Family Grave Research Articles

Zapomniany tarnowianin dr med. Marian Wodziński (1911–1986) i jego aktywny udział w odkrywaniu prawdy o zbrodni katyńskiej

The text attempts to present the wartime and post-war fate of the Polish intelligentsia who took a direct part in uncovering the Katyn massacre, using the example of Dr Marian Wodziński, a medical doctor. As a forensic doctor, he was appointed (against his will), to examine the exhumation of the victims buried in the Katyn forest. As a forensic expert, he believed that it was not up to him to determine the perpetrators, but to the court that would one day hear the murder case. He remained under pressure from the Germans, and after his return from Katyn to Poland, he was intensively searched by the NKVD and the UB, as an inconvenient, muchknowing witness. Arrested by the NKVD, he was freed thanks to influential people, and when he started to go into hiding, an APB was issued for him. In December 1945, he managed to escape from Poland under the name Marian Cich. He settled in the United Kingdom. The security apparatus recruited his brother Stanislaw to collaborate with him for many years. Despite many attempts, Dr M. Wodziński did not succumb to persuasion and pressure and did not return to Poland, although he missed his homeland very much. He returned to Tarnów after his death, in an urn which was buried in the family grave. Despite his many merits, as well as his patriotic attitude, until recently the figure of Dr M. Wodziński was forgotten. Also in his home town of Tarnów. The text about Dr Marian Wodziński should be – in the author’s assumption – a memento of this luminous figure for contemporary and future generations of Poles, especially the Polish intelligentsia, of which Dr Wodziński was a representative.

Representations of childness: the memorialisation of children in the Australian cemetery 1836 – 2018

ABSTRACT This paper explores the cultural conceptualisation of children’s social identity and status through memorialisation, based on the study of children’s grave markers and plots in five South Australian cemeteries (from colonisation to the present), with an age range from infant (including stillborn) to 20 years. The idea of childness, the differing conception of being or being labelled a child, was used as a measure to identify the degree of variation in child identity realised by child-only and family grave markers, showing both change and continuity in the representation of children through family choices of form, style, wording, motif, spatial arrangement and grave furniture. Archaeological evidence of childness was observed through representations of smallness, innocence, domesticity, play, temporality and the distinct emotional nature of the parent-child relationship. Notably in the latter period of study, within the context of lower child mortality, revised understandings of child identity and status were observed representing the social re-evaluation of prenatally deceased and stillborn children.

Study about the change of “IE” traditional Japanese family through the research on the change of Japanese family grave “IE haka”

In the background where there are many factors affecting Japanese families such as the decrease of children, the change of family structures, gender concept, etc., "family'' has become a noticeable issue attracting much attention nowadays. The type of Japanese traditional family named "IE'' was officially regulated in the law during the Meiji period. After the war, the legal status of "IE'' was eliminated; however, in reality, "IE'' still remains popular. In fact, "IE'' is always considered an important keyword to understand the Japanese family system. In this paper, the author studies about the change of "IE'' through the research on the Japanese family grave "IE haka'' in Japan. "IE haka'' was formed based on "IE'' family background; therefore, doing research on the change of Japanese family grave "IE haka'' makes it possible to clarify the characteristics and trend of IE in Japan. The research outcomes showed that in the post-war period, "IE'' was no longer regulated in law; however, the stable sustainability of "IE haka'' system reflects that traditional family "IE'' has firmly rooted in Japan's culture and society until now. Meanwhile, in the current changing context, "IE haka'' shows deep basic changes including the increase of simple structures, simplification of ancestor worship rituals, etc. Through it, "IE'' could be seen to have fundamentally changed and even been predicted to decline in the future.

Related in death? A curious case of a foetus hidden in bishop Peder Winstrup’s coffin in Lund, Sweden

When the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, died in 1679 he was laid to rest in a family crypt in Lund Cathedral alongside his wife. Following a restoration of the Cathedral in the late 19th century, Peder Winstrup’s coffin was moved to the crypt, as the family grave was dismantled. In 2012, a decision was made to move his remains to a different location presenting scientists with an opportunity to investigate bishop’s mummified remains. Unexpectedly, hidden underneath Winstrup’s body, a small bundle containing mummified remains of a 5–6-month-old foetus was found. This finding prompted questions regarding the possible relation between both individuals with most hypotheses suggesting no relation and an opportunistic character of the placement of the foetus in bishop’s coffin. Here we test the hypotheses using ancient DNA genomics, including mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome data, as tools for kinship analyses. We identified a second-degree kinship relation, which, in combination with genealogical analysis, suggests a grandparent-grandchild relation, as highly probable affiliation.

