Gender Differentiation in Jewish Memorials: An Ethnoarchaeological Examination of the Headstones in the B'nai Israel Cemetery

Summary

An ethnoarchaeological approach to the study of historic cemeteries and associated gravemarkers offers a tested and non-invasive methodology which can garner insight into the collective and personal identity of individuals within and between specific cultural groups. For the investigation of the Jewish diaspora, such enthoarchaeological studies have proven to be one of the richest sources of data on religious and cultural practices related to death and burial. Past studies have examined diversity in Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jewish cemeteries throughout North America and the Caribbean. This paper will examine the morphological and stylistic changes in headstone form and inscription diachronically with specific focus on patterns of gender differentiation at the B’nai Israel Cemetery in Gainesville, Florida. As one of the oldest, Jewish-specific cemeteries in North Florida, B’nai Israel offers opportunities to analyze long terms changes in headstone construction and spatial arrangement.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Research in Mortuary Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 536