City Cemetery Research Articles

Features of the microbiome of burial soils

Introduction. On the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as worldwide, a large amount of space is allocated for burials. The soils found in the burial areas have their own characteristics. In the scientific literature there is a few works devoted to the problem of hygienic assessment of cemeteries from the point of view of their impact on the environment, as well as on the population living next to necrosols or working on them. Depending on the chemical and biological effects, the microbial composition of the soil changes. This process is influenced by many factors, including humidity, the initial content of organic and mineral substances, level of acidity, structure of the soil and peculiarities of the course of intra-soil gas-phase reactions. The key participants in the decomposition of organic material are bacteria and fungi, the diversity and dynamics of which directly depend on the degree of soil contamination with pollutants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the microbiota of cemetery soil in its various layers. Materials and methods. The cemeteries of Moscow (NikoloKhovanskoye, Nikolo-Arkhangelskoye, Perepechenskoye), Moscow (Mytishchenskoye, Domodedovo), Tula (Municipal Cemetery No. 1 of the Municipal State Enterprise of the Municipal Formation of the City of Tula Combine of Specialized Services), Kursk (old city cemetery Kurchatov), Krasnoyarsk (Zheleznogorsk) regions and Altai (Yarovoye) Krais were selected as research objects for assessing the microbiome of soils. Results. The most common bacterial pathogens were found to be Enterococcus spp. (81%), Bacillus spp. (75%) and E. coli (45.1%). Mushrooms of Penicillium spp.. were isolated from 61% of the samples. The revealed microbiota profiles of the samples of the studied cemetery soils reflect the microbial composition of humans, which allows substantiating the main methods and algorithm for identifying decomposition processes depending on the time frame of burials. Limitations. The limitation of the study is due to the risk of contact with cemetery soil was not assessed, since not all genera of isolated microorganisms could be identified by their biochemical properties. Conclusion. Studies conducted in cemetery areas have shown how diverse the soil microbiome is in burial sites and varies depending on the depth of sampling. The microbiota profiles of cemetery soil samples identified during the study reflect the lifetime microbial composition of the human body, which makes it possible to substantiate approaches to identifying decomposition processes depending on the time frame of burials.

Immune proteins recovered in tooth enamel as a biochemical record of health in past populations: Paleoproteomic analysis of Mission Period Native Californians

The enamel proteome includes a range of proteins that are well-preserved in archaeological settings but have so far received less study than those associated with sex-estimation of enamel. We look beyond sex-specific sequencing of amelogenin to investigate the potential of several serum proteins, including immunoglobulin gamma (IgG), the major immunoglobulin found in blood serum, and C-reactive protein (CRP), which is associated with inflammatory response, to provide insight into the health and stresses experienced by individuals in the past. We apply this approach to enamel samples from Mission-Period ancestral Ohlone interred at Asistencia San Pedro y San Pablo (CA-SMA-71/H; n = 11). For comparison, we also examine enamel from historic-period European-Americans interred in the City Cemetery in San Francisco (n = 12), and extracted third molars from present-day military cadets (n = 8). Results indicate that IgG is elevated among individuals at the asistencia relative to samples from present-day military cadets, and historic City Cemetery individuals (ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey Kramer tests, p < .02). Further, the inflammatory protein CRP, normally expressed at much lower levels than IgG, was present in 55% (6 of 11) of the asistencia samples, and in 17% (2 of 12) of the historic City Cemetery samples, but was not detected in enamel samples from present-day military cadets. While more studies are needed, we argue that the difference in IgG could reflect higher levels of chronic diseases such as tuberculosis among Ohlone living within the Mission system, and the presence of measurable amounts of CRP could relate to higher degrees of physical, social, and emotional stresses. To our knowledge, this is the first paleoproteomic study of immune proteins in tooth enamel. The ability to track immune responses during tooth formation could provide valuable and high-resolution information on ancient health and disease at the level of the individual over archaeological time-scales.

Research of necropolis burials as a source of ethnodemograpic information (case study of the central city cemetery of Syktyvkar)

Research of necropolis burials as a source of ethnodemograpic information (case study of the central city cemetery of Syktyvkar)

Socio-economic Status and Social Protection of Baguio Cemetery Contractors and Workers: Inputs for Interventions

The study examines the socioeconomic status and social protection of Baguio City Cemetery Workers, as well as their knowledge of cemetery policies. It utilized a descriptive-quantitative design, primarily using a survey questionnaire. The findings indicate that the cemetery workers in Baguio City have a partial level of satisfaction with social assistance programs. They have limited awareness of social insurance programs and labor market programs provided by the government. Additionally, their knowledge regarding policies governing cemeteries is considered moderate. Based on the study's results, it is recommended to enhance the awareness and comprehension of Baguio City cemetery workers regarding the government's social protection programs through orientation sessions. Furthermore, there is a need to expand the coverage of social protection programs to include low-income informal sector workers.