Reconstructing Ita at Schaffhausen

The Nellenburg family looms large in the historical memory of Schaffhausen. Count Eberhard (ca. 1015-1078/1079) and his wife Ita (d. ca. 1105) had transformed the small city with their patronage, most notably through the foundation of the monastery of Allerheiligen; their children held prominent military and ecclesiastical positions across the Lake Constance region. Together with their son Burkhard, his wife Hedwig, and a cousin known as Irmentrud, Eberhard and Ita were buried prominently in Allerheiligen; their collective funerary monument is one of the earliest and most ambitious of its type that is known from the twelfth century. The monument, however, has only survived in pieces: twentieth-century excavations uncovered two effigies for men and a small fragment of a head from a woman’s effigy, usually identified as Ita. The male figures, largely intact, have received ample scholarly attention from art historians, but the presence of women in the family grave has been overlooked thanks to the near-total loss of their monuments. A recent reconstruction sought to ameliorate this situation by adding a body to complete the fragmentary female head, using the contemporaneous Quedlinburg effigies as a model. The resulting modern monument is beautifully executed and visually gratifying, but like all facsimiles it complicates our view of the original. This article questions the relationship of the fragmentary head and its reception in relation to Ita, whose historical position has been privileged at the expense of her daughter-in-law Hedwig and cousin Irmentrud; it also highlights contextual differences that make the imperial canoness effigies of Quedlinburg a complicated model for reimagining the Schaffhausen women. The goal is not to dismiss the reconstruction but rather to probe the underlying assumptions that continue to impact how medieval bodies, and women’s bodies in particular, are projected into the modern world.

Dört Kardeş, Bir mezar: I.Milet VI 2, 783 için Tamamlama ve Yorum

The article deals with the grave inscription of the two brothers Eubulion and Demetrios, sons of Theopompos, written on a small stele from Imperial times. As is obvious at first glance, the inscription has been heavily tampered with: While the lines 6–14 show a consistent type face, the lines 1–5 diverge significantly and have partially been written on an erased surface. Furthermore, the lines 15–16 are clearly secondary and appear as a non-professional addendum altogether. A revision of the inscription’s squeeze made possible a reconstruction of most of the erased parts in lines 4–5, revealing that the grave monument was, in fact, not meant for two, but for four brothers, two of which have been scratched off. After an epigraphic analysis and the reconstruction of the erased parts in ll.4–6 (section I), the article deals with the following topics: Section II addresses the secondary text in ll.1–6 and delivers a detailed analysis of the verb διαφέρειν „belong to“ (g. „gehören“, fr. „appartenir à“) in Imperial grave texts from Asia Minor, showing that the term typically appears in cases where an already established grave monument comes into the hands of new owners. Section III deals with the beginning of the original text and discusses the implications of the erasure of two brothers (and their respective wives, children and grandchildren) from a family grave monument.

Study about the Japanese family grave “ie haka” today - Through the research about Japanese family grave “ie haka” in big cities of Japan (Tokyo, Osaka)

This paper studied the form of the family grave “ie haka” in Japan. Burying cremated ashes into family grave “ie haka” is the second stage of cremation, being practiced more than 90% in Japan. Through inheriting the result of precedence researches and material research, fieldwork of author, making clear the background, the characteristics, the present status, the trend in future, etc. of the family grave “ie haka” is the purpose of this paper. Among that, especially, emphasizing the “traditional characteristic”, which has been still the debate point among the researchers when studying about family grave “ie haka”. Through it, it is possible to understand the current burial method, as well as the religious consciousness, family… of Japan. And today, in Japan, in the background, many influencing factors such as family structure, religious beliefs concerning death, the afterlife, etc. has been changing outstandingly, the current status, change… of burial culture, including the family grave system “ie haka” has been the noticeable topic. This is also a significant keyword to understand Japanese society and culture. But in fact, it almost hasn’t been studied in Vietnam. With this research, I hope to contribute to the study of such related fields of Japan, as mentioned above. And relating with Vietnam, in the context of urbanization and industrialization, many problems of burial cemeteries has occurred, and instead of it, cremation has been received gradually. Based on that, the noticeable change, such as the process of changing from handling burial bodies to cremated ashes, increasing the outside service in ancestor worship practice, etc. has been brought. Like that, through the study about the case of Japan, the similarities, experiences, and application in solving related issues in Vietnam are hoped to be clarified.

