When a person is cremated or buried some
cultures use a marker to identify who is buried there. This marker is called a
memorial, headstone, gravestone or tombstone. There are many styles and shapes
for headstones. Some are just plaques that are put on the lawn while others are
tall monuments that can be over 1.2m high.
The most preferred material for
gravestones is granite while the older headstones are mostly made of marble due
to the softness of the stone. Headstones can be purchased from monumental
masons. Some of them specialize on sculpting very artistic and individualized
tombstones. These are made to a given budget so that the monumental mason can
define the size, detail and material. Cemetery bylaws are also an influential
part for planning a headstone.
