ILHAMILT-L Archives

From: crgreen <>
Subject: [ILHAMILT-L] [GREEN-L] Tombstone Information. (fwd)
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 05:36:58 -0600

>Thought ya'll might be interested in this info...


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>Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 10:33:16 -0500 (EST)
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>Subject: [GREEN-L] Tombstone Information. (fwd)
>To:
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>From: Gerry Z Hill <>
>
>>>From Malinda Jones on the Parham list
> wrote:
>
>Good evening all; I am Pete Dohms, husband of Benigne who is your
>regular correspondent at this e-mail address. I am a professional
>geologist and
>this topic has landed squarely in an area of which I have some degree of
>knowledge.
>
>>>From direct observation and over 30 years of professional experience, I
>can assure you all that there is some degree of truth in what Bob has
>stated, but
> there are limitations. Allow me to explain.
>
>There are several types of "stone" that are typically used for creating
>tombstones. In the early days of America (particularly in New England),
>slate was used. Slate is a dark colored rock that breaks naturally along
>a very strong preferential plane (cleavage). It is also fairly soft and
>fairly easy to carve. It is also highly resistant to chemical
>weathering (which is the erosional phenomena Bob was alluding to).
>Slate tombstones that are hundreds of years old can usually be easily
>read.
>
> In the past 100 years, though, most American tombstones have been
>created from two other types of rock. Those are marble and "granite."
>In a
>moment I'll explain why I put "granite" in quotation marks. First to
>marble.
>
> Marble is a crystallized form of what began as limestone, a chemical
>precipitate formed as layers in the bottom of a shallow sea. After deep
> burial, and the application of heat and pressure, the limestone grains
> (calcium carbonate) flowed together into the larger and more
>crystallized
> forms seen in marble. Marble is, like slate, relatively soft and quite
>easy
> to carve. It is fairly easy to saw and grind, which is good since it
>doesn't
> cleave like slate. If you've ever been to a U.S. Military cemetery,
>virtually all tombstones you see in the long precise rows are marble.
>The effect is quite striking.
>
>Marble, unfortunately, does not resist chemical weathering at all well.
>Many tombstones from 100 years ago have become illegible, hence the
>"tips"
>that pass around on "how to raise the inscription." In the case of
>shaving
>cream, in the absence of affirmative knowledge to the contrary, I
>imagine the
>surfactants (wetting agents) in the shaving cream penetrate the
>microscopic
>discontinuities along crystal grain boundaries, making those areas
>easier for > rainwater (which in the NE USA is quite acidic) to
>penetrate. Once
>penetrated, the acids go to work on the crystal grains, enlarging the
>discontinuities and exposing new marble (calcium carbonate) to chemical
>attack. As the process continues, tiny flecks of marble spall off the
>stone,
>leaving a white, sugary, irregular surface behind. In cold climates, ice
>also penetrates into the stone and the freeze-thaw cycle adds physical
>weathering to the chemical attack (recall that water expands upon
>freezing, which pushes the cracks open even further).
>
>What I called "granite" is, in reality, a trade term for a wide variety
>of igneous and crystalline metamorphic rocks that contain high
>concentrations of silica (silicon dioxide, or quartz). The other major
>components include various feldspars, dark minerals (pyroxenes,
>hornblendes, micas), and other rock-forming minerals. As a class,
>"granite" is difficult to work into tombstones. It is both hard and
>tough. This different mineral composition and more challenging geologic
>history, however, provides it with an excellent ability to resist
>chemical weathering. A year ago, Benigne & I found the grave of her
>grandmother's uncle, who was buried in Northeast
>Pennsylvania in 1914. Rain in this area is as acidic as any location in
>the country and
>more acidic than most. The fine granite tombstone that was described in
>his
>Will looked as though it had been erected the week prior to our visit;
>it was
>untouched by the 85 years of weather it had experienced.
>
>Having said all that, please understand that the forgoing are general
>statements. There will be specific locations where 200 year old marble
>tombstones are in remarkable states of preservation, and there will be
>cases where 200 year old slate tombstones have dissolved to low piles of
>shaley rubble, but those are exceptions to the general conditions
>described above.
>
>This has gone on long enough, most of you are probably bored by now, and
>i f anybody has a comment or question, I will be happy to respond "off
>web"
>(or on-web if preferred). Thanks for bearing with this.
>
> Pete Dohms, Geologist
>
>
>
>
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• [ILHAMILT-L] [GREEN-L] Tombstone Information. (fwd) by crgreen <>