Studying about “Wood burial” - a treatment of cremation ash in Japan, today

This paper studied “wood burial”, a form of the burial of cremation ash under the tree in Japan today. Cremation has been conducted in Japan at a rate of more than 90%. Traditionally, the cremation ashes are buried in the family grave with known Japanese name as “ie haka”. But now, in Japan, the factors influencing traditional customs such as family structure, the proportion of young and old people, religious consciousness... are changing. This led to new trends and changes in the culture of treatment of cremated remains. Among that, “wood burial” has emerged and become increasingly popular. In general, the “wood burial” in Japan has many common features such as having harmony with nature, using trees instead of artificial gravestones, etc. in the general trend in the world. Besides, through my study, in the particular context of Japan, the Japanese style wood burial, inheriting traditional characteristics such as burying the cremated ashes in the family unit (like family grave), the permanence of grave,etc...has been clarified. Like that, inheriting the previous studies, this paper did a research about the background, characteristics, popularity… of the “wood burial” in Japan. It is also a noticeable topic of having attracted attention from various viewpoints nowadays. Through this, it is possible to understand Japanese burial culture, the culture of family, ancestor worship, etc. And relating to Vietnam, it is also a meaningful topic in the background that cremation has been increasingly accepted in Vietnam, and based on that, in the culture of burial, ancestor worship custom, …the change has been happening. Through the study, the author hopes to contribute to providing the knowledge systematically about this new topic in Vietnam. In this paper, through fieldwork research of the author, clarifying the characteristic, the acceptance and performance of wood burial,…, and through it, making clear the culture of treatment of cremation ashes, the change of family structure, ancestor worship, the concept of patriarchy... in Japan nowadays, is the purpose of my research. This topic has almost not been studied in Vietnam systematically and is meaningful in the context cremation is increasingly accepted, and brings changes in burial culture, the ancestor worship… in Vietnam today.

Γυάλινο ανάγλυφο κύπελλο από την Κίσαμο, ΒΔ Κρήτη

Our knowledge of the Roman city and necropolis of Kissamos was enriched, on occasion of a project carried out under the supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania, in 2015.In the west cemetery of ancient Kissamos, a new family rock-cut chamber tomb came to light. The rectangular subterranean chamber of a trapezoidal vertical section with a roof opening, received multiple burials. The offerings, included several mainly glass unguentaria, clay vessels, bone objects, beads and gold sheets, demonstrate the long use of this family grave, from the 1st c.A.D. to the 3rd c. A.D. Of particular interest is an imported mold-blown glass drinking vessel of luxury ware. It is an inscribed cylindrical beaker of the 1st c. AD, bearing the Greek inscription “ΛΑΒΕ ΤΗΝ ΝΕΙΚΗΝ(incorrect orthography for “CATCH THE VICTORY”).

Identifying victims of the largest Second World War family massacre in Slovenia

The killings during the Second World War, with nearly one hundred thousand victims, is one of the greatest losses of life in Slovenia’s modern history. This article presents the genetic identification of the victims of the largest family massacre that occurred in Slovenia, in which 10 members of the same family were killed. Seven of them were buried in a hidden mass grave and only two children survived. In 2015 and 2016, two graves were found and three incomplete female skeletons and at least three incomplete male skeletons were exhumed. A total of 12 bones and teeth were analysed and compared to two living relatives. Extracted DNA was quantified using the PowerQuant kit, and various autosomal and Y-STR kits were used for STR typing. Up to 2.7 ng DNA/g of powder was acquired from the samples analysed. We managed to obtain nuclear DNA for successful STR typing from seven bones and one molar. From the female grave, autosomal profiles were obtained only from one skeleton, and from the male grave from five out of six femurs. The relationships between the males were additionally confirmed by analyses of Y-STRs. STR profiles made possible the identification of four family members; one of the aunts from the female grave, and two uncles and the father of the surviving children, who were used as family references, from the male grave. The product rule was used to calculate a combined likelihood ratio for autosomal and Y-STRs, and statistical analyses showed high confidence of correct identification with posterior probability (PP) greater than 99.9 % for three out of four victims identified. For identifying the aunt, the PP obtained after ESI-17 and NGM STR typing was too low. To increase the PP, the next-generation sequencing Precision ID GlobalFiler NGS STR Panel was used and, after the analysis of additional STR loci, the statistical analysis showed a PP greater than 99.9 %, indicating that a sufficient number of genetic markers had been investigated in identifying the skeletal remains of the aunt. An elimination database containing the genetic profiles of all individuals that had been in contact with the bones was created to ensure traceability in case of contamination, and no matches were found. After more than 70 years, the skeletal remains were returned to the surviving children, who buried their relatives in a family grave.

