Managing and updating existing cemetery infrastructure while developing new inventory are ongoing challenges. A sensitive approach to meeting the primary needs of those who visit a Cemetery is also essential.

Recently, Italian architect Andrea Dragoni extended a cemetery in Gubbio with rows of monumental travertine walls that echo the linear arrangement of the ancient town at its base. This work demonstrates how cemetery design can serve as a poetic reflection of our mortality.

Master Plan

A master plan allows the cemetery to map out short and long term needs, create a schedule for implementing various projects over time and provides an overall design for the cemetery. A well developed and executed master plan will optimize land utilization, improve aesthetics and increase marketability of the cemetery.

Taking advantage of existing natural features of a site is always important. Many cemeteries have a beautiful water feature or wooded hillside that can be highlighted and used to distinguish the cemetery from others. Adding a gateway entrance is another way to create a sense of transition and arrival at the cemetery. This can be done through architecture, plantings or design vernacular. Addressing the increasing inclination toward cremation by providing in ground columbaria and mausoleum spaces as well as a serene landscape setting is another opportunity. It is important to balance these new burial options with the traditional casketed burial areas. It is also essential to establish a plan for preserving older grave sites to preserve their historic value.

Signage

Cemeteries use a wide range of signage, from directional signs to maps to inform and direct visitors. These signs are important because they allow the visitor to know what they are in for and where to go within the cemetery.

Cemetery signs remind us of death’s inevitability and the necessity for virtue. These reminders are often carved on headstones, inscribed with representations of Death’s head or Father Time extinguishing the candle of life, and written with verbal warnings like “Fugit hora” and “Memento mori” (remember that you must die).

In addition to these signs, Lyon works with communities to find creative ways to make space for burials, monuments, trees, and roads in their existing cemeteries. These thoughtful arrangements lead to a more meaningful and sustainable cemetery landscape for the community, which is also a place for living families to visit and remember their deceased loved ones. Thick aluminum metal cemetery signs are durable and easily spotted from a distance. They can be laminated to protect them from scuffs and scratches.

Grading & Drainage

A proper drainage system in a Cemetery prevents water from pooling on the property and ensures that it is directed away from gravesites and buildings. It should be designed by a professional to minimize the risk of flooding, erosion and other costly maintenance issues.

Sustainable design features, such as transitioning roads from asphalt to permeable materials and planting more native grasses that require less mowing, save on maintenance expenses. And using organic fertilizers and mulches reduces the chemical runoff that damages headstones.

WC Fry Design offers a full range of cemetery design services to reimagine your cemetery, increase burial options and reduce costs. We believe in the value of community involvement and co-creative approaches to design. Getting community members involved early in the process fosters connection and a sense of ownership of your cemetery as a shared space. It also makes for a more persuasive presentation to city planning commissions and other key stakeholders. The result is a cemetery that is both functional and a beautiful place to remember loved ones for generations to come.

Landscaping

A cemetery is a unique place that deserves a thoughtful and responsive landscape design. Too often the development of new or existing cemetery sites obliterates an existing setting and creates a monotonous, generic cemetery that looks like every other one along every highway in America.

Good cemetery design provides a beautiful backdrop to life, family and history and invites connection with communities. It also adds value, and burial plots located near scenic areas or memorial park features command premiums.

Specimen trees, shrubs and ground covers provide character, beauty and interest in the cemetery, while providing shade and comfort to visitors. Periodic pruning and integrated pest management reduce hazards from dead branches, and proper aeration of the soil retards compaction and biological growth that kills turf and damages gravestones. Streams, ponds and water features provide tranquility and attract wildlife. The selection of flowering plants demonstrates care and respect, as well as honors the deceased through the symbolic language of flowers.

A cemetery is land used for burial purposes. It can include graveyards, churchyard burial grounds, lawn cemeteries and mausoleums.

Researching gravestones can be rewarding. Oftentimes, family history can be gleaned from the inscriptions on monuments and headstones.

Visiting a cemetery can be dangerous, so it’s wise to take another person with you and have notebooks and worksheets on hand for recording transcriptions. A cellular phone is also useful.

