The Rhetorical Functions of Levantine Burial Practices during the Chalcolithic Period: Form, Function, and Symbolism as a Pedagogical Tool

Author

Moline Mallamo, Western Michigan UniversityFollow

Date of Defense

4-17-2020

Date of Graduation

4-2020

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Hilary Selznick

Second Advisor

Britt Hartenberger

Abstract

This undergraduate honors thesis project explores the rhetorical implications of burial practices from the southern Levant during the Chalcolithic period. The purpose of this thesis is to expound upon research that has already been conducted in order to offer additional, and sometimes alternative, theories to what currently exists in the literature. I argue that the forms and functions of the burial techniques were used, at least partially, as “tools” to teach cultural and religious beliefs regarding life, death, and the afterlife to the individuals in the community. The inferred relationship between the materiality and symbology of these burial practices provides clues into the rhetorical lens through which these various artifacts were seen in their original contexts.

Recommended Citation

Mallamo, Moline, "The Rhetorical Functions of Levantine Burial Practices during the Chalcolithic Period: Form, Function, and Symbolism as a Pedagogical Tool" (2020). Honors Theses. 3277.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3277

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access