1031 Edgecomb Ave.
Genealogists use gravemarkers to trace family roots.
In some cases gravemarkers provide the only record of an ancestor's life. But gravemarkers and cemeteries also tell important cultural stories. Forms, designs, materials, wording, and symbols of gravemarkers all change over time, reflecting shifts in cultural perspective, values, and sentiments from one era to the next. Cemeteries themselves have evolved from simple, unplanned burial grounds to park-like spaces. The following is a rough, simplified sketch of the stages of Pennsylvania cemeteries.