Speaking of the "house in which Christians assembled" at Cirta in the year 303, during the persecution of Diocletian, this writer enumerates first the higher orders of the clergy present, from the bishop to the subdeacons, and then mentions by name the fossors Januarius, Heraclius, Fructuosus, et ceteris fossoribus. Optatus of Mileve, a reference is made to the character of the fossors as an order of inferior clergy. The duties of the Christian fossor corresponded in a general way with those of the pagan vespillones, but whereas the latter were held in anything but esteem in pagan society (many religions consider corpses, and sometimes anyone who touches them, 'unclean' also in a religious sense), the fossors from an early date were ranked among the inferior clergy of the Church. Gravedigger with shovels, during the Siege of Sarajevoįossor (Latin fossorius, from the verb fodere 'to dig') is a term described in Chambers' dictionary as archaic, but can conveniently be revived to describe grave diggers in the Roman catacombs in the first three centuries of the Christian Era. In the traditional caste system of India, cemetery work has been the responsibility of the lowest castes, considered "unclean" or "untouchable" for their association with death.įossors Grave template, topped with the handle of a scythe. In many cultures throughout history, gravediggers have been highly marginalized by their societies.
Additionally, on the day of the back-fill and for the funeral service, typically artificial turf will be placed around the grave whilst the coffin is being lowered. Gravediggers must make sure that the coffin can fit through the shoring. Additionally, shoring is often used to stop a grave from collapsing. Gravediggers must take care to get the proportions of a grave right, as the hole needs to be big enough for the coffin to be lowered in. This allows a maximum of three coffins to be buried in the same grave, typically family members of the deceased who are buried at a later date – which is known as a re-open. Due to the close proximity of graves in cemeteries (4 feet (1.20 m) between the centre of each headstone is common in modern UK cemeteries), the wooden box is often placed in front of one or more other graves, and is seen as a nuisance to those wishing to visit graves adjacent to a grave that is due to be filled.Īlthough the expression "six feet under" refers to the depth at which people were traditionally buried, at least in the UK, the minimum legal depth for a new grave is seven feet (2.10 m). The soil will then remain in the box until the day of the back-fill, when the funeral takes place and the soil is emptied back into the grave after the coffin has been lowered, after which the box is disassembled. Once the grave has been dug and the soil from the grave has been placed in the box, the box will usually be covered with a piece of tarpaulin or similar material. This box consists of several large pieces of wood that fit together, and the box is assembled next to the grave. Typically, gravediggers – at least in most Western countries – will use a wooden box to put the soil in. Cemeteries in industrialized countries may keep a backhoe loader and other heavy equipment, which greatly increases the efficiency of gravedigging. Digging the grave by hand usually requires shovels, picks, mattocks and/or other tools. The gravedigger may use a sod-cutter or spade to cut the outline of the grave and remove the top layer of sod. A template, in the form of a wooden frame built to prescribed specifications, is often placed on the ground over the intended grave.
In some countries, gravedigging may be done by landscaping workers for the local council or local authority.Ī gravedigger implements a variety of tools to accomplish his primary task.
#GRAVE DIGGER SHIRT PROFESSIONAL#
In municipal and privately owned cemeteries, gravediggers may be low-paid, unskilled and temporary labourers, or they may be well-paid, trained and professional careerists, as their duties may include landscaping tasks and courteous interactions with mourners and other visitors. Digging graves has also been one of the traditional duties of a church's sexton. If the grave is in a cemetery on the property of a church or other religious organization (part of, or called, a churchyard), gravediggers may be members of the decedent's family or volunteer parishioners. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.
0 kommentar(er)
