claus per la decisió preoperatòria. En termes generals l’abordatge transilvià demostra superioritat en tumors que afecten la part anterior de la Insula, mentre que l’abordatge transcortical és superior en tumors de la part posterior. En tercer lloc s’estudien els resultats clínics de les tècniques quirúrgiques estudiades en un model de simulació descrit a la fase anterior, per mitjà de la revisió retrospectiva de casos clínics en els quals es varen realitzar cirurgies de glioma insular. L’esmentada investigació retrospectiva es va desenvolupar a University of California San Francisco, Califòrnia, USA (Centre de notable prestigi vers la cirurgia de gliomes insulars), així com a Barrow Neurological Institute, Arizona, USA (centre de prestigi mundial en microneurocirurgia). En aquesta última fase es resumeixen els resultats de laboratori així com l’experiència clínica desenvolupats en aquest treball de tesis doctoral per proveir les bases sòlides per la decisió clínica i tècnica vers el tractament de pacients que pateixen de glioma insular. Específicament, s’estableix que el grau de resecció quirúrgica determina la supervivència del pacient amb glioma insular. Així doncs és important identificar l’abordatge quirúrgic (transsilvià o transcortical) que permet arribar als nivells de resecció quirúrgica superior al 80% del volum del tumor, per optimitzar el resultats clínics tot mantenint la funció cerebral.

"(...) un homme (...) ce n'est rien après tout que de la pourriture en suspens..." L’une des expressions les plus célèbres de Louis-Ferdinand Céline résume en quelques mots les affres de l’Homme, celle de mourir bien évidemment, mais au-delà, pour ceux qui restent, celle de la transformation de l’être cher en cadavre. Le génie littéraire a permis de résumer en quelques mots l’hantise primordiale ayant conduit les hommes, dès la préhistoire récente, à mettre en œuvre de véritables stratégies funéraires permettant de cacher ce moment délicat dans la (sur)vie du groupe, voire d’y échapper. L’archéothanatologie, discipline relativement récente, a modifié la façon de fouiller et d’étudier les sépultures en France et, dans une moindre mesure, à l’étranger : elle est primordiale pour la connaissance des sociétés du passé, permettant d’apporter aujourd’hui des éléments de réflexion sur la complexité de la gestion du cadavre, de son traitement à sa réification. Elle ne rend pas moins compte que la pourriture est un élément clé de la grille de lecture de la variabilité des pratiques funéraires à travers les âges, qu’il s’agisse de la cacher, de l’accélérer ou la dépasser et même l’anéantir. Cela apparaît d’autant plus évident les gestes funéraires sont présentés sous l’angle de la gestion matérielle et immatérielle de la mort. Ce qui amène à envisager, selon cette approche dynamique, une chaîne opératoire funéraire détaillant, autant que faire se peut, les différentes étapes conduisant le défunt de sa prise en charge à l’oubli de ces restes. La mise en évidence de la chaîne opératoire permet ainsi de révéler que le traitement du corps, quoiqu’il puisse être, n’est qu’une étape. Ainsi, crémation et embaumement ne figent pas le corps ; ce n’est qu’un temps d’un processus plus complexe engagé par la communauté des vivants, de ceux qui restent. Le destin des cadavres va bien au-delà de ce que leurs proches ont envisagé pour eux. L’écriture de ce destin permet de distinguer ce qui relève de l’intention du groupe inhumant des phénomènes taphonomiques, les deux étant souvent liés
"(...) a man (...) is after all nothing but a rotten thing in suspense ..." One of Louis-Ferdinand Céline's most famous expressions sums up in a few words Man's torments, that of dying, of course, but beyond that, for those who remain, that of the transformation of a loved one into a corpse. Literary genius has made it possible to sum up in a few words the primordial dread that has led men, since recent prehistory, to implement real funerary strategies that make it possible to hide this delicate moment in the (over)life of the group, or even to escape from it. Archaeothanatology, a relatively recent discipline, has changed the way in which burials are excavated and studied in France and, to a lesser extent, abroad: it is essential for the knowledge of societies of the past, making it possible today to provide elements for reflection on the complexity of the management of the corpse, from its treatment to its reification. It also shows that decay is a key element in the interpretation of the variability of funerary practices through the ages, whether it is a question of hiding it, speeding it up or overcoming it, or even destroying it. This appears all the more obvious as funeral gestures are presented from the perspective of the material and immaterial management of death. This leads us to envisage, according to this dynamic approach, a funerary chain of operations detailing, as far as possible, the different stages leading the deceased from his care to the forgetting of the remains. The highlighting of the operating chain thus reveals that the treatment of the body, whatever it may be, is only one stage. Thus, cremation and embalming do not freeze the body; it is only one stage in a more complex process initiated by the community of the living, of those who remain. The fate of the dead goes far beyond what their loved ones have envisioned for them. The writing of this destiny makes it possible to distinguish between what is the intention of the group inhuming them and what is taphonomic, the two often being linked