Eli and Susannah Wiggill: South African Saints

Eli and Susannah Wiggill: South African Saints

РАЙОН ЗАРУЧАВ’Я ЯК ЧАСТИНА ПОСАДУ ДАВНЬОРУСЬКОГО НОВГОРОД-СІВЕРСЬКОГО

The article is dedicated to the part of the Novgorod-Siversky post that was located beyond the Zubrytsky stream. The purpose of the work is to determine the above-mentioned territory as a part of the post of the Old Russian city, although to this day there is no consensus on whether the studied territory belongs to the post of the city of Novgorod-Siverskyi. The most popular is its interpretation as a country estate that belonged to a wealthy Novgorodian from the north. The methodological basis of the research is based on the verification of previous versions with the materials of the latest archaeological research. The scientific novelty of the study is that a number of materials are published for the first time and fundamentally change the view on the system of positions in the ancient Russian city of Novgorod-Siverskyi. Excavations and mining of the surrounding area in recent years showed the spread of the ancient Russian cultural layer on an area of about 10 hectares, and reached the same area in his work O. Polyakov. In fact, the territory of Zaruchavya is adjacent to the post from the West. We believe that it was part of it, formed in the 12th century. To date, there is no consensus on whether the studied territory belongs to the city of Novgorod-Siverskyi. The most popular is its interpretation as a country estate that belonged to a wealthy Novgorodian from the north. However, the results of recent studies allow us to look at the problem in a new way. Further excavations and dredging of the surrounding area showed the spread of the ancient Russian cultural layer on an area of about 10 hectares, and O.M. reached the same area in his work. Polyakov. In fact, the territory of Zaruchavya is adjacent to the post from the West. We believe that it was part of it, formed in the 12th century. Also, the cemetery discovered on the territory of Zaruchavye deserves special attention. Conclusions. The betrothal area was a part of the open post of Novgorod-Siverskyi, which was actively exploited in the 11th-13th centuries. It is also likely that the city cemetery was located on its territory. The time of the cemetery's origin requires further research, however, today it can be attributed to the period after the Mongol invasion, since materials dated no later than the 14th century were found in the backfill of the graves. However, further research can significantly adjust the chronology.

THE RESEARCH OF THE BURIAL GROUND OF 11th—12th CENTURIES IN CHERNIHIV

The materials of archaeological research in 2020 on the territory of the mound and moundless necropolises belonged to the Old Rus Chernihiv are examined and analyzed in the paper.&#x0D; This is the area on the border of suburb and the territory beyond it, where the remains of a barrow necropolis (11th century) and the moundless burial ground (city cemetery of the 11th — mid-13th centuries) were discovered.&#x0D; The barrows which were visible as early as the 18th century, belonged to the first stage of the burial ground functioning.&#x0D; A total of 65 moundless burials were discovered. Judging by individual cases of cutting some graves by later ones we can confidently talk about the duration of the existence of the moundless burial ground in this area. The discovery of the rim of a pot of the 12th century and fabric from the collar may indicate the burials in the 12th century as well. Thus, the site was used for at least 200 years. During this time, the barrow mounds were significantly leveled, the external signs of moundless burials of the 11th century disappeared from the surface but the site continued to be used.&#x0D; It is noteworthy that burials in the moundless necropolis are mainly without grave goods which is characteristic of the Christian tradition. The find of the pendant with the image of a trident is of great interest. It belongs to the official two-sided pendants of the end of the 10th — the first half of the 11th century and were used as the badges of officials of the princely apparatus. Judging by the features of the images of tridents on the obverse and reverse, the period of use of the pendant covers the reigns of Mstislav and Yaroslav Volodymyrovyches.

