Sub-adult graves in Şanlıurfa-Turkey: on the concept of childhood

Abstract

Separate adults and children graveyards have been encountered in the modern Turkey as in Şanlıurfa. This study aims to analyze possible reasons of segregation of graves for sub-adults and establishing separate graveyards both for adults and sub-adults. It is proposed that the roots of this difference can be found in the definition of human development. Perceiving infants and children as “incomplete humans” might be the main reason of keeping them apart from the domain of cultural beings. Differences in grave places of infants and adults might be related to their bio-cultural development, their being considered as “person” or “non-person.” 

Keywords

• Sub-adult graveyards,age symbolism,human development,Islam

References

1. Acsádi GY, Nemeskéri J. (1970) History of human life span and mortality. Budapest: Hungarian Academic Society.