Ancient Roman Cremation and Memorialization- Post 1

History is fascinating, isn't it? And, thanks to memorials that have stood the test of time, we can trace history with more ease than we would have been able to without them. That's why I love the work that I do, and also why I love to study burial, cremation and memorialization histories everywhere I go.

I recently took a girls' trip to Italy, where I was able to briefly study the history of ancient Roman burial and cremation traditions. Both practices, which are still in tact today, have an interesting history that I wanted to share with my readers.

While I was in Italy we took an afternoon trip to an ancient Roman city called Ostia Antica. Just a short train ride from Rome, Ostia Antica was once a thriving harbor city located on the Tiber River that received and stored goods that supplied ancient Rome. This city was believed to have been founded in 620 BC (how cool is that?!) by the fourth king of Rome, Ancus Marcius.

When you enter the Ostia Antica historical site you enter via a cobblestone road on what was then the outskirts of town. As I walked West on the road toward the center of the ruined city a building with sun rise mosaics caught my eye.

This building was particularly interesting to me because it featured mixed mediums (travertine tile and brick) and the sun designs still held some color- you can see the faint yellow and red that has been dyed into the tile. I never learned what the importance of the sun seen on this building was, one can assume that it had something to do with the pagan religions that were practiced at the time. Considering that this building was, more than likely, built in BC times, I thought the craftsmanship to be absolutely amazing. BUT...what was on the back side of this building was even MORE amazing.

As I rounded the back of this building I stumbled upon another cobble stone road with this modern day sign.

Of course you can guess what this street was- it was the road leading to the tombs! And what I saw and learned just past the little street sign was worth the price of my train ticket to get there! Can you guess what the little "cut outs" seen below are?

After a little research I discovered that the little rounded cut outs were actually cremation niches. This discovery told me two interesting things:

1. the practice of cremation was alive in BC times (something that we already knew from the ancient Egyptians but was interesting to see that the ancient Romans utilized the practice as well) and
2. cremation walls, although structured a little differently today, were utilized by ancient Romans in a beautiful way

So the ancient Romans would cremate their loved ones in BC times and very early AD times and then fill cremation urns with their loved ones' ashes- just as we do today. I actually found a few ancient cremation urns in one of the Vatican Museums and have post a picture of them so you can see how stunning they truly were, especially considering the tools that would have been available during that time period.

Urns like the ones you see above would have been placed in the cremation niches, which were housed in the niche walls along Via Delle Tombe. Of course the building would have hosted a roof, which is believed to have been lost due to a combination of mud, flooding and time.

Ancient Romans were very skilled at engraving and had to ability to engrave their urns, like the one below.

As I continued to walk about Via Delle Tombe I began to notice the number of niche walls that lined the road, supporting the theory that cremation was a very common practice in BC and early AD times.
The interesting thing to note is that cremation practices practically came to a halt with the spread of Christianity. Why? Because of the belief that those who have been buried will rise up to the East to meet the Lord on his second coming. Individuals could not rise up to meet the Lord if there was no body left, so the ancient Romans shifted from cremation to inhumation (i.e. burial).

The ancient Roman inhumation/burial practices are fascinating, as are the methods by which they chose to memorialize their loved ones. I will be posting about that soon, so stay tuned!
In the mean time, I hope you found this post to be just as interesting as I did and hope you have gained some knowledge that you may not have had.

At Emerson Monument Company we strive to be experts in all aspects of our field, including the historical aspect. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you preserve the legacy of a loved one or your family, please contact us and we will help you get started.

Designing a Memorial

When I sit down with families to visit about their memorial they often say the same thing, "I have absolutely no idea what I want the monument to look like".

If you could easily find yourself uttering that very same thing, then this blog post is especially for you.

Each year I work with countless families who know that they want to place a memorial in the cemetery and often they even know what color they want. However, when it comes to the actual design, they could use some guidance.

Stock Designs for Sandblasting
At Emerson Monument Co. we have an entire library of designs that families commonly use. These designs are organized by the size of the monument and range from the very simple to the extremely elaborate. Sometimes families will select the entire design and other times the families will use the design as an "inspiration" and build on it.

We also have an entire library of components that are commonly used on monuments. Components are single images, such as an emblem, that represents a career, hobby, event, honor, etc.