Burial Grounds

Burial grounds are usually operated by local authorities, and a registrar or caretaker handles the sale of plots. A number of funeral directors also offer to handle burial ground purchases as part of their package of services.

Most modern cemeteries are located in easy-to-access land and have some system for recording the locations of graves, ideally with GPS coordinates. This helps cemetery management and makes it easier for friends and family members to find a loved one’s resting place.

Green burial is becoming more popular and involves burying bodies in natural settings without using chemical preservatives like embalming or burial vaults to prevent decomposition. These burial grounds allow a wooden or simple stone marker to be used as a memorial. Eventually the body returns to dust and the markers fade into the surrounding environment over time. The resulting area is a beautiful and peaceful resting place. Many of these sites are woodlands or wildflower meadows in areas of natural beauty.

Churchyards

A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church. It was originally used as a place for burials, which is why it is sometimes also called a graveyard.

People can still be buried in a churchyard if they are a member of the church, but the space is often very limited, so this might not always be possible. Non-churchgoers or people who follow a different religion might prefer to be buried on non-consecrated ground outside of a church, instead.

Churchyards are considered sacred spaces and there are a number of rules that must be followed to ensure that they remain places of peace and beauty, reflecting the Christian context. These rules are set out in a document called the Churchyard Regulations, which is drawn up by the Chancellor of the Diocese. All work in churchyards, including repairs to boundary walls, lychgates and benches, as well as memorials, is subject to the approval of the DAC (the Churchyard Advisory Committee).

Lawn Cemeteries

A lawn cemetery is one in which a uniform design is applied to all grave spaces/plots and raised kerbsets are not used. It is thought that the introduction of the lawn cemetery aesthetic heralded a rejection of the traditional cemetery landscape and the adoption of a new, pragmatist approach to the management of cemeteries (Rugg, 2006).

Tree lines in the cemetery can make it easier to distinguish similar-looking plots and enhance the attractiveness of the area. In some parts of the Zentralfriedhof, an extensive woodland planting scheme has been implemented. The Hungarian Ornithological Society has installed 25 bird boxes and a feeder in the cemetery, and monitors species present there, occasionally carrying out ringing.

The Zentralfriedhof has a wide range of recreational activities that use the green areas. In addition to running, Nordic walking, and cycling, the cemetery provides space for a tranquil form of exercise called ‘active meditation’ and offers visitors an opportunity to experience nature while reflecting on the lives of their loved ones.

Columbariums

Often seen at cemeteries, churchyards and in private memorial parks, columbariums are final resting places that are designed specifically for cremated remains. They’re built into walls or rooms and have niches that can hold one urn per space.

Whether the family chooses to bury or cremate, these structures allow them to pay their respects to a loved one in a beautiful and peaceful setting. The front plate or plaque of a niche can be personalized with inscriptions similar to those on grave markers, and some can also accommodate flower vases.

A growing number of families are choosing to have their loved ones ashes scattered in a garden of remembrance or placed into a columbarium. Compared to traditional burials and mausoleums, columbariums are a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly option. They also tend to take up less ground space which leaves more room for other cemetery plots, as well as being easier to maintain and visit.

Memorial Park aims to be a place of beauty and peace for all visitors. It uses dignified engraved markers lying flat on landscaped plots to memorialize a grave and maintains an open, beautifully natural setting for services that are less about mourning and more about life celebration.

The centerpiece is a large open green hill designed for relaxation and play. It is crowned by the memorial arch and entrance to the subterranean museum.

History of the Park

Memorial Park was built in 1983 on the Tactical Air Command parade grounds by order of Gen. Bill Creech to honor Service members who died during conflict around the world. The original concept was to create an area that was peaceful and calming, with an environment that reminded families of their loved ones.

The park includes miles of multi-use trails, a sand volleyball court and rugby and softball fields. It houses a variety of tree and plant species, including huckleberry, poison oak, ferns and redwood sorrel. Animals such as banana slugs, raccoons, woodpeckers and Steller’s jays are also found in the woods.

In addition, there is a pond, a garden and man-made water features throughout the facility. These elements create an expansive and appealing setting that sets family members at ease and invites them to begin new traditions of life celebration. Unlike conventional cemeteries, memorial parks use flat flush plaques or markers to mark the graves of Service members and rely on landscaped plots for the majority of the burial site design.

