Course Outline
Graves and burial grounds dot the landscape in America as elsewhere. While funerary sites are ubiquitous, understanding of them lags behind. Many people do not think of graves when considering the built environment. Perhaps because of a discomfort with death, cemeteries are not regularly visited and can as a result end up in disrepair.
This course will introduce students to the history of graves and burial grounds. Particular attention will be paid to changes in symbols, locations, layout, materials, and wording over time. Funerary practices will be connected to contemporary developments in art, culture, and technology. Finally, students will learn the challenges in preserving these sites today, and develop strategies to accomplish this.
Course Objectives
- Provide an overview of burial practices in the United States from Colonial times to the present.
- Foster an understanding of symbols and designs in gravestones.
- Encourage interest and involvement in the preservation of funerary sites.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to identify funerary monuments from different time periods and geographies.
- Students will be able to analyze and interpret symbols and text on gravestones.
- Students will be able to apply knowledge from HISP 101 regarding architectural features to funerary contexts.
Texts
Meyer, Richard. (ed.) Cemeteries & Gravemarkers: Voices of American Culture. Utah State University Press: 1992.
Sloane, David. The Last Great Necessity: Cemeteries in American History. Johns Hopkins University Press: 1991.