The Salt Lake City Asylum and Hospital, 1870–1886: Mental Illness in Early Utah

The Salt Lake City Asylum and Hospital, 1870–1886: Mental Illness in Early Utah

9. De la fosse au cimetière juif. Les transferts de corps après la Shoah

One characteristic of the Shoah is the absence of the victims&#8217; bodies. In fact, this very absence is communicated through the term &#8220;Holocaust.&#8221; However, their bodies&#8212;the number of which remains unknown&#8212;were not destroyed. The bodies of Jewish victims, most of whom were killed at the very start or at the very end of the Holocaust, were not burned. Rather, they were buried in mass graves. The purpose of this article is to describe the efforts of the survivors to locate, exhume, and identify these bodies and to move them to a Jewish cemetery. While it is difficult to estimate the number of people who have been transferred from mass graves, it is certain that many exhumations have taken place, and some continue to this day. To describe and analyze this phenomenon, we will use a selection of Memorbikher, some of which have already been described by Gabriel Finder, and a few articles from secondary literature source (e.g. Sarah Garibova&#8217;s articles on the Soviet Union). In particular, we will use many cases identified during our research, such as 222 examples of exhumations (55 of which are in English) described in the USC Shoah Foundation&#8217;s testimonies. The first observation is that these exhumations and transfers are spread out over a very long period of time. The first instances took place in 1940 in Poland in the wake of the first massacres. Jews paid for the right to exhume the bodies and place them in the city cemetery. To our knowledge, the most recent transfer is that of the body of Casimir Oberfeld, who died during his evacuation from Auschwitz to Bohemia. He was buried in a Christian cemetery, and his son repatriated his remains to France in 2018.The article will examine the conditions surrounding the exhumations, and in particular the chain of custody for human remains. Who took the initiative to exhume victims&#8217; bodies, and what negotiations took place with local, national, and even international authorities? What power struggles played out around the issue of these mass graves? What were the technical conditions of exhumation and transfer? This article will also examine the question of how far victims&#8217; bodies were transferred. Many individuals were moved a few dozen feet or a few miles from a mass grave by the Einsatzgruppen to the Jewish cemetery in the village&#160;; others were moved thousands of miles, as was the case for the bones of the Jews who were buried together in a work Kommando in Bohemia and then brought to Israel in 1991 by Jado Weiss. In most instances, the exhumations were perfunctory, without even the intervention of a forensic pathologist. How did the survivors justify moving these remains to a Jewish cemetery? Until recently, there have been very few testimonials about the intervention of rabbinic authorities or justification by religious leaders, but the Jewish traditions of ritual burial in individual graves in Jewish cemeteries were strongly internalized by the survivors. The article will also discuss the graves that were dug in Jewish cemeteries to accommodate the exhumed bodies. What inscriptions were placed on the grave markers? Do they mention where the remains came from?Finally, we will discuss whether or not these exhumations can be considered unique and examine their ability to symbolically replace collective burials, which were impossible due to the absence of physical bodies. This situation contrasts what happened at the Potocari cemetery for the victims of Srebrenica, for example. In the words of the survivors, the transfer of a few bodies served as a replacement for ceremonies that could not be perfumed due to the cremation of the victims.

PROBLEMS OF ACCOUNTING AND PRESERVATION OF MONUMENTS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE (on the example of the City Cemetery of Sumy)

Sumy City Cemetery, given the personalities of prominent Sumy people buried on it, as well as the artistic and historical value of many tombstones, is of great historical, cultural and memorial importance. There are 39 cultural heritage sites on its territory, three of which are of national importance and 36 of local significance. At the same time, many burials of the City Cemetery, valuable from a historical or artistic point of view, do not have the status of a cultural heritage site. Procrastination in granting it the status of cultural heritage sites can eventually lead to their destruction. However, burials that have the appropriate status are not always properly cared for. Yes, the crypt-pyramid is cluttered and actively destroyed. Sculptures by Aristide Croisy need to be restored. The protection status of the monuments located on the territory of the City Cemetery is not specified in any way, there are no appropriate protection boards, plaques, explanations. The locations of the monuments are not marked on the information stand located at the entrance to the cemetery. Thus, there are two main problems in the accounting and preservation of monuments located in the City Cemetery of Sumy. The first is the significant number of sites that need to be given cultural heritage status of local significance. The second is the unsatisfactory condition of cultural heritage sites, including those of national importance. The first problem, in our opinion, can be solved by creating regional expert commissions, which should be able to promptly consider the inclusion of cultural heritage sites in the State Register by category of local importance. The problem of proper maintenance of monuments requires the joint efforts of public authorities and local governments with activists of public organizations, especially those whose statutory tasks include the protection of cultural heritage.