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.
Bachelors
Arts and Sciences
History

This paper aims to investigate the embalming process and the Balanites aegyptiaca from two pottery originated in ancient Egypt. The two objects were from Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm. Samples were collected and analyzed with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify which components the samples contained. The results show complex mixtures mainly consisting of resin origin from Pinaceae and the vegetable oils from the Balanites aegyptiaca.

This paper deals with the chemical identification of artefacts correlated with the process of ancient Egyptian mummification dating to the Graeco-Roman period. The samples were harvested from two artefacts belonging to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm. The original description of the said samples defined them, as natron filled linen bags and bee product (honey?). To identify the true nature of the samples, advanced methods such as Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and powder X-ray Diffractometry were used. The results were correlated with previous made analyses regarding embalming materials to discover similarities. Furthermore, the research revealed that the previous sample identifications were false, while providing hypotheses based on the new results.

L’étude des pratiques mortuaires de l’ère chrétienne est un champ de recherche largement exploré par les historiens et les archéologues. Pourtant, en dépit d’une certaine tendance scientifique actuelle à questionner les rapports homme/milieu, aucune étude n’aborde la pompe funèbre dans une optique ethnobotanique. Cette enquête diachronique reconstitue les accessoires végétaux que la société puise dans son environnement pour accompagner le cadavre. Une méthodologie est développée pour la reconnaissance des micro- et macro-restes végétaux, en particulier le pollen, appliquée aux vestiges de huit sites archéologiques français et italiens (Ier-XVIIe s). Ces données, parfois éclairées par les sources écrites, livrent des informations inédites sur deux types de pratiques. D’une part, des dépôts végétaux constitués d’espèces florales accompagnent le corps des défunts et lui confèrent une image plus éclatante du point de vue visuel et olfactif, y compris dans les milieux sociaux les plus humbles. Ces données invitent les archéologues à considérer l’existence d’un mobilier funéraire peu connu jusqu’alors. D’autre part, les végétaux sont utilisés pour l’embaumement interne des plus privilégiés. L’opération transforme chirurgicalement la dépouille, et les chairs sont apaisées par le baume, une préparation dans laquelle les plantes jouent un rôle prédominant en vertu de leurs propriétés médicinales, olfactives, et symboliques. Ce travail pose les bases méthodologiques d’une archéobotanique funéraire. Les origines anciennes des pratiques mises en évidence devront à présent être reconstituées, mais c’est aussi leur rémanence dans la société contemporaine qu’il conviendra d’analyser
Roman and Christian mortuary practices are widely explored by historians and archaeologists in Western Europe. Considered as a relic of a social being, the dead body contributes to a better understanding of human communities and cultures. However, even if Man-Environment interactions are now a central issue of the scientific research, no study has questioned funerary behaviors in an ethnobotanical perspective yet. This work aims to reconstitute plant accessories that people collect in their environment to treat the corpse and modify its appearance or its anatomical and biological properties. An original methodology is set up to sample and analyze macro and microbotanical remains, especially pollen, from Roman, Medieval and Modern tombs (1st-17th centuries AD) excavated on eight archaeological sites in France and in Italy. These archaeobotanical data confronted with written sources shed light on two kinds of practices.On the one hand, plant materials such as floral arrangements, litter and cushion made of colorful and fragrant species accompany the defunct into the grave. These tributes modify the sensory perception of the corpse and materialize devotion to the deceased, even in more humble social backgrounds. These results invite archaeologists to consider a new and unexpected kind of grave goods during fieldwork and laboratory analysis.On the other hand, plants are used for embalming into elite social circles. In Europe this practice, most likely originated in Ancient Times, is accurately documented by written and archaeological sources between the 14th century and the early 19th century. Evisceration and excerebration procedures physically transform the corpse, then the flesh and the skin are treated with an aromatic balm composed by many plants and exudates such as wormwood, mint, myrrh and frankincense. Surgeons appeal to medicinal, olfactory and symbolic properties of plants in order to stop the decay process and honor the body.This work lays foundation for an ethno-archaeobotany of death and brings some elements to understand the relationship between the dead body and its plant environment. Ancient origins of these mortuary practices now need to be identified. Moreover their persistence in contemporary society could also be analyzed through an ethno-sociological approach

