Animals in the Cemetery: exploring animals’ place in the human cemetery
Anna Petersson
Project Period: 2014-2015
Type: Senior research project
Program Area(s): Material Conditions
Description
This project explores animals’ place in the human cemetery through looking at what types of animals that are allowed to take place in the cemetery, both above and below the ground, in the past (e.g. the cemetery as feeding pasture for gracing animals) as well as the present (secretly buried companion animals, animal symbols on tomb stones, dog walking, wild animals, as well as an example from Limhamn cemetery where a turtle pond spontaneously has emerged). The aim is to shine light on the complexity in spatially excluding certain animals from the human cemetery: a practice which could be seen to mirror animals’ place in society and culture.