on 7/6/05 11:07 AM, Daniel B. Davis at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Yep, burial cases sound like vaults, which are still in use. They are
> typically not required by law, but are often required by perpetual care
> (i.e., commercial) cemeteries for interment. They keep the ground from
> slumping in - they may also have had an incidental start in the late 1800s
> to early 1900s as a way to deter grave robbers.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Allen [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 1:40 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cement Burial Case
> 
> 
> Sounds to me like a burial vault designed to receive the coffin rather than
> a coffin in itself.  I believe they are still in use and manufacture. This
> behavior started when coffin manufacturers of the 19th century began selling
> 
> coffins in wooden packing crates.  At first (based upon excavations)
> families started putting the deceased in the coffin and then placed the
> coffin back in the packing crate for burial.  I've excavated graves dating
> to the 1850s that suggest this behavior.
> 
> Naturally, funeral furnishers picked up on the idea as a way to maximize
> services and profit from death.
> 
> Dan Allen
> Cumberland Research Group, Inc.
> and
> The Center for Historic Preservation @ MTSU
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Melissa Diamanti" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 11:25 AM
> Subject: Cement Burial Case
> 
> 
>> I am trying to research a "Cement Burial Case" company that was based in SE
> 
>> Pennsylvania c. 1920's to 1980.  But I know nothing about their product.
>> I've been impressed with the range of knowledge among the readers here, so
>> I thought I'd give it a try:
>> Can anyone tell me what these burial cases were? Are they caskets made of
>> cement? This soulds like an extra-heavy load for pall bearers.  Or is it
>> some kind of covering over the casket, or a grave chamber that the casket
>> is set in, instead?
>> Also, what is the period of use?  When (and why) did these things come
>> into fashion/popularity, and has this trend died out?
>> Replies are welcome either on or off the list.
>> Melissa Diamanti
>> Archaeological & Historical Consultants, Inc.
>> [log in to unmask]
>> 
I believe they also function to keep coffins and the departed from being
pushed up toward the surface by fluctuating ground water.  They are required
by law in many Middle Atlantic states, and certainly also serve to enrich
funeral directors and cemetery operators.  The latter is always a goal of
that industry....

Joe Dent
American University