The dead of Paris, before the French Revolution, were most often consigned to mass graveyards that contemporaries described as terrible and terrifying, emitting "putrid miasmas" that were a threat to ...both health and dignity. In a book that is at once wonderfully macabre and exceptionally informative, Erin-Marie Legacey explores how a new burial culture emerged in Paris as a result of both revolutionary fervor and public health concerns, resulting in the construction of park-like cemeteries on the outskirts of the city and a vast underground ossuary.
Making Space for the Dead describes how revolutionaries placed the dead at the center of their republican project of radical reinvention of French society and envisioned a future where graveyards would do more than safely contain human remains; they would serve to educate and inspire the living. Legacey unearths the unexpectedly lively process by which burial sites were reimagined, built, and used, focusing on three of the most important of these new spaces: the Paris Catacombs, Père Lachaise cemetery, and the short-lived Museum of French Monuments. By situating discussions of death and memory in the nation's broader cultural and political context, as well as highlighting how ordinary Parisians understood and experienced these sites, she shows how the treatment of the dead became central to the reconstruction of Parisian society after the Revolution.
Cemeteries in the Philippines are usually under the jurisdiction of local government units (LGUs). Among their jurisdiction is managing cemetery workers. The cemetery workers being part of the ...informal sector are a concern for LGUs since activities within the sector areunknowledgeable to government policies and prone of noncompliance to it. Thus, the study is anchored on determining if cemetery workers of Baguio know the policies governing cemeteries. The study employed both a quantitative and qualitative design, particularly through surveyquestionnaires and interviews. The data shows that the respondents are moderately knowledgeable on the identified cemetery policies. This is because attached offices of Baguio LGU have a constant practice of communicating and orienting the workers on the cemetery policies. Although workers are moderately knowledgeable and the LGU exerts effort and initiatives in communicating with the cemetery workers, some problems still persist due to misinterpretation and stubbornness among the workers.
The land availability in public cemeteries in Tuban currently under pressure towards the land capacity which is getting limited due to the population growth and inadequate facilities. This study, ...using the calculation to get the estimated area and the land capacity of the public cemetery in Tuban. The data compilation steps consists of primary survey and secondary survey. The primary survey activities carried out included field surveys and community aspirations which were carried out through in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). Meanwhile, the secondary survey was conducted to find data, namely basic data on laws and policies, and data on social demographic conditions. The analytical method used is the analysis of grave needs by analyzing the projection of the mortality rate, calculating the need for cemetery land area per year, calculating the remaining land area for the cemetery, calculating the remaining land capacity of the cemetery, and calculating the remaining capacity of the cemetery with a one-time overlapping system. From the results of the analysis, it is obtained that the remaining capacity of the burial ground in Tuban District will be filled in 2021 and will require an additional land area of 617,945 m2 (61 Ha) in 2030. Semanding and Merakurak Districts are projected to be full in 2025 with a land area requirement of 81,589 m2 (8.1 Ha) and 113,875 m2 (11 Ha) in 2030 Palang District will be full in 2026 and Jenu District will be full in 2028.
Abstract This commentary argues for the recognition and preservation of historic black cemeteries as primary components within associated archival networks. Such networks include death certificates, ...historic newspapers, maps, church records, oral histories, and a host of other conventional and nonconventional sources. These sources, when viewed in tandem, work to corroborate and provide insights into other sources and spur new investigations. As the primary components of such networks, both extant cemeteries and burial grounds hidden within the landscape can be utilized as active sites for research, education, and commemoration. This place‐based remembrance encourages the identification and retrieval of local histories and works to increase the number of individuals interested and involved in preservation efforts.