Submariners Monument

In this quiet spot overlooking the water, visitors can find a monument dedicated to the submariners who served in World War II. Fifty-two engraved stones around concrete walkways represent the submarines lost during the war and their crew members. Each stone identifies the submarine, when it was lost, who was in command, and the circumstances of its loss. In addition, the names of each submariner are listed. A large American Liberty elm tree stands behind each marker.

Although the memorial was built more than a decade ago, the markers needed repairs because of weather and vandalism. Douglas Smay, who proposed the 52 Boats Memorial, founded the non-profit organization to solicit funds from submariners and others for the repairs. He was able to have several of the markers replaced, but many still need replacements. Steven Bragia, superintendent of a construction company in the area, heard about the memorial and decided to help. He was able to have all the replacements completed quickly and for free.

Peace Statue

The white colonnade anchors the park, built on a former Dundee neighborhood golf course. It honors the 1,000 men and women from Douglas County who died in World War II. The site also holds monuments to those who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.

A life-sized sculpture of a sailor kissing a nurse, which commemorates the iconic Times Square kiss from V-J Day in 1945, is a popular stop for visitors to the park. It was created by Seward Johnson and brought to the park last April. It will remain on display through November.

Visitors to the park are also encouraged to leave paper cranes near the statue. The origami tradition grew from a story of Sadako Sasaki, who was ill with radiation-induced leukemia at the time of the bombing and hoped to fold one thousand cranes. Thousands of visitors have left origami cranes around the memorial, and some even from far-away places like Australia and Sweden.

Vietnam War Monument

The Vietnam War Memorial, dedicated in 1982, is a powerful tribute to America’s courage and sacrifice in a divisive war. Its black granite walls are inscribed with the names of Americans killed or missing in action during the war. The names appear in chronological order. Guidebooks are available at the entrances to help visitors find specific names.

Near the wall is a statue of three servicemen, known as The Three Servicemen, who gaze at the names of their fallen comrades on The Wall. Another memorial, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, honors the contributions of military and civilian women who served in-country during the conflict. While barred from combat, many women volunteered in medical services and other support roles.

The park’s open, naturally beautiful setting reflects its purpose to provide an environment for services that are less about mourning and more about life celebration. It is also designed to encourage families to create new traditions of family gatherings.

You may need to hire a Long Island funeral home neglect attorney if your loved one’s remains were mishandled. In New York, only licensed funeral directors can arrange burial or cremation. The state also requires that all funeral directors and embalmers pass a law exam and complete an apprenticeship.

Licensing requirements vary by state, so it is important to research your options carefully. The following information will help you make an informed decision.

California Cemetery & Funeral Bureau

The Bureau licenses, regulates, inspects and investigates funeral establishments, cemetery managers, embalmers, apprentice embalmers, cremated remains disposers, and the nearly 200 licensed private cemeteries in California. The Bureau also administers the State’s pre-need funeral trust fund statutes and regulations.

Consumers are protected by laws that require funeral homes to provide an itemized price list during the initial consultation and on their website, as well as prevent funeral home owners from imposing undue pressure to purchase unnecessary services or products. In addition, burial rights laws ensure consumers receive accurate and complete information regarding funeral costs.

Consumers may choose to keep ashes at a private home, inter them in a cemetery plot or scattering garden, place them in a columbarium, or donate them to a public institution. They may also hire a person or firm licensed to dispose of ashes, known as a “cremated remains disposer.” The Bureau maintains 4 cubic feet of textual records in this collection that date from 1949 to 1978.

New York State Department of Health

The New York State Department of Health is responsible for public health in the state of New York. It provides a wide range of services, including food safety inspections, disease control and prevention, epidemiology, and more. It also licenses and regulates Certified Home Health Agencies, Long Term Home Health Care Programs, Hospices, and Limited Licensed Home Care Services Agencies. It conducts regular inspections of these facilities to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. It also monitors reported complaints.

Georgia State Board of Funeral Service

In Georgia, all funeral homes must be licensed and insured. They must be members of the National Funeral Directors Association, and they must adhere to strict ethical and professional standards. The association also provides a network of resources for professionals. Lord & Stephens is an active member, and its staff has served in various positions from treasurer to president.

