What is a tent grave?

Comb graves

Comb graves

Comb graves are tent-like burial markers, which are generally created from two long pieces of flagstone laid next to one another long-ways, with a headstone and foot-stone (as seen in the above photo). This grave type is local to the Upper Cumberland region. Dr.

http://chuck-sutherland.blogspot.com › 2015/12 › figures-for-...

Figures for The Tennessee Comb Grave Tradition - Chuck Sutherland

, sometimes called tent graves, have slabs of rock (or other materials) that cover the length of the graves. The stones lean against each other to form inverted v-shapes, like the gables of a roof. The word “comb” is an old architectural term that refers to that part of a roof.

What is a grave without a body called?

Cenotaph - a grave where the body is not present; a memorial erected as over a grave, but at a place where the body has not been interred. A cenotaph may look exactly like any other grave in terms of marker and inscription.

Why do they put cement on top of graves?

A burial vault (also known as a burial liner, grave vault, and grave liner) is a container, formerly made of wood or brick but more often today made of metal or concrete, that encloses a coffin to help prevent a grave from sinking.

What is a grave on top of the ground called?

A mausoleum is a large building that provides above ground entombment for human remains. A mausoleum crypt space is one space for the placement of one casketed remains.

Where are tent graves in Tennessee?

Known as "tent graves" or "comb graves", they're marked by their signature slabs of stone arranged over the grave in a tent-like shape, with some variations. You can find a few in the Cash Family Cemetery in Coffee County, Tennessee.

Mysterious Secrets Of These Tent Graves

Can two bodies be buried in the same casket?

Yes — Depending upon the cemetery's policy, you may be able to save a grave space by having the cremains buried on top of the casketed remains of your spouse, or utilize the space provided next to him/her. Many cemeteries allow for multiple cremated remains to be interred in a single grave space.

How long does it take a coffin to collapse?

If the coffin is sealed in a very wet, heavy clay ground, the body tends to last longer because the air is not getting to the deceased. If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton.

Why are headstones placed at the feet?

A footstone or foot marker is a flat square monument made of stone that sits at the foot-end of a grave. They were originally commissioned together with a headstone to signal the length of a burial site.

Do coffins explode underground?

Once a body is placed in a sealed casket, the gases from decomposing cannot escape anymore. As the pressure increases, the casket becomes like an overblown balloon. However, it's not going to explode like one. But it can spill out unpleasant fluids and gasses inside the casket.

Do coffins fill with water?

Coffins are not watertight so when the grave fills with water it also fills the coffin, which decomposes and rots the bodies faster.

Why are graves dug 6 feet?

Medical schools in the early 1800s bought cadavers for anatomical study and dissection, and some people supplied the demand by digging up fresh corpses. Gravesites reaching six feet helped prevent farmers from accidentally plowing up bodies.

Why do they cover the legs in a casket?

They cover the legs in a casket because the deceased is not wearing shoes in many cases due to the difficulty of putting them on stiff feet. Also, funeral directors may recommend it to save money, for religious reasons, in the event of trauma, for easier transportation, or with tall bodies.

Why can't you bury without a coffin?

No state law requires use of a casket for burial or cremation. If a burial vault is being used, there is no inherent requirement to use a casket. A person can be directly interred in the earth, in a shroud, or in a vault without a casket. There is no state law that dictates what a casket must be made of, either.

Why is the woman buried on the left?

Often, you'll find husbands are placed on their wife's right side. One theory is that long ago husbands decided their wives belonged on their left side, the side closest to their heart. Other theories hold this placement is a reflection of a couple's wedding day.

Is it disrespectful to stand on a grave?

Respect the graves.

Touching monuments or headstones is extremely disrespectful and in some cases, may cause damage. For example, some older memorials might be in disrepair and could fall apart under the slightest touch. Be sure to walk in between the headstones, and don't stand on top of a burial place.

Why are bodies buried facing west?

Depending on the geographic location of the burial, many Jewish people bury their deceased facing west because they want to face the land of Israel. Many believe that by facing west, they will be positioned to return to their homeland when resurrection finally arrives. A similar burial pattern is present among Muslims.

Does a body sit up during cremation?

Does the body sit up during cremation? Yes, this can happen. Due to the heat and the muscle tissue, the body can move as the body is broken down, although this does happen inside the coffin, so it won't be visible.

Why do embalmed bodies look different?

A body may be different in death to life because:

a mortician or funeral director has changed a body's appearance through clothing, or hair arrangement, or cosmetics. Such “dressing” of the body may be very different to how the person in life would have done it. the body smells different.

Does a body get drained before cremation?

Is a body drained before cremation? Draining a body of fluids does not happen before cremation. If a body is embalmed before cremation, the bodily fluids are exchanged (drained, and then replaced) with chemicals during the embalming process. These chemicals are also fluid.

Are coffins cremated with the body?

In nearly all cases, the coffin is enclosed, sealed and cremated along with the person. When the body is cremated, the extremely high temperatures also burn the coffin - no matter what material it is made of.

Which way do you face when you are buried?

tThe tradition of placing the casket/shroud covered body in the grave with the head to the west is common, and people know about it. At the same time, the feet are to the east. The body would be placed face up.

Why is Steve Jobs grave unmarked?

The unmarked graves range from everyday working class people to Jobs. In her 35 years at Alta Mesa, Talbot has never requested a reason for the anonymity. “It's not a requirement to mark your grave,” she said this week. “Sometimes people don't mark it for a certain length of time due to religious beliefs.