What exactly do you mean by typology? If you are looking for stylistic
markers or specific shapes (such as you might find for, say, projectile
points), I don't think such a guide exists. Stylistic variation is too
great, especially for non-commercially produced headstones. I've seen
everything from rows of fieldstone monuments worked into tall pyramidal
shapes to markers made entirely of glazed ceramic, as well as the odd
cinder block. As noted, symbolic markers on headstones appear to be the
best bet for any kind of chronological seriation.
The best I've been able to do is roughly group by shape, using a
home-made guide that partially follows commercial headstone
manufacturer's catalog listings. The array is mind-boggling, from flush
markers to beveled and slanted, to upright and statuary - each category
can have multiple subcategories, especially the last two.
If you can find a copy of a publication that Sears put out in the early
1900s (their catalog of Tombstones and Monuments - it was 150 pages
long) that might help. So far, I've not been able to locate a copy. The
archives department at Sears informed be that they do not have a copy
(lost to a fire, I think). I know one library out there somewhere has a
copy, since I found it through inter-library loan. They wouldn't send
their copy out, however, and the library was not identified in the
request.
Daniel B. Davis
Archaeologist Coordinator
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Division of Environmental Analysis
200 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40622
(502) 564-7250
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lyle
E. Browning
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 11:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Tombstone typology
Has anyone got a tombstone typology with illustrations for the period
1600 onward?
Lyle Browning, RPA
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