Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards (Messages from the Dead)

Guide to Historic Cemeteries

Find out:

• Why garden cemeteries were America's first public parks
• The difference between a cemetery and a graveyard
• How the skull and crossbones evolved into cherubs
• Why symbols matter

Learn about:

• The different types of American cemeteries
• The history of grave robbing
• The symbolic meaning of coins, stones, and seashells at grave sites
• Common Latin phrases on headstones

Identify:

• Saints, angels, and other cemetery statuary
• Symbols for secret societies and clubs
• Different types of crosses
• Common cemetery architecture styles
• The symbolic meaning of plants, flowers, and trees
• Different types of headstone styles, monuments, and mausoleums