The state of Georgia has laws governing caskets, burial and cremation. In addition, the funeral industry must disclose prices by providing an itemized General Price List at the beginning of a visit to the funeral home. The funeral home must also show consumers separate casket and outer burial container prices.

The State Board of Funeral Service also regulates the practice of funeral directing and embalming. It is a member of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, which addresses licensing qualifications, examination, state-to-state reciprocity and other issues that impact the missions of its members. Its website contains licensure-related applications, renewals and affidavits & verifiable documents.

Nevada Funeral & Cemetery Services Board

The Nevada Funeral & Cemetery Services Board is committed to protecting the health, safety and welfare of consumers by regulating the funeral service profession. It is funded by licensing fees and does not receive funds from the State General Fund. It is composed of seven members appointed by the Governor. Southwest Medical Hospice Care bereavement coordinator Jeff Long was recently appointed to the board.

Under Nevada law, a funeral home must offer a printed or typewritten price list to people who inquire in person about casket offerings or prices. The list must contain the retail prices for all outer burial containers that are available, the name of the manufacturer or supplier, and be effective as of the date of the inquiry.

You must also include on your GPL the fee you will charge for basic professional services of a funeral director and staff. This includes embalming. If you have a problem with a funeral or cremation home, you should try to solve it with the funeral director first. If that fails, you can lodge a complaint with the State Board of Funeral Directors, Embalmers& Operators of Cemeteries and Crematories.

Mortuaries are multi-purpose facilities that provide some combination of body storage, embalming and direct cremation. Many mortuaries aren’t attached to funeral homes, and they tend to focus less on helping families plan memorial services.

After confirming that the deceased is dead, the embalmer makes an incision in the jugular vein and carotid artery to allow blood to drain. He then washes the body and applies a cosmetic.

What is a mortuary?

When a loved one dies, there are many things to think about. One of the most important decisions is where to store and prepare the body. A mortuary is a place where the deceased are kept until they are ready for burial or cremation.

Mortuaries can be found in hospitals, private funeral homes, and public health facilities. They are usually large, refrigerated buildings where a pathologist and morticians work to identify the body and prepare it for viewing and transport.

Traditionally, mortuaries have been more bare-bones operations than funeral homes. They typically only offer quick viewing and limited memorial services for immediate family members and on-site cremation. However, some mortuaries are now offering full-service funeral options such as preplanning and ceremonies. They are also offering more assistance to families as they navigate the cremation process.

What is a morgue?

A morgue is a space, usually located in hospitals or coroner’s offices, where dead bodies are temporarily stored until they can be identified and transported to funeral homes or other locations for burial or cremation. The bodies are kept refrigerated to slow down the decomposition process.

Mortuary jobs are in demand because of the work involved. The job requires steady hands, good observational skills and the ability to work with extremely upsetting situations. The job also involves handling surgical instruments, which must be kept clean to avoid contamination. A recent study found that many morgue instruments were contaminated with DNA from previous autopsies.

Some people use the term “morgue” to mean a funeral home, but it is not a synonym. Funeral homes offer more services than just temporary storage and embalming, such as memorial services and viewings. They can also handle direct cremation, which is when the body is inserted into a special oven called a retort.

What is the difference between a morgue and a funeral home?

When someone dies, it’s important to make sure the body is properly handled and stored. This process is called embalming. A morgue is a room, typically found in hospitals, medical centers, and coroner’s offices, where bodies are stored temporarily until they can be identified or released to a funeral home or family.

A mortician has the responsibility of preparing the body for viewing and burial. They wash the body and then use cosmetics to make it look more natural. They also suture any wounds and add a final touch, such as arranging the hair or nails.

A funeral home is a full-service provider that handles all aspects of death care. They can help you arrange for a memorial service, plan your loved one’s burial plot, and more. They typically cost more than a morgue, but they can provide you with a more comprehensive set of services. Many funeral homes also have larger viewing spaces for families and friends to pay their respects.

What are the duties of a mortician?

A mortician’s duties focus on providing support to grieving families and preparing the body for burial or cremation. While this may seem like a difficult career to pursue, it can be highly rewarding and uniquely fulfilling.

