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to Do History
History
in Graveyards
Many
of humanity’s earliest surviving artifacts are monuments
to death. At least 500,000 years ago, human beings had already
developed burial rituals. Many of the world’s greatest monuments,
including the pyramids in Egypt or the gigantic earthen mounds
erected by Native Americans, are tombs for the dead.
In
more recent times, graveyards provide valuable clues to shifting
values. In this module, we will look at gravestones and tombstone
inscriptions to trace fundamental shifts in beliefs.
1. Changes in terminology
During
the 17th and 18th century, the dead were buried in “graveyards,”
in “burial places,” or even “bone yards.”
Beginning in the 19th century, the terminology shifted. The
dead were buried in “cemeteries”—derived from
the Greek word for “sleeping place.”
What
does this shift in terminology suggest about changing attitudes
toward death?
2. Changes in the appearance and location
of graveyards
Early
grave yards were located near the center of communities. Beginning
with the construction of Mount Auburn cemetery in a rural area
near Boston in the early 19th century, the modern rural “park”
cemetery appeared. This was a place where the living could commune
with the dead in a park-like setting.
What
significance do you see in the movement of cemeteries from the
community’s center to the periphery?
Why
do you think there were growing attempts to beautify places
for the dead?
3. Changes in the iconography of gravestones
Between
the 17th and the 19th century, the images of gravestones underwent
a profound change, reflecting profound changes in attitudes
toward death. One can trace a shift from a Puritan view, which
viewed earthly existence with contempt and emphasized resignation
in the face of death, to a Romantic view, which stressed hope
for immortality and reunion of families in heaven along with
the importance of grieving.
For examples of gravestone iconography, see:
The Deerfield, Massachusetts, graveyard
http://ccbit.cs.umass.edu/turns/mcc/classroom/activity/
8th_grade/death/2purpose/purpose.html
4. Epitaphs
Many
gravestones carry an epitaph, an inscription in memory of the
dead Sometimes the epitaph offers a warning to the young. Some
express resignation in the face of death. In other instances
the epitaph offers a brief description of the deceased.
For a list of famous epitaphs, see:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6537/epitaphs-a.htm
5. The Puritans and Death
The
Puritans, unlike many other religious groups, did not bury the
dead near their meeting houses. The Puritans attached no spiritual
significance to the body, and did not believe it needed to be
buried on sacred ground. Further, since the Puritans did not
believe that any person was assured of divine salvation, they
did not think it would be appropriate to bury the dead where
they worshipped.
Puritans
graveyards were often used as grazing grounds. They did not
regard graveyards as spooky or sacred places that evoked fear
or horror.
Contrast
Puritan attitudes toward death with those that are common today.
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