Texas, home to more than 1.7 million living veterans (the second largest number of any state), is also home to six nationally run and four state-run veterans cemeteries. Each year, more than 12,000 ...veterans are laid to rest in these hallowed grounds. The Veterans Cemeteries of Texas recounts the stories of these ten official final resting places for Texas veterans, creating—for the first time—a complete guide to these solemn bivouacs of the dead. Author Michael Lee Lanning, a US Army veteran, has not only reconstructed the history of these cemeteries as a tribute to the fallen but has also compiled a useful resource for the living. Lanning details the exact locations, eligibility requirements, and contact information throughout the state for those veterans and their families who might choose to make use of these important public services. Richly illustrated, the book also provides moving descriptions of military burial traditions, such as “Taps” and the 21-gun salute, as well as information about the various types of military headstones (including sixty authorized religious symbols). In the author’s words, “A walk through these burial grounds is a journey across the history of Texas and of the United States.” Lanning’s use of more than 100 captivating photographs, along with his compelling text, allows readers to take that walk through veterans cemeteries in Texas. For lovers of Texas history and military history, The Veterans Cemeteries of Texas is a gripping tribute to past, present, and future Texas veterans and the solemn places where they rest in their last formation and final parade.
Big cities in Indonesia are faced with the issue of scarcity of cemeteries. This case study explores the effects of spatial regulations on the allocation of space for cemeteries in Surabaya, where 11 ...out of the 13 cemeteries managed by the city authorities are full. Using the lens of theory of spatial justice, secondary data collected was from documentary and doctrinal sources. Primary data was collected through in-depth interviews with cemetery officials. This was complemented with discussions with spatial planning experts and focus groups. Data analyses suggested that cemeteries were perceived as residual green open space and often yielded to commodification, with severe implications for marginalized groups. The paper proposes that the government must make regulations to prevent cemetery spaces from being converted for economic activities. The regulations should prevent capital interest from turning cemeteries into commodities.
•The city government of Surabaya shows a weak role in providing burial grounds.•The availability of cemeteries in Surabaya is threatened because the cemetery has become a residual space.•Spatial planning law in Indonesia have created inequality and open opportunities for the commodification of cemeteries.•The governments , at national and local level, have to prevent capital interest turn cemeteries into commodities.
The barrow cemetery in Łubna (Łubna-Jakusy), Poland, excavated shortly after World War II , is one of the best-known necropolises in the western area of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle. During the ...archaeological research conducted by K. Jażdżewski, up to 27 mounds wereexcavated. In this article, the authors present and specify the absolute chronology of this site. Thanks to a search in the museum storerooms, it was possible to obtain osteological material, which was subsequently dated in the Poznań Radiocarbon Laboratory using the AM S method. These absolute dates combined with the results of a study of the archaeological material allowed the chronology of almost half of the excavated barrows to be defined. The dates obtained thanks to modelling functions answer the question about the timeframe the necropolis was in use. Additionally, the authors present a probable scenario for the development of the cemetery in Łubna, outlining the direction of expansion and characterizing its spatial arrangement.
Fieldwork at Amarna in 2022 included excavation at the Great Aten Temple and the North Desert Cemetery, and the continuation of several post-excavation projects. Those post-excavation projects ...reported on here are the study of skeletal materials, pottery, plant and organic remains, and inscriptions from the North Desert Cemetery; pottery, plant and other organic remains from the North Cliffs Cemetery; and digital modelling of the North Desert Cemetery. A programme of community outreach in collaboration with the Amarna Visitor Centre also recommenced.
The burial of caskets with arsenic-treated wood and formaldehyde-based embalming fluids can harm the environment and health. Arsenic (As) can leach into water, affecting aquatic life and the food ...chain. Formaldehyde can contaminate groundwater, risking drinking water and causing health problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of As and formaldehyde in cemetery plots of different ages. For this, we evaluated whether there is a potential for formaldehyde and As from cemetery caskets to contaminate waterways, which could impact livestock and allow transmission to individuals. There were six soil samples (
= 6), collected at 2 m depth, close to the buried caskets, as well as two (
= 2) groundwater samples (soil + groundwater) collected from a cemetery in Middle Tennessee. The soil was analyzed by an environmental lab using EPA 8315A for formaldehyde and EPA 3050B for As. All samples were below the limit of detection (<LOD) for As and formaldehyde, except for the 1952 soil sample, which presented 2 mg kg
of formaldehyde prevalence. We determined that there is a low likelihood of contamination of waterways and transmission to individuals. Future research is needed to investigate earlier dates of cemetery plots to determine if prior embalming practices could still impact present-day health outcomes. Also, current dates of cemeteries should be investigated to determine if there is a prevalence of formaldehyde and As.