Most morticians work in funeral homes, where they can provide a wide range of services. This can include arranging funeral, cremation, and interment arrangements, as well as assisting friends and family members with completing death-related paperwork, such as writing obituaries or transferring pensions, bank accounts, and retirement funds.

Additionally, morticians are often the first to receive a call after a death and are responsible for transporting the body from the place of death. In some instances, they may also be required to perform an autopsy, though it is typically a coroner or medical professional who makes the decision whether an autopsy will be performed. Morticians are often on call, so they must be willing to respond quickly and work non-standard hours.

People often use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences between the two.

A graveyard is a area specifically set aside for burials, usually associated with a church. It may also have rules and regulations regarding the headstones that are used. It is a much more permanent setting than a natural burial site.

Definition

A graveyard is a place where people are buried after they die. The term may also refer to the grave itself, which is usually a stone marker with a name, date of death and possibly some other information.

Cemeteries and graveyards have been around for thousands of years. Early burials took place outside of cities, but as cities grew, people tended to build cemeteries closer to churches. This is why the terms cemetery and graveyard are sometimes used interchangeably, even though they have different histories.

Before the 7th century, Christian burials were only allowed on church property, which was called a churchyard. When this became unsustainable, completely separate places for burying people started appearing, which were not affiliated with any church and therefore did not have to be located within the boundaries of a church. These new locations were called graveyards.

Origin

In the Middle Ages, wealthy or otherwise influential Christians were generally interred inside a church after they died, often in a crypt beneath the floor. Less well-off congregants were buried in the yard outside, which came to be known as the graveyard.

The more modern word cemetery comes from the Greek koimeterion, meaning sleeping place, but it came into use only after church-affiliated graveyards began to fill up and it became necessary to create new burial grounds elsewhere. The two words are often used interchangeably, though cemetery is sometimes preferred because it suggests a more secular site.

If you’ve ever worked late into the night, you may have pulled a graveyard shift. This spooky sounding term, however, does not refer to working a graveyard (though it could). Instead, the term originates from a combination of the phrases saved by the bell and dead ringer, both of which refer to late-night work. The phrase is also associated with a number of other spooky movies, including Jaws and Alien.

Meaning

Graveyards are important places for people to bury their dead. They help the community to feel at peace with their loss and come together in celebration of the lives of those buried there.

A graveyard can be a frightening place for readers to encounter, which can build tension and fear in your story. Using the adjective “chilling” helps to portray your readers’ discomfort in this setting, allowing you to evoke feelings of horror and fear in them.

The varied architectural styles of a cemetery can provide inspiration for your writing. Grecian urns rub shoulders with Egyptian obelisks, and Celtic crosses with angels and plinths. These monuments can represent your characters’ beliefs and ideas in a funereal way, letting you convey their personalities through the various symbols on their tombstones. These examples are programmed from corpora and may not reflect the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.

Usage

Graveyard is a powerful card that can be very effective in decks that rely on Skeletons or spells. However, it can be a difficult card to play well against. It requires a lot of knowledge and skill to use effectively.

In order to counter a Graveyard, players should build their decks with units that can deal damage quickly. These include Guards, Lumberjack, Witch, Minions, and Barbarians. These units are fast and have high hitpoints, making them good counters to the Graveyard.

Also, it is important to have cards in your deck that can be used as Poison bait. This can prevent your opponent from saving their Poison for defense and will make it harder for them to defend against your Graveyard. A good way to do this is by playing a card like Saheeli, Sublime Artificer. He is fast and has a large range, which makes him an excellent counter to the Graveyard. However, he is also susceptible to Poison.

A well designed cemetery should be both calming and inviting to visitors. Adding decorative features, different shades of green, proper proportions of hardscape to softscapes and providing directional signage that complements the overall layout are just a few of the components needed for a successful cemetery design.

Good cemetery design adds value to a burial plot, often increasing revenues. Those who choose plots with views or close proximity to park amenities will pay premiums for the choice.

Graves

Graves are a vital part of the cemetery design. It’s important to make the experience of bidding farewell to a loved one as beautiful as possible.