Designs for Laser Etching
For those who choose to go the laser etching route, things work a little differently.
Typically when a family would like to do some laser etching I will sit down with them and go over their ideas and show them pictures of similarly etched memorials. We will then gather all necessary artwork from them and go from there.

Proofs.
At Emerson Monument Company we will not start making your monument until you have signed off on a rendering of the memorial. While the renderings are in black and white, they are to-scale and a great way to "see" the monument before it is complete. It is also an opportunity to allow both you and your family to make any necessary changes.

I hope you have found this information to be helpful. If you would like to start designing a memorial, please contact us via email and we will be glad to help.

Engraving- What Makes it Different.

Did you know there are several different methods that are currently used to engrave monuments? And while there isn't truly a right or wrong way of engraving a memorial, each monument company typically utilizes a technique that is unique to their organization and, thus, distinguishes their work from anyone elses.

Single Processing.

Single processing is utilized by many monument companies in an effort to save time and money. What they do is cover the monument with a rubber stencil and then remove the pieces of stencil that create the text. Once the stencil is removed, they sandblast the text and fill the sandblasted letters with mud or clay. They then remove the pieces of stencil that create the panels and sandblast them, wash out the mud, and consider themselves done. This process creates slightly rounded edges on the letters, thus eliminating a crisp, clean font.

Double Processing.

At Emerson Monument Company we utilize a technique commonly referred to as Double Processing. While this process does require more time and effort, we believe that it works to create a crisp, clean letter that is easily recognized from it's single-processed counterparts.

This technique, while largely considered an art of the past, is the process of applying a rubber stencil to the granite and then removing the panel portions first. We then sandblast the panels and then very carefully replace the stencil on top. We then remove the stencil from the text and sandblast it. This is referred to as double processing because the stencil touches the granite on two separate occasions.

At Emerson Monument Company we believe that, by double processing our monuments, we are providing the highest quality product to our customers at all times.

Not All Monuments Are Created Equally

If there is one thing that I did not realize prior to entering the monument industry, it is that not all monuments are created equally. Why? Because creating monuments is a true artform. And, just like the artists that you are familiar with, styles, techniques and abilities vary from monument builder to monument builder.

Over the next few weeks I will do a blog series about the many ways in which monument builders, and their styles, vary.

This Week's Topic is Shape Carving.

Shape carving is a term used when we refer to giving images dimension by use of a hand held sandblaster. Our guys suit up in a special helmet that offers an oxygen supply as well as other protective gear, and shape the images by hand. As you can imagine, this requires not only a high level of artistry, but a steady hand as well!

The interesting thing to know about shape carving is that many monument builders simply take a design and blow holes into it; this is a sad attempt to make the image appear as though it has shape...as seen below with this border I stumbled accross in a local cemetery. In this picture you will notice that the monument builder who is responsible for this work left the leaves flat and simply blew elongated holes into them in.

An example of poorly done shape carving. Done by another monument company.

The border above is an example of how many monument companys shape carve. They utilize techniques that save them time (and money), and give the consumer a product that is of sub-quality work. Another reason that some monument builders utilize this method is that they simply don't know how to do it any other way. Shape carving is a true artform whose teachings have been largely lost through the decades.


However, the correct way to do shape carving (the way we do it) is to take the image and actually round it in places where the image would naturally have dimension should it be found in nature. It is a time consuming task, but well worth the effort, as seen below with our own shape carved border.

The way a shape carved border should look! Here we have gently rounded the leaves to make them appear more natural. This is the correct way to do shape carving. This work was done at Emerson Monument Company.



This photo offers a close-up view of the shape carved leaf.

I hope you have found this post to be both interesting and helpful! At Emerson Monument Company we do things the right way the first time, and believe in offering a high quality product without cutting corners. If you have any questions about our monuments, please check out our website or give us a call.

When Your Parents Start Planning

Nearly each day I will have a sweet couple walk through my doors that is looking to pre-arrange for their memorial. Their reasoning? To make it easier on the kids.

And the kids' typical response? I don't want to even think about it.

Now, I will tell you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the aforementioned initial reaction. However, helping your parents pre-plan for their end of life needs can be a beautiful and meaningful process for all.

