A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries.[1]
Certain details of a grave, such as the state of the body found within it and any objects found with the body, may provide information for archaeologists about how the body may have lived before its death, including the time period in which it lived and the culture that it had been a part of.
In some religions, it is believed that the body must be burned or cremated for the soul to survive; in others, the complete decomposition of the body is considered to be important for the rest of the soul (see bereavement).
The formal use of a grave involves several steps with associated terminology.
Grave cut
The excavation that forms the grave.[2] Excavations vary from a shallow scraping to removal of topsoil to a depth of 6 feet (1.8 m) or more where a vault or burial chamber is to be constructed. However, most modern graves in the United States are only 4 feet (1.2 m) deep as the casket is placed into a concrete box (see burial vault) to prevent a sinkhole, to ensure the grave is strong enough to be driven over, and to prevent floating in the instance of a flood.
Excavated soil
The material dug up when the grave is excavated. It is often piled up close to the grave for backfilling and then returned to the grave to cover it. As soil decompresses when excavated and space is occupied by the burial not all the volume of soil fits back in the hole, so often evidence is found of remaining soil. In cemeteries, this may end up as a thick layer of soil overlying the original ground surface.
Burial or interment
The body may be placed in a coffin or other container, in a wide range of positions, by itself or in a multiple burial, with or without personal possessions of the deceased.
A vault is a structure built within the grave to receive the body. It may be used to prevent crushing of the remains, allow for multiple burials such as a family vault, retrieval of remains for transfer to an ossuary, or because it forms a monument.
Grave backfill
The soil returned to the grave cut following burial. This material may contain artifacts derived from the original excavation and prior site use, deliberately placed goods or artifacts, or later material. The fill may be left level with the ground or mounded.
Monument or marker
Headstones are best known, but they can be supplemented by decorative edging, footstones, posts to support items, a solid covering or other options.
Graveyards were usually established at the same time as the building of the relevant place of worship (which can date back to the 8th to 14th centuries) and were often used by those families who could not afford to be buried inside or beneath the place of worship itself. In most cultures those who were vastly rich, had important professions, were part of the nobility or were of any other high social status were usually buried in individual crypts inside or beneath the relevant place of worship with an indication of the name of the deceased, date of death and other biographical data. In Europe, this was often accompanied by a depiction of their family coat of arms.
Later, graveyards have been replaced by cemeteries.
In language
Turn in one's grave is an idiom to describe an extreme level of shock or an intense level of surprise and is expressed as the vicarious sentiment of a deceased person.
^Tütüncü, Mehmet (2015). "The Uppsala Mecca Painting: A New Source for the Cultural Topography and Historiography for Mecca". In Buitelaar, Marjo; Mols, Luitgard (eds.). Hajj: Global Interactions through Pilgrimage. Leiden: Sidestone Press. pp. 137–163. ISBN978-90-8890-285-7.
^Ghamidi (2001), Customs and Behavioral Laws 2013-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Media related to Graves at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related to Grave (burial) at Wikiquote
The dictionary definition of grave at Wiktionary
May 21, 2023
grave, other, uses, disambiguation, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, f. For other uses see Grave disambiguation Graves redirects here For other uses see Graves disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Grave news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message A grave is a location where a dead body typically that of a human although sometimes that of an animal is buried or interred after a funeral Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial such as graveyards or cemeteries 1 Grave with burial vault awaiting coffin The Steinbeck family graves in the Hamilton plot at the Salinas cemetery in California United States Grave with a cross with nails in Evros Greece Grave of Catherine Mansdotter the queen of Sweden at the Turku Cathedral in Turku Finland Certain details of a grave such as the state of the body found within it and any objects found with the body may provide information for archaeologists about how the body may have lived before its death including the time period in which it lived and the culture that it had been a part of In some religions it is believed that the body must be burned or cremated for the soul to survive in others the complete decomposition of the body is considered to be important for the rest of the soul see bereavement Contents 1 Description 2 Graveyards and cemeteries 3 In language 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription Edit Novi Banovci Serbia The formal use of a grave involves several steps with associated terminology Grave cutThe excavation that forms the grave 2 Excavations vary from a shallow scraping to removal of topsoil to a depth of 6 feet 1 8 m or more where a vault or burial chamber is to be constructed However most modern graves in the United States are only 4 feet 1 2 m deep as the casket is placed into a concrete box see burial vault to prevent a sinkhole to ensure the grave is strong enough to be driven over and to prevent floating in the instance of a flood Excavated soilThe material dug up when the grave is excavated It is often piled up close to the grave for backfilling and then returned to the grave to cover it As soil decompresses when excavated and space is occupied by the burial not all the volume of soil fits back in the hole so often evidence is found of remaining soil In cemeteries this may end up as a thick layer of soil overlying the original ground surface Burial or intermentThe body may be placed in a coffin or other container in a wide range of positions by itself or in a multiple burial with or without personal possessions of the deceased Burial vaultA vault is a structure built within the grave to receive the body It may be used to prevent crushing of the remains allow for multiple burials such as a family vault retrieval of remains for transfer to an ossuary or because it forms a monument Grave backfillThe soil returned to the grave cut following burial This material may contain artifacts derived from the original excavation and prior site use deliberately placed goods or artifacts or later material The fill may be left level with the ground or mounded Monument or markerHeadstones are best known but they can be supplemented by decorative edging footstones posts to support items a solid covering or other options Graveyards and cemeteries EditFurther information Cemetery Cemetery in Varengeville sur Mer France Interior of the Jewish memorial in Bratislava Slovakia with the grave of the rabbi Chatam Sofer at the left Sahide grave in Alanya Turkey Graveyards were usually established at the same time as the building of the relevant place of worship which can date back to the 8th to 14th centuries and were often used by those families who could not afford to be buried inside or beneath the place of worship itself In most cultures those who were vastly rich had important professions were part of the nobility or were of any other high social status were usually buried in individual crypts inside or beneath the relevant place of worship with an indication of the name of the deceased date of death and other biographical data In Europe this was often accompanied by a depiction of their family coat of arms Later graveyards have been replaced by cemeteries In language EditTurn in one s grave is an idiom to describe an extreme level of shock or an intense level of surprise and is expressed as the vicarious sentiment of a deceased person See also EditBereavement in Judaism Burial at sea Cenotaph Christian burial Cremation Crypt Dolmen Funeral pyre Funerary art God s Acre Gravedigger Islamic funeral Mass grave Maqbara Mausoleum Monumental inscription Natural burial Necropolis Premature burial Pyramid Tomb Tophet Tumulus Turn in one s grave War graveReferences Edit Tutuncu Mehmet 2015 The Uppsala Mecca Painting A New Source for the Cultural Topography and Historiography for Mecca In Buitelaar Marjo Mols Luitgard eds Hajj Global Interactions through Pilgrimage Leiden Sidestone Press pp 137 163 ISBN 978 90 8890 285 7 Ghamidi 2001 Customs and Behavioral Laws Archived 2013 09 23 at the Wayback MachineExternal links Edit Media related to Graves at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Grave burial at Wikiquote The dictionary definition of grave at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Grave amp oldid 1154613749, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
