Historical Trends In The Use Of Tombstone

It is quite common for the people to use the terms ‘tombstone’ or ‘gravestone’ interchangeably. Well, in very simple terms and in common parlance, these are used to refer to the stone that are laid on the grave. But, looking more specifically, there is a definite difference between these two terms which is derived from the traditional usage. The term ‘tombstone’ was used to refer to the lid of the coffin which was made of stone. Whereas the ‘gravestone’ was laid over the grave. A ‘grave marker’ is any such thing which can mark a grave. Besides, there was also a custom to put a footstone at the foot side of the grave. This practice is not followed any longer. Today, in place of the footstones, people place the headstones towards the head-side.

It is interesting to note the changes in the shapes, materials used in making and themes of the carvings on the gravestones. These were earlier laid on the grave but slowly, these began to be placed in the vertical form. The size of the grave monument was representative of the social standing of the deceased. The higher the status, the bigger were the monuments. The tombstone and the grave monument used to be marked with different types of markers to carve out different types of designs.

The eighteenth century graves are commonly found to have the carvings symbolising the death. These bore the symbols of how the person had died. These reminded a person about the death and its inevitability, ostensibly to tell them to do good deeds. Skulls, variously carved out, were a common feature. In the nineteenth century, the skulls gave way to the angels and crosses. These symbols signified a strong belief in the existence of life after the death.

Grave markers are of different types. Some are affordable markers which are made from inexpensive materials. The more durable and long lasting the marker, the more is the price. Some types of tombstone monuments markers are:

1. Wood markers: If it were not for the problem of decomposition of wood, these would have been the most affordable markers of all.

2. Iron markers: Iron is yet another material used for the making of Grave monuments. The ones made from the wrought iron are more prone to rust and damage than the ones made of cast iron.

3. Limestone: Limestone lends itself to easy carvings since it is soft. At the same time, it must be said that this gets dissolved in the slightly acidic rain water, making it rather a poor choice as a grave monuments marker.

4. White Bronze: These sand cast zinc headstones are considered to be more long lasting and affordable markers than the marble.

5. Granite: This is quite an expensive proposition as a grave marker. It is hard and, therefore, difficult to carve out. Sandblasting of a rubber stencil on the surface of the marble is used to inscribe the names and dates.

People who need the tombstone for their deceased must negotiate to get a good deal since the traders make use of the sad moment to their advantage by not negotiating.

Considerations for selecting the right monuments

Graveyard stones are called by different names, like the headstones, the tombstone, the monuments, the cemetery stones and other names. These are the markers of the grave of a particular person which are used to identify him or her from a number of other graves in the cemetery. When you are bereaved of some near and dear one, you might wish to put the best headstone as a marker on the grave of the person. However, you must remember that your choice is not only conditioned by your likes and dislikes alone. These might also be affected by the rules and regulations related to these grave stones which might be followed by the cemetery.

So, there could be the following considerations of the cemetery for laying the tombstone monuments or the headstone, especially related to the size and the materials to be used for the laying of the same:

1. Time restriction for placing the wooden tombstone monuments: It is quite common that the cemeteries do not allow the placing of the wooden headstones on the graves. This is because the wood is prone to degradation under the open air weather conditions. Therefore, a more permanent structure might be required to be placed in place of the wooden one. The cemeteries may allow the continuance of the wooden structure for the next six months or so.

2. Shape and position of the graveyard stone: The cemeteries might also prescribe the shape and the position of these stones to be placed on these graves. These are done to facilitate grass cutting by machines or by the grass cutters. There could also be a concern of the space to be occupied by the bottom part of the headstones. With limited space availability, the cemeteries may not permit a bigger than the prescribed size of the same.

3. Specialist monuments masons requirement: Cemeteries do require regular maintenance and this is done with the help of the specialist monument masons. Their services might be required for placing the headstone monuments on the graves of the people, for rubbing the same to make the carving more visible and for adjusting the same.

Therefore, it is important that you shall consult the cemetery before going to the market for buying the one to place on the grave of the dead. The headstones monuments are made of different types of materials. These could be the stone, metals and even wood.

The most commonly used headstones are the ones made in marble or granite which are more durable than the other stone markers. Granite is not easy to carve, though it is long lasting. Marble and limestone are easy to carve but these are also prone to slow dissolution in rain which can make the inscriptions unreadable over a period of time. Sandstone usage is also widely prevalent. It is durable and easy to carve but is prone to delamination.

Therefore, your selection of the right tombstone monument is guided by a number of considerations like the rule of the cemetery, the pros and cons of using the different material tombstone monuments and even your own fancies.

Different choice considerations for the selection of the headstones

When a person dies, he or she is laid to rest in a coffin underground. The place where the dead are laid to rest is called a cemetery and the different cemeteries have different rules governing the way in which the people can be laid to rest. Some of the most important rules pertain to the laying of the headstones or tombstone monuments. One might wonder why the rules are necessary and the near and dear ones shall be allowed to do whatever they want on the grave on the deceased. But, this is a very narrow perception.

The cemetery has to consider all those things which are necessary for the upkeep of the cemetery and at the same adopts a uniform approach for all type of people who find place there. The rules are not extremely restrictive or prohibitive. Rather, these are necessary for the maintenance functions of the cemetery like the regular cleaning operations, cutting of the grass, ensuring that there is sufficient space to move about in the space between the graves and making sure that no such material is used as monuments, headstones or tombstones which can cause the harm to the visitors as well as the graves.. Therefore, there might even be restrictions on what all things can be carried inside the graveyard. Despite these restrictions, these do provide sufficient avenues for the people to fulfill their desires and aspirations.

The people can place the headstones on the heads of the graves and also mention the name of the deceased, the years of birth and death and even the ancestral parentage. The headstones have traditionally been marked with the different type of symbols, characters, images of angels and many other religious symbols. These are a crucial part of the ‘graveyard art’. The tombstones are the ones which are laid on the graves. There is no practical difference between these two in the modern times, but in the previous times there was a difference in the meaning. In the modern times, these have come to be used interchangeably.

The two main materials used for the making of these grave monuments are the marble and the granite. Care shall be taken while selecting this material. The ideal material is the one which can tolerate the adverse weather conditions for a long time to come and at the same time can be carved into some design. So, the material shall ideally be strong and durable. Granite is one such material but is also quite expensive to buy. The cemeteries have the people who can place the headstones at the right place, at the right depth and in a right way.

These monuments or grave monuments also serve the purpose of easy identification of the graves from among a number of these which are present in the cemetery. Many unique and different designs can be made on these, or the same can even be cut or sculpted in different shapes and styles.