It is also important to create a landscape that encourages connection with family and community. This is accomplished by providing a variety of burial options including private estate gardens, bench estates and traditional lawn burials as well as columbaria and ossuaries for cremation interments.

It is crucial to design a cemetery layout that takes into account drainage and the needs of the surrounding environment. This can be done by installing subsoil drains, reed bed construction or surface water catchment systems. Creating ponds in the cemetery can offer additional beauty and serve as a resting place for wildlife. It is also a great way to help with erosion and reduce the need for irrigation.

Mausoleums & Columbariums

When full body burial is not desired or possible, mausoleums and columbaria offer a beautiful alternative. A mausoleum is a building designed for above ground placement of caskets, whereas a columbarium is a space for the interment of cremains (urns). These structures may be public/shared or private/family and have varying design options from a basic architectural style to a more decorative look.

Columbaria also allow for a more efficient use of cemetery space which helps reduce maintenance costs and environmental footprints (when using aquamation over flame cremation). As with graves, mourners often leave flowers on columbarium walls – newer designs include metal clips beside each plaque to hold a single flower or small posy. This practice is a respectful and timeless custom. These are a beautiful addition to any cemetery.

Memorials

Once a cemetery master plan has been completed, the design process can begin. A variety of different cemetery design solutions can be developed and evaluated for their fit to the site and community. Areas with constraints to development will be identified and worked around where possible.

Headstones or memorials can be designed to convey the individual’s beliefs and relationships through an inscription cast or carved on the face of the stone. A photo may be etched or embedded into the stone, and artful emblems may also be included.

Memorial design requires attention to the overall landscape of the cemetery. Decorative elements, plantings with a range of textures and colors, special water features, and thoughtful directional signage must all contribute to the aesthetic. A well-designed cemetery will be a place of comfort and beauty.

Monuments

Cemeteries can be seen as an urban green infrastructure and serve a number of functions beyond the primary one of burial. They can help to regulate temperatures, prevent soil erosion and floods, provide habitats for insects and small animals and provide recreational opportunities for the public.

Upright monuments can be as large or as small as your cemetery allows, and can include a variety of designs. They are typically built up off the ground using a base, and can incorporate features such as sculpted slabs, porcelain portraits, bronze or aluminum accents, hand-tooled lettering, and more.

Whenever possible, we try to utilize the natural landscape of a cemetery as opposed to building on new land. This may involve working around features such as a scenic water feature, desirable wooded hillside or high point.

Interior Design

Many modern cemetery designs focus on a spiritual trend. This includes ponds, native landscaping and an aesthetic that invites wildlife into the cemetery grounds.

Cemetery landscape design can also be a way to connect with the community. Including your community in the progress of your cemetery master plan shows that you value their opinion and feedback.

Often, unique areas in a cemetery require more care than others. These can include wetlands, wooded areas or hilly landscapes that are hard to develop. These situations require more time for thinking and can result in more creative solutions for the cemetery. Working with these challenges can result in a more interesting place that people enjoy visiting. This is important for a cemetery because people are attracted to places that have personality.

A mortuary is a place where dead people are kept. It is often found in hospitals or medical centers for autopsies and investigations.

Most standalone morgues don’t offer full funeral services like funeral homes do. They focus on preparing the body and can be more affordable if you don’t need a casket.

Storage

When a person passes away, he or she needs to be stored until it can be identified, taken for autopsy, or otherwise prepared for burial or cremation. That is where a mortuary comes in.

Most adults have seen depictions of a morgue in films and television shows. While they tend to be somewhat overdramatic, the basic idea is true: a morgue is where dead people are kept temporarily until they can be examined and disposed of.

While mortuaries often have a specific location in hospitals or medical centers, they can also be found at funeral homes and other types of care facilities. The goal is to provide empathetic handling of the recently deceased and maintain strict hygienic standards.

To prevent bacteria from spreading, mortuary items must be properly stored and transported. Using a mortuary cooler is a great way to store bodies while still providing easy access for staff to handle them. Many different sizes and types are available, from walk-in units to single-body freezers.

Embalming

Surgical embalming is when blood and internal fluids are replaced with a mixture of chemicals that slow organic decomposition and restore the body to a more lifelike appearance. The embalming solution typically includes formaldehyde, ethanol, glutaraldehyde, water and a dye.

