Graving
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Graving is a term applied to the activity of researching the genealogy or history of individuals by gathering information from their grave markers. Such activities may include manually transcribing the vital statistics information available from the headstones in a cemetery, photographing them for the same purpose or photographing the funeary art connected with cemeteries, paying tribute to well-known personalities by visiting their graves, etc.
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[edit] Other examples of graving activities
- Genealogy - looking for the graves of relatives
- Rediscovering lost cemeteries
- Cemetery preservation
- Volunteering to clean up a cemetery
[edit] Hazards associated with graving
Like many outdoor activities, graving can pose certain hazards.
- Natural hazards such as snakes, wasps, poison ivy and briars
- Hazards unique to cemeteries such as tripping over hard-to-see headstones or stumbling into open graves
- Some cemeteries and graves are on private property, so there is the risk of trespassing unwittingly. Always ask the permission of the landowner.
- Criminals may frequent some cemeteries.
[edit] Graving gear
Gravers often bring along equipment to make their graving excursions more productive. Useful items include:
- GPS device to record locations of cemeteries and individual graves
- Notebook and pen (or digital voice recorder) for recording information on headstones that may be difficult or impossible to read from a photograph
- Camera (and extra batteries and film/memory cards)
- Gardening implements to clear away overgrown brush and brambles
- Water to clean gravestones
- Whisk broom and/or soft brush to clear away debris
- Maps
- Aluminum foil to do grave "rubbings" without damaging the stone (see below)
Note: One of the prime concerns of a serious "graver" is that no damage be done to the grave stones or the surrounding grounds. Do not use shaving cream or substances other than water to clean gravestones, and do not use chalk to make stones more readable, despite popular recommendations to do so. Utmost caution should be exercised in removing dirt from gravestones; indeed, real cleaning should be left to professionals. Chemicals and abrasion can cause irreversible damage to gravestones. Do not use paper and crayon to make rubbings, as even this kind of abrasion can damage stones. Graving websites usually have recommendations on the best way to proceed with collecting the information from a hard-to-read stone.
[edit] Related Web Sites and Links
Several graving websites have been developed, one of the best known of which is Find A Grave.
