THE HISTORY OF CEMETERIES & HEADSTONES

Do you know that cemeteries and headstones hold a key in the study of history, religion, sociology, art history, and archaeology? They are truly an art form. The history of cemeteries is a fascinating look at how society viewed death. In ancient times, funeral customs were often elaborate. From mound building, cremation, and rituals to placing simple wood markers at a burial site, it is interesting to learn about people’s beliefs concerning cemeteries.

A family plot of graves in Deepwood Cemetery, Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri:

Many mourners commemorated the dead during the Victorian era by developing a family cemetery plot on their private land. More desirable for others was graveyards that were built within the churchyard due to their belief that the closer one was buried to a church, the better the chances were of getting into heaven.

 Another family plot of graves in Deepwood Cemetery, Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri:

          

In the 19^th century, the rise of creating park-like cemeteries afforded those who dealt with death a peaceful place to visit and stay near their loved ones. The Victorians viewed cemeteries as recreational spots where they gathered and spent the day visiting one another and enjoying a picnic lunch. While visiting the cemetery where their beloved was buried, they shared their sorrows with each other.

 

I can’t cover the entire history of cemeteries in this post, so I encourage you to search websites about the subject if you’re interested. The history of cemeteries is a very interesting read!

Strolling around cemeteries is an interesting way to research the past. Besides finding the graves of family members and the information given on the headstones and footstones, other information found on the stones can help you understand who your ancestors were and what beliefs they held.

Look closely at the headstones, where there are carved symbols and epitaphs. An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person written on the headstone. The older the gravestones, the more elaborate the epitaphs are likely to be. Financial matters of the deceased's family was another factor when finding simple or elaborate stones. 

       

When a family was poor, they often placed a fieldstone at the head of their deceased’s grave instead of paying for a carved headstone. Over time, the fieldstone might be accidentally moved or settled into the ground, or eventually, grass covered it, and the grave may be lost forever.

           

This photo shows field stones marking the graves of unknown people.  

The history of headstones, also called tombstones and gravestones, is interesting. Originally, a tombstone was the stone lid to the coffin, and a gravestone was the stone slab that lay over a grave. Early headstone carvings were a skilled art form with elaborate decorations carved by stone carvers.

 

The carvers were tradesmen, and cutting stones was their occupation. As the tradesman’s skills grew, he might travel to the countryside, offering his work in the community. Victorian headstones were first carved from stone that attracted the growth of lichen and moss. Lichens and mosses are living growths that can damage gravestones, so they should be removed from the stone as soon as possible if you come across them.

 

Usually, the stone carvers were masons who built chimneys, foundations, and cellars. The carvers developed their lettering styles by studying their schoolbooks. Just as an artist has a distinct way of drawing or painting, the stone carvers had their own way of producing symbols and epitaphs. In years past, many people could not read. Therefore, the symbols carved on the headstones were visual reminders of who was buried in the grave and their beliefs.

           

Eventually, the process of making headstones evolved to the machine-produced ones seen in modern cemeteries. The stone choices have changed over time; today, polished marble or granite is the choice of material. Today’s gravestones can be just as elaborate as in the past.          

This little headstone marks the grave of a child. Symbols of lambs were often used.

This Memorial Day, or whenever you visit cemeteries to do research, pay attention to the design, art, symbols, and epitaphs found on headstones. In my next post, I’ll discuss headstone symbols and epitaphs, with photo examples that I’ve found during my cemetery excursions.