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Graveyard Northamptonshire]] A cemetery is a place in which are the place where the final ceremonies of death are observed. These ceremonies or Rite s differ according to Cultural practice and Religious belief. A cemetery should not be confused with a ''' Graveyard '''. DEFINITION Cemeteries are distinguished from other burial grounds by the fact that they are they are usually purpose built, and in most cases, are not adjoined to a Church or other Place Of Worship . Many cemeteries are Municipal ly owned. A graveyard, on the other hand, is usually much smaller in size than a cemetery, most often it '''is''' adjoined to a church or other place of worship and most significantly, is often located on a ''' Churchyard ''' on Consecrated church ground. In the Scots Language or Northern English Language a churchyard can also be known as a ''kirkyaird''. However, it should be noted that a churchyard can also be any patch of land on church grounds, even without a place of burial. Graveyards are almost always still owned by the place of worship that they are situated next to. The use of graveyards for burial of the dead was largely discontinued from the 19th century onwards as they were replaced by cemeteries. EARLY HISTORY From about the 7th Century , Europe an burial was under the control of the Church and could only take place on Consecrated church ground. Practices varied, but in continental Europe, bodies were usually buried in a Mass Grave until they had Decomposed . The bones were then Exhumed and stored in Ossuaries , either along the Arcaded bounding walls of the cemetery, or within the church under floor slabs and behind walls. In most cultures those who were vastly rich, had important Profession s, were part of the Nobility or were of any other high Social Status were usually buried in individual Crypt s 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 with a depiction of their family Coat Of Arms . Most others were buried in Graveyard s again divided by social status. Families of the deceased who could afford the work of a Stonemason had a Headstone carved and set up over the place of burial with an indication of the name of the deceased, date of death and sometimes other biographical data. Usually, the more writing and symbols carved on the headstone, the more expensive it was. As with most other human property such as houses and means of transport, richer families used to compete for the Artistic value of their family headstone in comparison to others around it, sometimes adding a statue (such as a weeping Angel ) on the top of the grave. Those who could not pay for a headstone at all usually had some religious symbol made from wood on the place of burial such as a Christian Cross , however this would quickly deteriorate under the rain or snow. Some families hired a Blacksmith and had large crosses made from various Metal s put on the place of burial. GRAVEYARDS REPLACED BY CEMETERIES Various conditions in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century lead to the burial of the dead in graveyards being discontinued. Among the reasons for this were:
As a consequence of these reasons, city authorities, national governments and places of worship all changed their regulations for burials. In many European states, burial in graveyards was outlawed altogether either by Royal Decree s or government Legislation . In some cases, Skeleton s were Exhumed from graveyards and moved into ossuaries or Catacombs . A large action of this type occurred in 18th century Paris when human remains were transferred from graveyards all over the city to the Catacombs Of Paris . However in most places across Europe completely new places of burial were established away from heavily populated areas and outside of old towns and city centers. Many new cemeteries became Municipal ly-owned, and thus independent from churches and their churchyards, however even these were still segregated by the faith of the deceased to be buried there. Thus cemeteries (certainly in their modern landscaped or garden cemetery form), rather than graveyards, became the principal place of burial for the deceased and continue to this day. MODERN USE AND STYLES ]] The earliest of the spacious landscaped-style cemeteries is Père Lachaise in Paris. This embodied the idea of State - rather than church-controlled burial – a concept that spread through Europe with the Napoleonic Invasions , and sometimes became adapted leading to the opening of cemeteries by private companies. The shift to municipal cemeteries or those established by private companies was usually accompanied by the establishing of spacious, Landscaped , burial grounds outside of the city limits. Cemeteries are usually a respected or protected area, and often include a Crematorium for the cremation of the dead. The Violation Of The Graves or buildings is usually considered a very serious Crime , and punishments are often severe. The style of cemeteries