Over the centuries, grave markers have been created using a variety of materials. Wood, slate, sandstone, marble, zinc and granite have been utilized to commemorate our loved ones who have passed on. Time has taken its toll with each type of stone responding differently to the elements of nature, rendering some nearly illegible. By identifying the materials and the time periods in which they were used we can attempt to apply a date to the cemeteries we visit as well as the stones worn with age.
The links below provide information on the various types of material used as well as the time periods in which they were in use.
- Colorado Tombstone Materials
- Gravestone Studies – Identifying Major Stone Types
- Rootsweb – Types and Explanations of Tombstones
- Headstones – a student research paper regarding headstone materials
- Amy’s Genealogy, etc. Blog – Zinc Tombstones
- White Bronz – Zinc Marker