Overview

The world as we know it today was made by the individuals who rest in our burial grounds. On Long Island, the cultural landscape is marked by resting places that reflect the history of the land, and the groups of people who called it home. Like every other region of America, Long Island has an indigenous history, a colonial history, and a legacy of social stratification and inequality that is showcased in historical burial grounds all over the island. Every surviving burial ground is a physical representation of families who lived, worked, and existed on the same ground that we now call home. Epitaphs of devotion and sorrow represent love felt just as strongly as we feel it today, and loss just as biting as our losses. This photographic collection showcases the full scope of historical Long Island funeral practices during the colonial and early American period, from elaborately carved headstones imported and installed before the United States gained independence, to the modest fieldstone markers of individuals whose names are lost. If you know where to look, Long Island is home to endless examples of burial artifacts that really bring the famous colonial epitaph to life. Come and see, as you pass by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you must be. Prepare for Death, and follow me. This book is a celebration of the ways in which the past inhabitants of Long Island have honored their dead, and a recognition of how our history rests in our graveyards.

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9781634994880

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Alyssa Gutierrez is a former archaeologist who is best known for dragging unsuspecting friends and family to graveyards against their will. As a Long Island native, she grew up thinking that history was something that happened elsewhere. After receiving a B.S. degree in anthropology and a B.A. degree in history from Binghamton University, she returned to Long Island to find just how much of its cultural history remains buried in historical graveyards. Since then, Alyssa has studied colonial headstones, using 3D imaging and photography to help people see these artifacts in a new light. Alyssa is passionate about the preservation and stewardship of historic graveyards and hopes to raise awareness about their place in local and national history.

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