Practicality is stopping and thinking before doing. Employing the use of
chemicals or household cleansers on a stone with the justification that the
stone will inevitably be destroyed some day is a ridiculous argument.
You scoff at digital photography, but a photograph may be the only way 40
pieces can be properly reconstructed to resemble the original gravestone.
An inscription gleaned from shaving cream won’t be nearly as helpful.
“Purty” tombstones only stay that way from the efforts people who care to
protect them. If a stone will some day be knocked over by a 16-year old
then such is life. Until then, we can do our best to safeguard cemeteries
by educating ourselves and the public.
We teach by example.
Alicia Paresi Friedman
Archeologist
National Park Service
Larry Porter
<lporter@AR-DIGIT To: [log in to unmask]
.NET> cc: (bcc: Alicia Paresi/Boston/NPS)
Sent by: Subject: Re: safe gravestone rubbing
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
<[log in to unmask]
>
04/13/2004 09:05
PM EST
Please respond to
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
I couldn't agree more, Jeff. As archeologists we routinely, without a
second
thought, destroy archeological sites.....UTTERLY destroy archeological
sites.... on the self righteous premise that we are saving the information
they contain and, yet, at the same time, wring our hands and moan and fret
and worry about whether or not a little shaving cream is going to damage a
damn tombstone. From the point of view of pragmatism and practicality,
qualities we archeologists seem curiously lacking in, it seems to me the 5
minutes a tombstone is exposed to shaving cream, Cool Whip, flour, talcom
powder, or what have you is worth the risk in light of the very real
possibility that tomorrow a 16 year old on a 4 wheeler is going to knock
the
stone over for the sheer hell of it or your neighbor down the road is going
to decide that "purty" tombstone would sure look good in his patio. Even
digital photography with oblique side lighting ain't going do you much good
on a stone that's been broken into 40 pieces and scattered all over hell
and
gone. I say break out the Cool Whip and squeegee and get the information
while you can.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Holland, Jeff" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 4:36 PM
Subject: safe gravestone rubbing
> Not to sound insensitive, but it seems that some of the concerns
mentioned
here seem minor with respect to the purpose of doing rubbings (i.e.
recording the data from the stone before it becomes illegible). Given that
the inscriptions are so faint as to require such methods, the microscopic
damage caused by a crayon or charcoal rubbing seems irrelevant when
considered against the fact that another year of wind and rain will cause
the same amount of damage and bring the inscription even closer to total
illegibility. Obviously one should use the least destructive method
practicable. But lacking the necessary time, tools, supplies, money, etc.,
would it not be better to record the info as best as one can before it is
lost to the elements, vandalism, etc.?
>
> Jeff
> *************************
> Jeffrey L. Holland
> Senior Historian
> TRC Companies, Inc.
> 3772 Pleasantdale Road,
> Suite 200
> Atlanta, Georgia 30340
> 770-270-1192
> ************************
>
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