右衛 麻氏 묘지석과 上谷 麻氏 족보 고찰

This article focused on identifying the divergence between Youwei(右衛) Ma"s family grave stone and Sanggu(Sanggok; 上谷) Ma"s family genealogy. Recently, three successive discoveries have been made at Sanxi(山西) Youyuxian(右玉縣) Youweizhen(右衛鎭); Ma Fu(麻富) & wife Wang(王)"s grave stone, Ma Gui(麻貴) & wife Shen(沈)"s grave stone, and Ma Chengxun(麻承訓)"s grave stone. They were transferred and preserved in Youyu Sahukou museum(殺虎口博物館). These grave stones, are useful to figure out the people and their works of the Ma"s family from Huihui(回回), who played an active part in border area in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty for generation to generation. Korean Sanggu Ma’s family are known to be the descendant of the General(提督) Ma Gui, who had been dispatched to Joseon, in charge of the Ming North and South militias(明南北兵) during Jeongyu War(丁酉再亂). When comparing the ancestral records of Sanggu Ma"s family genealogy with Youwei Ma"s family grave stone, there is a considerable gap. There are many problems as the details are different or not visible in Youwei Ma"s family grave stone, including family tree of Ma Gui(麻貴) -- Ma Chengen(麻承恩) -- Ma Yan(麻巖) -- Ma Shunshang(麻舜裳), the birth and death of the Ma Gui, the existence of Ma Yan"s wife Dong(佟), and the name Ma Shunshang(麻舜裳) itself as the ancestors who came to Korea.

조선 전·중기 역장(逆葬)에 대한 풍수관 연구

조선 전·중기 역장(逆葬)에 대한 풍수관 연구

Rudolf Hess – The Doppelgänger conspiracy theory disproved

The Deputy Führer of the Third Reich Rudolf Hess was captured after a controversial flight to Scotland in 1941. Hess was sentenced to life imprisonment during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. He was detained in Berlin’s Spandau Prison under the official security designation ‘Spandau #7.’ Early doubts arose about the true identity of prisoner ‘Spandau #7.’ This evolved to a frequently espoused conspiracy theory that prisoner ‘Spandau #7’ was an imposter and not Rudolf Hess. After Hess’s reputed 1987 suicide, the family grave became a Neo-Nazi pilgrimage site. In 2011, the grave was abandoned and the family remains cremated. Here we report the forensic DNA analysis of the only known extant DNA sample from prisoner ‘Spandau #7’ and a match to the Hess male line, thereby refuting the Doppelgänger Theory.