varies greatly internationally. For example, in the United States and many European countries, modern cemeteries usually have many Tombstones placed on open spaces. In Russia , tombstones are usually placed in small fenced family lots. (This was once common practice in American cemeteries as well, and such fenced family plots are still visible in some older American cemeteries.) , can alleviate overcrowding.]] Cemeteries in cities use valuable urban space, which could become a problem, especially in older cities. As historic cemeteries begin to reach their capacity for full burials, alternative memorialization, such as collective memorials for cremated individuals, is becoming more common. Different cultures have different attitudes to destruction of cemeteries and use of the land for construction. In some countries it is considered normal to destroy the graves, while in others the graves are traditionally respected for a century or more. In many cases, after a suitable period of time has elapsed, the headstones are removed and the now former cemetery is converted to a recreational park or construction site. A more recent trend, particularly in South America n cities, involves constructing high-rise buildings to house graves. {Link without Title} FAMILY CEMETERIES , Northants]] While uncommon today, family (or private) cemeteries were a matter of practicality during the settlement of America. If a municipal or religious cemetery had not been established, settlers would seek out a small plot of land, often in wooded areas bordering their fields, to begin a family plot. Sometimes, several families would arrange to bury their dead together. While some of these sites later grew into true cemeteries, many were forgotten after a family moved away or died out. Today, it is not unheard of to discover groupings of tombstones, ranging from a few to a dozen or more, on undeveloped land. Little effort is made to remove remains when developing, as they may be hundreds of years old; the tombstones are often simply removed. More recent is the practice of families with large estates choosing to create private cemeteries in the form of burial sites, Monument s, Crypt s, or Mausoleum s on their property; the mausoleum at Fallingwater is an example of this practice. Burial of a body at a site may protect the location from redevelopment, with such estates often being placed in the care of a Trust or Foundation . Presently, state regulations have made it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to start private cemeteries; many require a plan to care for the site in perpetuity. Private cemeteries are nearly always forbidden on incorporated residential zones. ANCIENT CEMETERIES Many places have been found where ancient people buried their dead. Such a place could be an organized Necropolis or it could simply be an area with highly symbolic elements (like the Tomb Of Giants in Sardinia ). The Egyptian Pyramids were tombs. CEMETERIES FOR PETS See Also: Pet cemetery The Cimetière Des Chiens in Asnières-sur-Seine in Paris is an elaborate pet cemetery believed to be the first Zoological necropolis in the world. CEMETERIES AND SUPERSTITION ]] , Johanniskirchhof]] In many countries, cemeteries are objects of Superstition and Legend ; they are sometimes used (usually at night-time) for Black Magic ceremonies or similar clandestine happenings. In Haiti the traditional belief regarding Zombie s as practiced under Voudun religion is connected with burial rituals. It is believed that the zombified individual is buried alive in a Coffin in a shallow grave after being poisoned with a mixture containing Tetrodotoxin from the Puffer Fish to slow his heart so he appears dead even to medical practitioners. At night, after all the burial ceremonies have been completed, a clandestine operation to dig up and take the zombified individual into slavery is undertaken by followers of the voudun priest. This legend of zombies, as investigated by Wade Davis in ''The Serpent and the Rainbow'', is exceptional among cemetery myths. Little conclusive evidence has been found for Vampire s or other supernatural cemetery-dwellers. CEMETERY PRESERVATION in San Antonio, Texas ]] South Asia The British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, BACSA , was set up in 1976 to care for, and to record, European cemeteries wherever the British East India Company set foot. It is estimated that some two million European men, women and children are buried in the Indian Subcontinent alone. NOTES SEE ALSO Other common types of burial places
Specific and rarer types of burial places
Removal of remains from cemeteries Businesses and professions for cemeteries Public holidays and traditions in relation to cemeteries
Resources to find cemetery locations or names of those buried Other topics related to places of burial REFERENCES . The thin wooden tablets behind the graves show the Buddhist name the deceased receives after death.]]
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