The recent reports of headstones being toppled at Jewish cemeteries got me wondering how difficult it is to knock one over. I know there are many, many different types of grave markers, and the age and original quality will be the main factors determining the amount of effort required. But the recent rash of reports makes it seem to be somewhat easier to knock them over than I would have thought.
I believe some stones, like those at US military graveyards, are sunk pretty deep into the ground, with maybe only about half the actual stone appearing above ground. Here’san article about headstone realignment at a national cemetery in Florida. Comparing the markers in place to those propped up next to them, it looks like 1/2 of the marker is set into the ground. I doubt anyone is going to be able to knock those over without some kind of machinery.
In contrast, the photos accompanying this article show the base + upright style of marker common in a lot of cemeteries. From the pictures of the toppled stones, it looks like there was just some kind of epoxy holding the upright piece to the base. I guess I always figured the upright was held in place by some kind of mooring. Is the bond between the upright and base easy to break? Could you knock one over with a little bump, or does it require a lot of effort? (Again, I know “it depends”, but any general information would be appreciated). I guess they’re designed to withstand weather and not determined vandals, but why not have some kind of posts or rebar holding the upright onto the base?
The glue/mortar gives out over time. Nothing withstands the constant cold/hot cycles and exposure to the elements for long without maintenance. After awhile it’s just the weight of the stone holding it in place. How easy it is to tip over depends more upon the width of the base vs the height of the marker.
Fair enough. So why not use some kind of mooring, like posts on the base that fit into slots in the upright part? Is it just that it’s not worth the extra cost to prevent a relatively rare act of vandalism?
That was part of what prompted my question. I also wondered if there was a storm or something that dealt the final blow. Another article I read (I can’t recall where now) said that a volunteer group has been going around to cemeteries to provide security. If this cemetery was not well maintained or used, maybe the volunteers were the first to take a look in quite a while. I think the article I read said that the NYPD thought the damage was years old in some cases.
How often do you wander around odd cemeteries ? We’re not all Edgar Allen…
Anyway stones and other monuments ( like those things like sarcophagi in churchyards, sort of stonework boxes [ that only recently did I learn never held actual corpses, which are instead interred below ] ) in British graveyards look pretty solid for centuries — although stupidly worn *. I’m sure a sledgehammer would smash them, but it would anything eventually; one certainly could not push or kick them without well breaking one’s foot.
Recently I’ve been mulling over cleaning my tiny collection of coins. They are totally valueless and heavily worn over many centuries. So if not selling any, and probably thrown at my death, is there a reason not to clean them even if everyone says never do it ? They are mostly unreadable. In a similar vein why don’t churches have ( or at least allow ) old inscriptions to be re-engraved ? As unreadable slabs they are useless…
It varies greatly. Modern headstones tend to be very heavy marble or granite that would take a whole team of people to knock over but that isn’t true for cemeteries that are hundreds of years old.
Here in New England, older cemeteries usually have very thin and brittle headstones made of granite that can usually be kicked over with a swift kick by a fit male or shattered by a baseball bat. It happens fairly frequently and is expensive to repair if it can be at all. It is a good thing that I have never personally witnessed anyone doing it because they would end up in 6 feet under in the same spot. I really don’t like juvenile delinquents messing with historical artifacts.
It took me many years to find a 1700’s graveyard on a historical New Hampshire property. It was buried under many layers of dirt and more recent artifacts. The fragile headstones were shattered beyond repair but the granite base stones at both ends that held the markers are perfect. It has since been restored as a small but historical family cemetery.
A few years ago I walked into the churchyard at the small village church we attended, and was deeply concerned to see a large number of formerly upright gravestones knocked over.
I sought out the vicar to inform him, only for him to confess his part in the act of vandalism.
A gravestone had toppled while some kids were playing in the churchyard after a service, so in the interests of safety, our vicar had gone round and delivered a swift kick to the older gravestones, leaving those that toppled for later repair.
A number of those graves were eventually exhumed and reinterred to make way for an extension to the church hall.
I have a theory that it was actually a particularly contentious PCC meeting that drove the vicar to kicking gravestones, but he had his story and was sticking with it
They do in some cases, especially ones that are older and/or tall. The problem is that these things are heavy and start to sink in, then the top becomes heavier and it falls over not only breaking the posts but the stone as well. Plus the posts are usually made of iron, which will rust and break.
Much like coins stones shouldn’t be cleaned unless it’s with certain types of spray on cleaners and then washed off. Brushing the stones flakes away at the carvings which then allows more moisture into the stone making it more fragile.
As for why they don’t make new stones, partly because they are expensive, partly because in a lot of cemeteries they don’t always know who was buried there as records get lost or were never recorded. Plus a lot of people don’t really care that much so no one is going to want to pay or volunteer to do the work.
Flat stones cause their own problems. They too will sink, and then get mowed over, then grass and dirt covers them, then they get totally buried. Even with mid sized cemeteries they get lost or covered over with time, and with no one really around to fix them they are lost to time.
I’ve been working on recording, photographing, and helping to clean and repair cemeteries in my county. There are not many people who want to help at all, and there are people who know where some of the smaller family cemeteries are located, but refuse to tell anyone, not really sure why. It’s surprising how easy it is for a cemetery to slowly disappear after years of neglect.
Recently a stone war memorial toppled in Brisbane Australia, due to children playing on it, as anyone does (sit,walk,jump,etc) and killed an infant who was innocently nearby.
But yeah if the stone block isn’t set deep into the ground, its unsafe. Its easy to break away the mortar or crack a bolt or two… anyone 10 year old or older jumping onto the block transfers their impact (F=ma… with short distance, large a… ) , with leverage amplification, to the bolt or mortar…
Runners/walkers sometimes do. The low traffic makes it safer than being on the side of a road.
There’s one nearby cemetery that I’ve gone up the paved roads, past the maintenance shed, & then cut thru the back to the utility high-tension line right-of-way & to a local park on the other side of that. If I was on the roads, there were no sidewalks.
The People employed by the Company or the City who owns the graveyard?
That what happens here (Munich) every year in spring: the employees walk around and wobble each grave Stone to see if it’s still safe or - after all the winter freezing /thawing and storms and weather - about to topple over. If the latter, they put a red notice on the Stone “This Stone is dangerous, pay a mason to fix it or remove it until… (date about 4-6 weeks). If you don’t comply, the Stone will be removed by us. Cemetery admin.”