Dogs of Silver Sands

Dogs of Silver Sands John Mancini (bio) Carmen Murphy wasn’t the only girl in Sister Janet’s class who felt a sense of relief when Dirty Dotty stopped coming to school. The fifth-grade homeroom smelled much better without her. Everyone had heard a different story about what had happened to Dotty—all agreed it must have been something bad. Some said she fell into Stoney Creek just before it froze, and others said she accepted a ride from a stranger while walking alone on Solley Road, or that she ran away from home because her father, Mr. Peterson, had “done things” to her. There were so many children in Silver Sands that one or two always seemed to go missing, but Dotty hadn’t been seen for several weeks now, and even the local newspaper had reported on her disappearance. The Peterson house was one of the oldest in Silver Sands—a clapboard shack that sat all by itself at the bottom of the hill where the creek dead-ended and was still. In the summer, algae covered the surface in the shallows like a green furry blanket, and in the winter the water froze straight through. In the backyard, near the woods, was a small family grave boxed in by a low chainlink fence where all the other Petersons had been buried going back more than a hundred years. In the front yard were the dogs. Most of the children in Silver Sands were afraid of the Peterson dogs—a shepherd and two boxer mixes—but Carmen, who felt a special connection with animals, knew there was something different about these dogs, who seemed to bark at everyone except for her. She was sure they felt the connection too. If it weren’t for Mr. Peterson she would have visited them more often, but she knew to stay away from the house when she saw Dotty’s father sitting on the porch with his head in his hands, sleeping off the afternoon with an empty bottle in his lap. There was no Mrs. Peterson—as far as Carmen knew—but there were plenty of stories about Dotty’s father, about his drinking and how he had once bruised Dotty’s arm while attempting to pry her loose from the swing set at the tot lot. And how he had once gone to sleep on the broad hood of Carmen’s father’s brand new Buick Riviera, and Carmen could still remember waking in the middle of the night and seeing the strange man staggering out on the lawn, her father yelling at him, trying desperately to point him toward the other end of Solley Road. Carmen’s father said that people in Silver Sands had nothing better to do than tell stories about one another and that she ought to know better than to believe them. He stood at the window counting the blackbirds gathered on [End Page 109] the lawn and said it meant there was going to be a long winter. Already they’d seen the third snow of the year, and again schools had been canceled because the buses couldn’t make it up the hill. If the snow held through the weekend, schools would be closed again Monday. Carmen hoped it would. She loved the snow and hated the fifth grade. She was pulling on her boots and buttoning her green wool coat and matching mittens when her father turned from the window and announced that she could do him a favor and walk a notarized document down to the Peterson house. Carmen’s father was the only Notary Public in Silver Sands, and he was always offering his services to neighbors, for a fee, and it wouldn’t be the first time he’d asked Carmen to deliver a letter. Carmen’s mother did not approve of her walking the neighborhood alone, but her father always said, “What’s the point of having daughters if you can’t put them to work?” Carmen hadn’t been to the Peterson house since the day Mr. Peterson had drummed his fingers on the neck of his bottle and warned her...

Motherhood at Early Bronze Age Unterhautzenthal, Lower Austria

This article utilises skeletal evidence (n = 57) from settlement features and graves at Unterhautzenthal, Lower Austria, to outline our methodological approach to researching motherhood in prehistory. Unterhautzenthal includes the grave of a pregnant teenager, a triple burial of a woman with two children and a family grave of a man, woman and baby; additional women’s graves include remains of neonates and young children. Comparing archaeological context information with osteobiographical data allows us to draw inferences about the social status of women and the ways Bronze Age motherhood was conceptualised. The archaeological approach includes a gender and age analysis of material culture and Social Index calculations. The osteological analyses include age at death, sex, body height, health indicators, and pathologies, with an emphasis on pelvic changes. Physical traces that may relate to strain through pregnancy and childbirth were explored in detail. In addition to morphological assessment of the entire skeletal collection, we applied tooth cementum annulation analysis, 14C dating, and δ13C/δ15N isotope analysis to selected individuals. These data, in conjunction with demographic modelling, enable us to draw conclusions about women’s age at first pregnancy and the average number of children per woman, as well as the cultural and social context of motherhood.

Polityka administracyjna ministra spraw wewnętrznych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej Bronisława Wilhelma Pierackiego w latach 1931–1934

Bronislaw Wilhelm Pieracki was an active member of political group developed around Marshal Jozef Pilsudski. He succeeded in the Polish Army and got promoted to the rank of colonel in 1924. He took part in the coup d’etat in May 1926 and became one of the most important members of the colonels’ group that ruled Poland on behalf of Pilsudski since 1930. Bronislaw W. Pieracki held an office of the deputy prime minister from 1930 to 1931. On 23 June 1931, he became a minister of the internal affairs of the Republic of Poland and held that post until his tragic death on 15 June 1934. Bronislaw W. Pieracki’s administrative politics was focused on maintaining peace and internal security. His main aim was to extinguish strike actions and mass demonstrations inspired by political opposition and caused mainly by a very difficult economic situation of Poland (the Great Depression from 1929 to 1935). He performed very well, gaining a reputation as an effective politician. Stanislaw “Cat” Mackiewicz stated that ‘Pieracki would handle even the most overwhelming revolution’. Minister Pieracki improved organization and functioning of the department of the interior by simplifying its structure and making staff reductions. Moreover, he carried out reforms of municipal associations introduced by the local government act from 1933. On 15 June 1934, Bronislaw W. Pieracki was shot by a Ukrainian assassin Grzegorz Maciejko, a member of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. Severely wounded, minister Pieracki died the same day. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of brigadier general and his funeral became a great patriotic event. He was buried in the family grave in Nowy Sącz.

