This project aims at mapping and describing the presence of objects in the columbaria of cemeteries as a form of materialisation of the memory of the dead people. This memory, which is crucial for understanding death as a social and cultural phenomenon, is often materialised in objects deposited with the remains of the death person. The research will map the presence of objects deposited in the columbaria in cemeteries in the Czech Republic and abroad, to understand how these objects connect the living with the dead. To do this, the student will realise a series of periodical visits to the selected columbaria, recording which objects are exposed (at least in 20 niches per each). The results will be qualitatively analysed to compare the frequency of different objects, and examined to discuss if and how specific objects are explicitly connected to the death people life and/or if it possible to identify a specific cultural pattern related to the location. Before the start of the fieldwork, the supervisor will request approval from the Faculty's Ethical Committee. Expected results are: 1) to conduct a bibliographical review of the debates about the presence of objects in graves, columbarium, and other burials in historical and contemporary society; 2) to study the different cultural and ethical dimensions associated to the materialisation of social bonds in specific objects; 3) to develop an in-depth analysis, mobilising observations, material culture analysis, and potentially interviews with relatives, of an ethnographic case study focusing on a cemetery in the Czech Republic or abroad for deepening the specific experiences, and 4) to provide the basis for a possible successive development of the research in dialogue with social actors to be potentially realised as a Master thesis.



The tasks of the work are the following:

1. Bibliographic and digital survey of the discussions about the association of objects with the remains of the dead people in historical and contemporary societies.

2. Detailed study of a specific case study, to understand the social processes, cultural approaches, and ethical dimensions involved.

3. Comparison of the specific case study with others selected from the bibliography.

4. Interpretation and discussion of results, diploma thesis rate, thesis submission in IS MU.



To be awarded credit for the first semester (course Bi4502 Bachelor Thesis I) the above-stated tasks 1 and 2 need to be accomplished, and to be awarded credit for the second semester (course Bi6100 Bachelor Thesis II) the above-stated tasks 3 and 4 need to be accomplished, therefore, to finish the thesis and hand it in for thesis defense in the IS Archive. The recommended extent of the thesis is 30-50 pages but can be exceeded if the thesis development requires it. However, the 30-page lower limit is the minimum that can be accepted. The thesis will include the explicit description of utilized material and methods, including in cases when the thesis is in the form of a literature review. The method/process description will clearly state the author’s contribution to the acquired results. The Czech version of the ISO 690 style will be the citation style. In the thesis it will also be declared whether a generative AI model was used in its preparation, specify which model was employed, and state the reason and extent of its use.