Den svenska skolan skall bl.a. vila på en kristen tradition enligt Lgr 11, men benämner inte närmre vems kristna tradition eller hur denna tradition bör ta sin form i klassrummet. Att tolka den kristna traditionen kan göras på många sätt, men för att exemplifiera problematiken i tolkningar så utgår uppsatsen från att belysa hur mångfacetterat ett resultat kan bli även vid ett par utvalda bibelberättelser från en relativt homogen grupp uttolkare. Syftet för den här konsumtionsuppsatsen är att undersöka vad kvinnliga exegeter belyser när de beskriver hur kvinnor interagerar med Jesus i två utvalda berättelser ur Nya testamentets evangelier. Exegeternas beskrivningar utreds också komparativt för att finna skiljaktigheter och liknelser. Vidare förs det även en didaktisk diskussion kopplat till skolans religionsundervisning om hur tolkningar kring en och samma berättelse som didaktiskt medel kan berika undervisningssammanhang i klassrummet.     Resultatet i uppsatsen visar både hur exegeterna har laborerat fram sina tolkningar och vad dessa tolkningar resulterat i för bibelberättelserna. I ett komparativt arbetssätt utvidgar exegeterna kontexten för bibelberättelserna på macronivå för att understödja den närmre analys de för på micronivå. De finner stöd i bl.a. lingvistik, utombibliska dokument och kulturella företeelser för att understödja deras argumentation om kvinnorna i de bibliska berättelserna. Kvinnorna i de båda bibliska berättelserna porträtteras på ett nytt sätt och utmärks av vissa exegeter till både apostel och lärjunge.     Resultatet för den religionsdidaktiska diskussionen utmynnas i både hur elever och främst lärare bör anamma en reflexivitet för att granska sig själva och hur tolkningar görs i vardagen för att kartlägga mönster där exotifiering och maktförskjutningar sker när religioner behandlas i klassrummet. Religionsdidaktikernas pedagogiska verktyg gynnar elevernas analyserande förmågor och kritiska tänkande vid exempelvis komparativa tolkningsövningar av urkunder. Hos läraren uppmanas en självkännedom genom att aktivt kunna belysa hur tolkningar av religioner förs i klassrummet och ifall det görs på någons bekostnad. Genus förs som en diskussionspunkt i förhållande till uppsatsens val att låta kvinnor ta plats och tolka religion. Genom genus kan en androgyn syn på religionsdidaktik framföras och låta en inkludering ske i religionsdiskursen där kvinnor inte längre är en åtskild minoritet inom religion, utan en aktiv och inkluderande part.

