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Identifying sha pes ofgravestones

Memoria lisa tion: Taking a c loser look at .

On first glance cemetery headstones appear to be of many

different types and styles yet when we take a closer look we find

that the many hundreds of headstones in our cemeteries can be

categorised into about 8 or 9 basic styles.

1. Capped stone2. Stele3. Nameplate4. Coped stone or tablet5. Wall plaque6. Plaque7. Block8. Sculptured Cross9. Pedestal with surmount.

This resource set is designed to support students who are

investigating the changing fashions in the shapes of memorials in

our cemeteries and goes with Activity 3a of the memorialisation

unit.

There are student recording sheets included at the end ofthe resource set.

Pedest al

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Examples of c apped-stones and ste le Sha pes of Gravestones

CappedStone

Stele

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Shapes of Gravestones

WallPlaque

Coped Stone

Nameplate

Examp les of namep la tes, c oped -stones, wa ll p laques

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Examples of namep la tes, c oped -stones, wa ll p laques

Shapes of Gravestones

Plaque

Block

Cross

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Shapes of Gravestones examp les of pedesta ls

Pedest al

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Stud ent survey sheet Popularity o f g ravestone sha pes ac ross time

Gravestone t ypes 18 581870

18711880

18811890

18911900

1901-1910

19111920

19211930

19311940

19411950

19511960

19611970

19711980

19811990

19912000

20012010

CappedStone

Stele

Bloc k Numbers ________________________________

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Student survey sheet Popula rity o f g ravestone sha pes ac ross time

Bloc k Numbers ________________________________Gravestone t ypes 18 58

187018711880

18811890

18911900

19011910

19111920

19211930

19311940

19411950

19511960

19611970

19711980

19811990

19912000

20012010

Nameplate

Coped Stone

Plaque

WallPlaque

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Stud ent survey sheet Popula rity o f g ravestone sha pes ac ross time

Bloc k Numbers ________________________________Gravestone t ypes 18 581870 18711880 18811890 18911900 19011910 19111920 19211930 19311940 19411950 19511960 19611970 19711980 19811990 19912000 20012010

Block

Cross

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Stud ent survey sheet Popula rity o f g ravestone sha pes ac ross time

Bloc k Numbers ________________________________

Pedestal

Gravestone t ypes 18 581870 18711880 18811890 18911900 19011910 19111920 19211930 19311940 19411950 19511960 19611970 19711980 19811990 19912000 20012010

R

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Resources

Betteridge, C. (2005). Conservation Plans: Northern and Southern Cemeteries. Unpublished report forHistoric Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.

Edgar, Philip G. (Dec 1995). Ideological choice in the gravestones of Dunedin's Southern Cemetery. A

thesis submitted for a Master of Arts Degree, University of Otago.

Mytum, Harold. (2000). Analysing historic graveyards.Practical Handbook in Archaeology 15. York: Councilfor British Archaeology. Reprinted in 2008.

Sagazio, C. (Ed)(1992) Cemeteries: Our Heritage. National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Note:

Introduce students to a classification of headstone types using the Cemetery Architecture Slide set that ispart of this resource. Both resources have utilised a slightly adapted version of Edgars classification of

headstones. This is a simple and reliable one for use in New Zealand Historic Cemeteries by schoolstudents.