1. Be Supportive. When your parents initially tell you that they are considering making their burial, cremation or funeral arrangements, stay calm, ask questions, and be sure to offer an outward display of strength and encouragement- even if you are falling apart inside. This is the absolute single most important piece of advice I can give you when it comes to your parents and their need and desire to plan ahead.
2. Help Research. Your parents may already have a cemetery, memorial and funeral home in mind. However, many folks do not have know where to begin making these arrangements. If your parents don't know where to begin, ask them if you can assist in the search. Check out websites and ask friends for recommendations. Help them call around, ask questions and present your ideas and suggestions to them when the time is right.
3. Be Gentle. If you have ideas concerning cemetery location, monument style or design, or the content of the funeral, be gentle in your suggestions and do not be offended if/when they do not share in your ideas. Remember, for many this topic is sensative and very personal.  
4. Don't Rush. If your parents begin the process with gusto and then place their plans on hold, accept it as an indication that they have decided they are not ready to finalize plans just yet. Give them space and time to think through the decisions that need to be made- remember, many of these decisions are permanent!
5. Go With Them But Hold Your Opinions. Ask your parents if you can go with them to make the arrangements. However, if you are planning to accompany them, do remember that these are their plans to make and that you should hold your comments, opinions and objections unless asked for them. Remember, doing this is stressful for them and they need to be re-assured and supported.
6. Remember the Reason. It is important for the kids to understand that their parents' motivation for pre-arranging for their burial/cremation and funeral is completely selfless. Chances are they are doing it as an act of love in an effort to make the grieving process just a little easier on the remaining family and friends.

I hope that this information has helped you know how to best assist your parents (or any other loved ones, for that matter!) if and when they approach you about their end of life arrangements. If you or a loved one is in need of any information regarding this topic, please contact Emerson Monument Company and we will be glad to help.

Beautiful Bronze Statuary

When the fine folks at the First Christian Church contacted Emerson Monument Company regarding a bronze chalice to go atop their beautiful mahogany granite columbarium, we were up for the challenge. The chalice has great meaning and symbolizm to the First Christian Church, as it represents a central place of communion in worship. The Cross cut-out (shaped as an X below) is known as Saint Andrew's Cross and represents the importance evangelism.

First Christian Church Logo

After obtaining an understanding of what the chalice should look like and the size that it should be to appropriately fit on the columbarium, we were able to collaberate with both our bronze manufacturer and our setting crew to determine the design details.

Once the design was determined, we received a styrofoam model of the chalice itself.

Styrofoam model

Once the styrofoam model was approved, a wax model was created. The wax model is what is used in the actual bronze-pouring process. We put the chalice next to a water bottle to give perspective to the size of the chalice.

Wax model

After the wax model was approved, it was time to pour the bronze. Now, I am not a bronze expert, nor do I claim to be. So, in order to share the process involved with creating bronze statuary, such as this, I found a video on You Tube that actually shows it.

The result was this beautiful bronze chalice!

Actual chalice

The final step in the process was to place the chalice on top of an existing granite columbarium. Our setting crew did a fantastic job of placing the chalice, thus adding the finishing touches to this stunning memorial.



-Springdale, Ark.  Emerson Monument Company of Springdale, AR, is being featured in the June issue of the Monument Builders News. One of their original monuments, an upright memorial with a propeller bolted to the front, will be shown on the cover and is being commended as exhibiting creativity, extreme craftsmanship and a commitment to capture the essence in which the customer wished to be remembered.

The same issue further recognizes the company on both a national and international level for contributions to the industry in the area of creativity and innovation.

The Monument Builders News is a monthly membership-only publication with a circulation of approximately 2,000 worldwide, making it the largest monument industry publication of its kind.

Emerson Monument Company is the region’s largest locally owned and operated monument company, having serviced Northwest Arkansas, Northeast Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri since 1914.

Over the decades Emerson Monument Company has been recognized on both the state and local levels for their cemetery repair efforts, including a major restoration at Fayetteville’s historic Evergreen Cemetery in 2006.

“We are honored to be recognized in the Monument Builders News! We take pride in our craftsmanship and our unwavering dedication to customer service,” says Alison Raymer, Co-owner of Emerson Monument Company.