Religious Tourism in the Perspective of Kendal Society

<p><em>Ziarah qubur</em> is the sunnah worship by Prophet Muhammad, either a family grave or the clergy, <em>auliya’</em>, and <em>shalaf al-Salih</em> who have died. The behavior of <em>ziarah qubur </em>is interested to be studied because it seems to be a trend for people who have interest in popolar culture. Popular culture is often regarded as a product or cultural practices with low taste. This refers to the view that popular culture is a commercial culture as a result of mass production and industrialization so that it can be a lifestyle. This study aimed to answer the extent to which the public's understanding of the <em>ziarah qubur </em>in Kendal regency. Through interviews and observation, this qualitative research led to the conclusion that <em>ziarah qubur</em> became a tradition, entertainment and <em>ziarah</em> motivation. The results of this research could develop in a more diverse results if developed on a broader subject.</p>

Giovanni Battista Morgagni: facial reconstruction by virtual anthropology.

Multidisciplinary research was carried out on human skeletal remains to identify if they belonged to the famous pathologist Giovanni Battista Morgagni, who died at a very old age and was buried in a church in Padua. The purpose of this study was to analyze the skull, creating a virtual model necessary for facial reconstruction, so as to contribute to the identification of the skull. The skeletal remains were found buried in the Morgagni family grave. Based on preliminary anthropological evidence, that the skull might be ascribable to Giovanni Battista Morgagni, a digitized model of the skull was created and restored. From this, a virtual facial reconstruction was developed using an assumed relationship between the soft-tissues and the underlying skeletal structure. Finally, the anthropological profile and the face reconstruction were compared with historical documentation and the portrait of Morgagni by Pietro Danieletti, showing clear similarities. Virtual anthropological techniques create new perspectives for anthropological and medical studies and can be used successfully in the forensic sciences to make a positive identification, such as in this case, which has been examined by different experts with similar results.

“Who will care for me when I am dead?” Ancestors, homeless spirits, and new afterlives in low-fertility Japan

A growing number of older people in Japan lack reliable future caretakers for their family grave. By performing numerous memorial rites and maintaining their family grave, the bereaved typically transform the family dead into benevolent ancestors. However, what will happen to those whose ashes are not interred in a family grave? In this article, I examine one alternative to the family grave system – the scattering of ashes conducted by a citizen-based group called the Grave-Free Promotion Society of Japan (Sōsō no jiyū o susumeru kai). Contrary to the common assumption that it is usually childless people who decide on ash scattering, a number of the Society’s members in fact have adult children. What are the views of people who have adopted the scattering of ashes as a way of disposing of their own remains? Given that a grave remains a symbolic locus of familial continuity, the scattering of ashes seems to challenge the cherished ideas of filial piety and respect toward ancestors. By “returning to nature” through ash scattering and joining a benevolent force larger than their small family, older urbanites seek self-sufficiency in the postmortem world and attempt to lighten the ritual burden of their survivors regarding the maintenance of their family graves. Data for this study come from extended fieldwork conducted in Japan from 2002 to 2004. By using cohort analysis, this study shows that ash scattering meets the mortuary needs of those generations that tend to lack a ceremonial asset or a culturally preferred caregiver.

A Sociocultural Analysis of Death Anxiety among Older Japanese Urbanites in a Citizens' Movement

By examining the experiences of death anxiety and attitudes toward personal deaths among members of a citizens' movement, the Grave-Free Promotion Society (GFPS), this study considers the applicability of the view that culture and high self-esteem serve as defenses against death anxiety in Japan's changing society. The GFPS promotes the scattering of ashes over the conventional interment of cremated remains in a family grave. GFPS members often lack descendants to care for a family grave, the neglect of which is thought to endanger the deceased's peaceful rest. By returning the dead to nature through ash scattering, the GFPS provides an alternative strategy of managing its members' posthumous well-being. GFPS members often report that their choice of ash scattering has reduced their anxiety about their personal deaths and improved the quality of their lives. Based upon these findings, this study offers some suggestions for increasing cultural sensitivities of test instruments commonly used to examine death anxiety among older persons for use in a Japanese context.