Military Funeral Honors for Veterans

[Excerpt] Eligible veterans are entitled to receive certain military honors at their funerals. In general, these honors are provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to eligible veterans who are interred or inurned at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, and private cemeteries. There is no cost to the family of a veteran for military honors

Armament and Society in the Mirror of the Avar Archaelogy The Transdanubia-Phenomenon Revisited

One of the most significant problems of the A var archaeology is the question of Germanic (mainly Gepidic) continuity in Transdanubia. In my paper I would like to make some comments on the so-called Transdanubia-phenomenon of the Early A var Carpathian Basin based on the analysis of weapon-combinations found in six cemeteries of Eastern Transdanubia. I intend to answer the following questions: I. How far the weapon-combinations of the East-Transdanubian cemeteries of the early Avar Period (568-650) are identical or similar to the general picture of Avar armament drawn by contemporary cemeteries? 2. Are the weapon-combinations or armament of these cemeteries similar to that of the earlier Gepidic and Langobardic sites from the early 6th centuries or to the contemporary Germanic (Alemannic, Frank or Bavarian) cemeteries of the present-day Germany? As a result, the early A var cemeteries of Transdanubia are characterized by the relatively high number of close-combat weapons compared to other sites of the Avar Khaganate. However, comparing to Merovingian sites the burials containing only close-combat weapons are very low and in most of the cases the weapon-combinations characteristic to this culture is missing

Four rural cemeteries in central western NSW: Islands of Australiana in a European sea?

Vascular plants present in groundstoreys of variously–managed areas in four cemeteries in central western NSW – two on the Central Western Slopes (Garra and Toogong) and two on the Central Tablelands (Lyndhurst and Carcoar) – were recorded over periods of 6–10 years. It was hypothesised that (a) areas of the cemeteries with a history of nil or low disturbance would represent high quality remnant vegetation (i.e. contain a diversity of native species but few naturalised species), and (b) that clearing of woody vegetation, together with similar management (e.g. regular mowing) would result in homogenisation of the groundstoreys such that many species, native and naturalised, would be common to all sites. 344 species (176 native, 154 naturalised and 14 non–naturalised exotics) were recorded across the four cemeteries. Many native species that were rare in the surrounding agricultural lands were present in the cemeteries (enhancing their value as conservation areas) but no cemetery contained areas of groundstorey that would qualify as ‘pristine’. Across all management areas, the proportions of naturalised species in the native + naturalised floras of the cemeteries ranged from 46 to 55 %. Though never dominant, naturalised species also comprised high proportions (42 to 51 %) of the floras of the least disturbed (nil or infrequently mown) areas within each cemetery. Many (40 %) of the species recorded occurred at only one cemetery. This partly explained why the floras of similarly– managed parts of cemeteries on the Central Western Slopes were, contrary to expectations, markedly different to those on the Central Tablelands. However, within the same botanic subdivision, floras – particularly of naturalised species in regularly mown grasslands – were more similar (‘homogenised’) than those of nil or infrequently mown grasslands

Spatial Analysis in Veterans Cemetery Location

The National Cemetery Administration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has funded a relatively large number of new national and state veterans cemeteries in recent years to meet the burial needs of a growing number of aging veterans. This paper examines the history of this agency and the evolving role that spatial analysis has played in identifying appropriate locations for new cemeteries. It also examines some of the spatial assumptions used in cemetery planning and tests these assumptions in Virginia. Data from two Virginia state veterans cemeteries are examined to determine appropriate veterans cemetery service area boundaries. Finally, a location-allocation model is used to determine the best locations for a new veterans cemetery in Virginia.cemetery; veterans; location

The Monumental Cemeteries of Northern Pictland

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

[Review of] Richard E. Meyer, ed. Cemeteries and Gravemarkers: Voices of American Culture

The twelve individual essays contained in this volume were originally presented as papers in the Cemeteries and Gravestones Section at a conference of the American Culture Association. A short foreword by James Deetz, an early leader in the anthropological study of New England cemeteries from the colonial period, provides some instructive initial insights into the wealth of cultural information which can be derived from the study of mortuary behavior in the United States. Meyer\u27s thoughtful introduction and his topical bibliography, though not exhaustive, will be of considerable utility for those wishing to pursue the research topic further. An index along with numerous photographs and other illustrative material additionally enhance this volume

The Keasler site (41HS235), a Titus Phase Cemetery in the Little Cypress Creek Basin, Harrison County, Texas

The Keasler site (41HS235) is a Late Caddo period, Titus phase (ca. A.D. 1430-1680) cemetery in the East Texas Pineywoods. The site was excavated by collectors in the late 1970s, including Red McFarland, one of the more active looters of Caddo burials in East Texas. Minimal records on the burials at the site, and their contents, were provided by McFarland to the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at The University of Texas (TARL). The Keasler site is near Little Creek, a northward-flowing tributary to Little Cypress Creek. It is perhaps one of the easternmost-known Titus phase cemeteries in East Texas, in an area where few Titus phase sites or cemeteries have been identified or investigated by professional archaeologists

Connecting existing cemeteries saving good soils (for livings)

Background: Urban sprawl consumes and degrades productive soils worldwide. Fast and safe decomposition of corpses requires high-quality functional soils, and land use which competes with both agriculture and buildings. On one hand, cremation does not require much land, but it has a high energy footprint, produces atmospheric pollution, and is unacceptable to some religious communities. On the other hand, as exhumations are not practiced, "green burials" require more surface area than current burial practices, so a new paradigm for managing land use is required. Conclusions: In this paper, we propose a concept for 'green belt communalities' (i.e., ecological corridors with multiple, yet flexible, uses and services for future generations). With the expansion of urban centers, ecological corridors gradually disappear. Cemeteries for burial plots preclude alternative uses of the land for a long time. By combining these two aspects (need for connectivity and land take imposed by cemeteries), two positive results can be achieved: protecting memories of the past and connecting ecosystems with multiple-use corridors. This new paradigm works best in flat or hilly terrain where there are already several urban agglomerations that contain traditional cemeteries. Stakeholders who might consider this concept are local administrators, planners, and the communities of individuals who share specific beliefs on burial systems

The cultural geography of rural cemeteries: Saunders County, Nebraska

Rural cemeteries reflect local culture history. Cultural preferences and attitudes are expressed in the fixtures of cemeteries, tombstones, tombstone arrangement, and cemetery landscaping. The pattern of rural cemeteries can reveal the dynamics of population and settlement, and cultural origins and dispersals. The rural cemeteries of Saunders County, Nebraska, were studied in the summer of 1978 in order to 1) map the relative location of the cemeteries; 2) determine the pattern of growth and development of the cemeteries; 3) establish a working taxonomic system of cemetery size and character; 4) interpret the cultural phenomena related to rural cemeteries; 5) determine distinctive landscape features of rural cemeteries; and 6) to fill a gap in geographic research. The result of such intensive study of the geography of rural cemeteries is a better feel for the larger cultural landscape in which rural cemeteries are embedded