Why make your cemetery records open access?

(1) It helps other researchers

(2) It helps get your work out there

(3) It preserves valuable information

(4) Monuments are at risk of being lost, so it’s important to preserve these records

(5) It promotes further research, recording and sharing!

How to contribute?

It is important for comparative studies and interpretation that records:

(1) Are clear and accurate

(2) Use standardised vocabulary

(3) Record all monuments in a cemetery, churchyard or church (or random sample, rather than selecting only the ‘best’)

(4) Note any sampling techniques or limitations of the data

The key to comparative research of large-scale collections of monuments is standard terminology. There is a huge range of vocabulary currently used to describe monuments, depending on region, time period, and personal preferences. What one person calls a headstone might be a tombstone to another, and in another case might be a grave marker.

If we really want to understand the monuments in the archive, we need to know what each term means. By standardising the language used on this site, it is hoped that more research can be facilitated.

To learn about the terms currently being used by the Monumental Archive Project, download the PDF.

For questions about the terms, to contribute or to discuss, get in touch. These are a work in progress!