Once the cadaver is prepared, an embalmer checks vital signs to ensure that death has occurred. Embalmers look for clouded corneas, lividity and rigor mortis. They also check for a pulse in the carotid or radial artery.

Then an incision is made in the lower abdomen. A sharp surgical instrument called a trocar is then inserted into the incision and used to puncture each organ in the chest and abdomen, drain them of liquid and liberate accumulated gases. The embalmer then injects the remaining embalming solution into each organ and into the body cavities.

Choosing between embalming and alternative preservation methods such as refrigeration is an important decision that should be based on religious needs, cultural traditions and personal views. Your memorial specialist can advise you on the best options available to thoughtfully commemorate your loved one.

Preparation for Burial or Cremation

A mortuary can be a place that offers both burial and cremation services or it may only offer the former. Depending on the service provider, they may also focus more on the mortuary sciences and less on funeral services, which are often more focused on memorialization and the end-of-life ceremonies.

When the time comes to either inter a body or send it to be cremated, there are a few key steps. The first is to make sure that the identification process was accurate and that authorization was obtained to cremate the body.

Once the correct information has been confirmed, the body is washed and dressed. This is a traditional ritual in some religions and it can be a final act of dignity for the deceased person.

Some mortuaries use hydro aspirators in the embalming process, which helps to wash and sanitize the body. The body is then placed in a casket or into an urn for cremation.

Identification

During the identification process, the bodies are photographed and any other external features of the deceased, including tattoos, scars and skin markings are recorded. Forensic osteology is also used to examine the bones of the deceased.

The identification process is based on best evidence and a provisional match is made for each individual. This is confirmed by a member of the identification board (either a coroner or procurator fiscal) and is then presented to family members for their view.

If a body is not identified within 7 days of admission to the mortuary or has inconclusive fingerprint results, the case will be referred to the ID unit. This involves scanning the body using a LODOX StatScan X-ray machine and examining the internal features for potential markers of identity, such as healed fractures, surgical interventions and implants. Identifying a body takes time and can be traumatic for relatives. Therefore, a viewing appointment system is in place.

The graveyard is an area of land used for burial. In Europe, wealthy congregants were interred inside a church in a crypt, but less-wealthy people were buried outside in the churchyard. Over time, this section of land became known as a graveyard.

Re-using old grave sites can upset families, especially if family members were unaware that the old graves could be re-used. Often, cemetery authorities attempt to notify families before re-using old grave sites.

What is a Graveyard?

A graveyard is a place where people are buried. It’s a compound word, formed from the proto-Germanic ‘graban’, meaning to dig, and the Old English ‘gardenan’, an enclosed area of land. During the Middle Ages, wealthy or influential Christians were usually interred inside a church after death, in a crypt beneath the floor. Less affluent congregants were buried in the outside section of the churchyard, which came to be known as the graveyard.

As Europe’s population grew, it became clear that the capacity of church graveyards would soon be exceeded. Hence, new independent sites for burial, which did not have religious affiliations, appeared, and were called cemeteries.

Today, you can use the terms graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. However, if linguistic precision is important to you, it’s best to stick to the traditional definition of a graveyard being located on church grounds or adjacent to one. A cemetery, on the other hand, is a more modern concept that does not have any connection to a place of worship and is often quite large in size.

The History of Graveyards

In many cultures, people associate cemeteries with superstition and legend. They are believed to have a dark aura and serve as altars in supposed black magic ceremonies, devil worshipping and similar clandestine happenings. People often believe that the ghosts of the dead are allowed to roam the grounds at night time and can be seen mingling with the living. They are also believed to be a place where witches and sorcerers collect skulls and bones for their sinister rituals.

In the past, wealthy families would have their dead buried in churchyards or graveyards, while the poor were buried on the outside of the walls. This created a division between the social classes and this is illustrated in Shakespeare’s famous scene where Hamlet discovers that Yorick’s skull has been dug up.

As population increased, churches ran out of space to bury the dead. They were also worried that the stench from a full cemetery could cause disease and even epidemics. This led to the development of new burial grounds away from city centre areas.

The Difference Between a Graveyard and a Cemetery

Despite being used interchangeably in common speech, there is actually a difference between a graveyard and a cemetery. The difference is subtle but important.