URBAN PLANT DIVERSITY POTENTIAL OF THE CEMETERIES AND THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OFFERED: THE SAMPLE OF KAYSERİ CITY (ASRİ) CEMETERY

Cemeteries are one of the indispensable forms of land use in urban areas or in the city. Urban cemeteries are among the green infrastructure elements all over the world, and with the increasing urbanization, they play an important role for urban biodiversity conservation. Aim: In this study, the urban plant diversity potential of the cemeteries was investigated and the ecosystem services provided by the tree species used were discussed. In this context, Kayseri City Cemetery, which is the largest cemetery of the city, was chosen as the study area. Method: First of all, on-site observation and investigation were made and the current state of the cemetery area was revealed, and plants in the area were identified. Then, with the table created on the basis of the literature review the ecosystem services provided by the dominant tree species in the area have been determined. Findings: As a result of on-site observations and investigation carried out in the cemetery a total of 101 taxa, 53 of which were coniferous and broad-leaved trees / shrubs, were identified. The supplier, organizer, habitat and cultural ecosystem services provided by the 10 dominant tree species were examined under 5 main topic such as social, cultural, economic, aesthetic and ecological benefits. Results: The study area on the basis of tree species; it provides many important ecosystem services such as increasing cultural-historical and aesthetic value, biodiversity potential, regulating the urban climate, recreation, improving public health and psychology. As a result, it is necessary to make an inventory of the cemeteries, which are an important land use in urban areas both for the rotection of urban plant diversity and for the sustainability of biological diversity, on the basis of natural-cultural-endemic species and to demonstrate their ecological value.

About Face: A Medusal Spoil in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in Smederevo

Classica et Christiana, 16/1, 2021 /261-283 About Face: A Medusal Spoil in the Church of the As­sum­ption of the Blessed Virgin in Smederevo Ljubomir MILANOVIĆ, Sanja PILIPOVIĆ ABSTRACT Situated in the vicinity of the medieval fortress on the site of the old city cemetery in Citiţi mai departe »

К вопросу об истории городского кладбища Ялты

К вопросу об истории городского кладбища Ялты

Gender, Clothing Fasteners, and Dress Practices in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town, ca. 1880–1904

Between 1880 and 1904, African American residents of Freedmen’s Town in Houston, Texas, were buried in the Third New City Cemetery. Using an assemblage of clothing fasteners recovered during excavations of the cemetery, I attempt to identify patterns of use and to interpret the kinds of clothing ensembles represented among men and women. The main goal of this study is to discern potential gendered patterns of clothing-fastener use that could assist in analyzing similar data from other sites. A related, secondary focus of this research is the working-class, gendered identity of black Houstonians and the roles of consumerism and clothing within the context of a segregationist Southern city.

Investigation of Çanakkale urban cemeteries within the scope of landscape planning criteria

Cemeteries are areas which have been important to humanity since history began, with a place in every period of human life and sustained importance. As a result, they are currently planned in settlement areas or in areas close to cities. The study researched the landscape infrastructure and furnishings of two city cemeteries with an important place in the current structure of Çanakkale city. The landscape elements based on the planned and present structures were determined in these areas of “Çanakkale Municipality City Cemetery” and “New City Cemetery”. For this, literature screening and data obtained from observations represent the basis of the study. Within the scope of the obtained data, it was identified that the main criteria for cemetery planning and design were not included sufficiently in construction of the two cemeteries. The main findings in relation to landscape infrastructure and furnishings are that main and side roads do not abide by standards; there is esthetic and functional insufficiency in terms of paving, car parks, distance between graves and planting; there is insufficient multifunctional space at the entrance for collection/distribution and rest; there is insufficient seating groups and boundary elements for shade and rest; and there are no sections for maintenance, security, WC, prayer rooms, florists, or open/enclosed mourning sections in buildings at the entrance. It was identified that Çanakkale Municipality City Cemetery requires 75 more fountains, while New City Cemetery requires 66 more fountains and the grave area per person is close to the recommended standard (6 m2). Additionally, the New City Cemetery was calculated to have potential for 11,266 graves. In conclusion, in line with the obtained data, attempts are made to develop recommendations to solve problems in these study areas.

Everyday Use of the City Cemetery: A Study of Environmental Qualities and Perceived Restorativeness in a Scottish Context

As the number of historical urban cemeteries where interment is no longer available continues to grow, the everyday use and restorative benefit of these spaces (beyond commemoration and remembrance) is worthy of further exploration. This study primarily investigates the everyday use of two historical urban cemeteries in Edinburgh through behavioural observation (N = 185). We also explore further the relationships between cemetery qualities and perceived restorativeness through an interviewer-administered survey (N = 134) and face-to-face interviews (N = 24) at the sites. The survey findings showed that usage and aesthetics in the cemeteries were both significantly and positively associated with various restorative qualities including ‘being away’, ‘fascination’ and ‘compatibility’. The data provided from the interviews and behavioural observations complement the survey findings that the everyday use of urban cemeteries (i.e., using them as an alternative route for pedestrian journeys or simply walking the dog) could facilitate users’ mental restorative process. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, provision of facilities (e.g., benches and toilets) was found to have no significant association with any restorative qualities. Using a mixed method approach, this study provides a novel understanding of how the urban population uses, and perceives, old urban cemeteries in contemporary Scotland.