L'objet de la présente étude est de déterminer quelle place était accordée à la pratique de la médecine et aux professionnels de santé dans les cours princières occidentales du bas Moyen Age, à travers l'exemple de la cour des ducs de Bourgogne Valois, de l'avènement de Philippe Hardi en 1363 à la mort de Marie de Bourgogne en 1482. Dans une première partie sont identifiées les différentes professions médicales représentées à la cour de Bourgogne : physiciens ou médecins, chirurgiens, barbiers, épiciers-apothicaires et sages-femme, ainsi que leurs différentes voies d'accès à la cour ducale. Ces spécialistes se distinguent par la formation qu'ils ont reçue et par leurs compétences particulières qui, réunies, leurs permettent de former une équipe soignante polyvalente. L"organisation de celle-ci au sein de l'hôtel ducal et ses limites seront abordées dans une deuxième partie. Ce personnel médical, gravitant au plus près de la famille ducale, bénéficie de revenus et privilèges notables, afférents à la place qui leur est attribuée à la cour. La troisième partie de cette thèse est consacrée à la pratique médicale proprement dite : les différentes étapes de la prise en charge du patient, nommée "collatio", sont détaillées. Elles visent à établir le diagnostic. Les divers procédés permettant de rétablir l'équilibre humoral sont ensuite décrits : ils prennent la forme, en préventif, de conseils d'hygiène de vie ; en curatif, de traitements physiques et psychologiques, médicamenteux et chirurgicaux. Le rôle fondamental de praticiens de santé au moment des naissances et décès princiers constituent les dernières analyses de ces travaux; Fondés sur un dépouillement de sources comptables essentiellement, mais aussi normatives, didactiques et narratives, ils sont accompagnés d'un catalogue prosopographique reprenant la biographique de chacun des praticiens ayant fréquenté la cour de Bourgogne au cours de la période considérée
The purpose of this study is to determine what place was given to the practice of medicine ans health professionals in Western princely courts of the late Middle Ages, through the example of the court of dukes of Burgundy Valois, from the accession of Philip the Bold in 1363 to the death of Mary Burgundy in 1482. In the first part are identified the various medical professions represented at the court of Burgundy : physicians, surgeons, barbers, apothecaries ans midwives, and their different access to the ducal court. These spécialists are distinguished by their training and their special sdills which, combined allows them to form e versatile healthcare team. The organization of the latter in the "hôtel", and limitations, will be addressed in the second part. This gravitating medical personnel closer to the ducal family gains income and notable privileges relating to the place assigned to them in court. The third part of this dissetation is devoted to the actual medical practice : the different stages of the parient's care are detailed, namely the collective consultation, to estavlish the diagnosis. The various methods to restore humoral balance are then desceibed : lifestyle advices for the prenventive aspect ; and physical, psychological, medical and surgical treatments for the curative one. The fundamental role of health practitoners at the time of princely births and deaths constitute the latest analysis of this work. Based mainly on accounting sources, but also normative, didactic and narrative, they are accompanied by a prosopographic catalog gathering the biography of each practitioner who attended the court of Burfundy during the period

This study was about death rituals among the Karanga of Nyajena, Masvingo, Zimbabwe, who are a sub-group of the Shona people. This inquiry’s primary purpose was tripartite in outlook. First, it described the Karanga causes of sickness and death, and Karanga death rituals. Second, it explored the significance of these rituals to the Karanga people. Third, the study traced and identified the changes in the practice and significance of some of the rituals. The overall goal of this inquiry was to compose a brief manual for the performance of some of the Karanga death rituals. The inquiry divided the Karanga death rituals into three major categories, namely, pre-burial rituals, burial rituals, and post-burial rituals. The investigation employed qualitative research traditions, particularly ethnography, in the collection and interpretation of the relevant research data, in pursuit of the goals mentioned above. Postcolonial theory was used to give a theoretical framework to this study. This study was necessitated by the need of a written manual on the performance of Karanga death rituals. The study compiled the participants’ narratives concerning the praxis, meaning, and changes in the Karanga death rituals in an attempt to analyze and write them down for posterity. The inquiry found out that although the praxis of the rituals was still rememberd by many Karanga people, some of them were no longer performed, and their significance had been lost. Although the study acknowledged the inevitable dynamism of culture, it held that every ethnicity should have some cultural or religious constants so that its identity is not lost. Hence, the Karanga of Nyajena should retrace their footsteps back to their death rituals in order to rediscover and reaffirm their battered cultural identity and integrity.
Religious Studies and Arabic
D. Phil. (Religious Studies)