Graveyards are traditionally a burial ground that adjoins a church. This means that they can only be used by members of that particular church or religion. This limits the number of people who can be buried there and means that they are smaller than a typical cemetery.

Cemeteries, on the other hand, are not associated with a specific church and are much larger. This also allows them to bury non-religious people as well.

There are a few other differences between the two. A cemetery will often be newer and better maintained than a graveyard. Also, a cemetery will have more space and be more neatly divided into plots for each family. Graveyards, on the other hand, will often have older tombstones and a more chaotic layout. This is because they tend to be located in old churchyards.

The Future of Graveyards

As urbanisation accelerates, finding enough space for cemeteries is becoming a huge challenge. The cemetery industry has had to come up with a few innovative strategies to deal with this issue.

In a lot of countries, people rent the right to bury their bodies in a specific spot. The graves aren’t kept forever though, they get cleared as soon as the relatives or a church stops paying for the space. This makes for a much faster throughflow of burial spots.

Companies are also working on eco-friendly ways of dealing with dead people. For example, some have created tree planting urns that turn your cremated remains into seeds and help them grow into trees.

Cemeteries are a sensitive space that requires special care. Creating a cemetery master plan can help you avoid common problems such as sunken markers and unkempt grass.

Bringing together design sensibilities, site analysis, and community needs, modern cemetery designers have built a reputation for thoughtful, intuitive, and dignified work.

Signage

In cemeteries, signage is important for both orienting visitors within the cemetery and for identifying specific grave sites for friends and family members. Having signage that is legible and understandable to all visitors requires consideration of the design vernacular for the cemetery as well as standardized symbols that are universally recognized.

A cemetery entrance should be a gateway that welcomes people into a special space and sets the tone for what is to come. It should be designed to align with the landscape and architectural design vernacular of the place and to magnify its unique traditions, such as a boulevard that traces a route through a cemetery or a display of donated American burial flags.

Signage at grave sites and columbarium walls should be readable despite the sun’s constant movement over the course of a day, requiring careful evaluation of materials to ensure that the design can endure. In addition, signs should be positioned appropriately to prevent flooding or other environmental problems that can occur on a cemetery property.

Grading and Drainage

A cemetery has to do more than provide a place to lay down a body. It has to be a vibrant celebration of life, family, history, individuality, and community — integrated within a shared space. And that requires a special kind of know-how.

Unfortunately, many cemeteries obliterate their unique settings with development that makes them look like the graveyards along every highway in America. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With thoughtful design, it is possible to preserve the natural setting and still create a beautiful and meaningful place that honors the dead.

Theming

Cemeteries provide an important place for the public to grieve and remember. The design and construction of memorials help visitors and mourners understand the impact of death. They are also an important step in the healing process.

If a cemetery has unique natural features such as a waterfall, wooded hillside or high point, these should be prominently highlighted in the site plan. The location of these distinctive elements can make a positive impact on the final cemetery design and help establish a unique identity for the cemetery.

Depending on the site, it may be possible to incorporate a cremation garden and/or mausoleum into the cemetery master plan. This may allow the cemetery to generate needed revenue for future investment in cemetery product lines. In addition, it can help to reduce the number of grave sites required by allowing families to inter their loved ones cremation remains in a garden or columbaria.

Accessibility

Providing accessibility to all visitors is a vital aspect of cemetery design. This can be accomplished through the use of well designed paths, ensuring that sidewalks are present throughout the property and providing wheelchair access to all graves.

Using existing natural features to their fullest potential is another important aspect of cemetery design. Whether this means utilizing a waterway or taking advantage of an elevation change, these thoughtful considerations can add value to the cemetery and increase its marketability.

Lastly, it is important to consider the impact of any new technologies on the cemetery. In our studies, it was found that many visitors did not prefer the idea of a memorial display that would be able to respond to questions from mourners. Additionally, the idea of having an AI represent a deceased person was perceived as unsettling for mourners. These issues need to be carefully considered and evaluated during the design process. A well developed master plan can help a client balance development costs with revenue and capacity production, as well as improve pedestrian and vehicular flow and navigation through the cemetery.