“Collar Amphorae” of the Type Gunsenin II from a Byzantine Shipwreck at Balaklava

Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527–565) annexed the city of Bosporos in 528. In the Early Byzantine period, the city cemetery of Bosporos occupied Mitridat hill sides. In the early seventh cemetery, new cemetery areas of simple and slabbed graves developed at the foot and sides of the hill. 2007–2009 excavations in Bosforskii lane at the lower south-eastern terrace of Mitridat hill uncovered a site of the early mediaeval cemetery of Bosporos. The graves were carved into the destruction layer of a residential quarter perishing when the Turks invaded in 576. The given paper publishes the Christian graves discovered at the cemetery to characterise the burial rite of the Christian population of the Byzantine Bosporos. There were three types of graves: 1) in simple pits (55 graves); 2) featuring the sides lined with stones and slabs (21 graves); 3) slabbed burials (23 graves). Those who buried in the site of the city cemetery under analysis were Christians. Five graves had slabs featuring carved crosses. Two woman’s graves contained finger-rings with Christian symbols. Among the finds there were folles of Justin II (issued in 577/8) and Herakleios (510–641) or Constant II (641–668), Byzantine solid cast bronze buckles of the Syracuse type, and buckles featuring an oval ring of type II–5 and a trefoil carved in the panel centre. According to the coins and buckles, the cemetery area dates from the seventh to the first half of the eighth century. The town-dwellers continued to use this cemetery site for burials of their dead when the Khazars occupied the town, as long as the mid-eighth century.

No stone unturned: The presence of kidney stones in a skeleton from 19th century Peoria, Illinois

During the excavation of the 19th century Peoria City Cemetery (Peoria, Illinois), a skeleton of a female, aged 20–30 years old, was found with large, bilateral calcified masses in the abdominal region. The masses were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the results compared to published clinical data in an effort to determine the etiology of the stones. The calcified masses were determined to be staghorn struvite uroliths, which commonly result from chronic urinary tract infection and likely impacted the overall health of this individual.

İzmir İli Soğukkuyu Mezarlığının Planlama Kriterleri ve Peyzaj Tasarımı Açısından İrdelenmesi

Bu çalışma kent mezarlıklarının işlevlerini, kente kattığı değerleri ve potansiyellerini, planlanması ve tasarlanması aşamalarında göz önünde bulundurulması gereken planlama kriterlerini ve kentin yeşil dokusu içerisindeki mezarlık alanlarının yerini ve önemini anlatmayı amaçlamıştır. Bu bağlamda mezarlık kavramı, oluşumu ve genel olarak tarihsel gelişimi, açık ve yeşil alan kavramı, mezarlıkların kent için değeri ve önemi, literatür taramalarından elde edilen mezarlık planlama kriterleri, etüt, analiz ve sentez aşamaları üzerinden değerlendirilerek planlama ve tasarıma yönelik öneriler getirilmiştir. _________________________________________________________________________________ Analysis in Terms of Landscape Design and Planning Criteria of İzmir Province Soğukkuyu Cemetery Abstract In this study, it is aimed to express the functionalities of the city cemeteries, value added to environments by them and their potentials; also the planning criterias to be considered in planning and designing phase; plus, the place and the importance of the cemetery areas for the city's green tissue. In this regard, concept, formation and overall historical development of the cemetery, open and green field concept, also the value and importance of the cemeteries for the city cemetery planning criterias, etude, analysis and synthesis phases obtained from literature review and a proposal for planning and design, was introduced.

Análise da arquitetura tumular do cemitério jardim municipal de Maringá, Estado do Paraná

Based on the assumption that the burial of bodies and their subsequent decomposition into horizontal cemeteries can potentially cause contamination of groundwater, this paper aims to analyze the structural characteristics of the tombs and the tombs of architecture Garden Municipal Cemetery of Maringa, located in the Parana State (Brazil), from the identification of different types of architecture. Thus, the preparation of this article was focus on compliance with Municipal Decree no 100/1984 and no 1475/2002 approving the Regulation of Garden City Cemetery, in addition to regulating the coating and reconstructions of tombs in the same.