Greeting, As you know, I am interested in our discussions only covering genealogy. However, I felt that most of us researching our roots are notorious for tramping through cemeteries, so, I thought this would be of interest to the researchers on our list: "This subject has come up on several lists I am on, about cleaning gravestones and taking pictures of out ancestors graves. So here are some URLs that might help some of you.. And also an explanation explaining some type of rocks used for gravestones. CGN CEMETERY DO'S & DON'TS http://members.aol.com/ctgravenet/dosdonts.htm AGS Do's & Don'ts with Tombstones http://www.berkshire.net/ags/qdatabase.shtml Search cemetery records, do rubbings, clean stones, date the tombstones, taking good pictures of the stones. http://www.angelfire.com/ut/gmachoocho/genealogy.html Clean headstones. These items are too precious to abuse http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/links/cemeterylinks.html I understand that shaving cream is not a good idea, chemicals can damage he stones. I have heard the best way is a small bag of charcoal (not the grill type - but drawing type) and tissue paper. Tape the paper tightly over the stone and pat gently with the charcoal bag, or use colored chalk. To try and clean up stones, mild soap and water are recommended, nothing stronger as it may harm the monument To clean tombstones use styrofoam, old toothbrush and water. The foam goes fast so take a lot of it How to do rubbings http://www.firstct.com/fv/t_stn1.html another similar to above only more details http://www.usigs.org/signal/signal.htm Old Tombstones Carvings & saying meanings http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/oh/oh_state.htm Good site for the purpose. It gives detailed directions including materials, methods, etc. This activity can damage the stones so it 's important to be cautious and know exactly what you are doing. How to do tombstone rubbings http://www.firstct.com/fv/t_stn1.html same story different URL http://www.usigs.org/signal/signal/htm *********************************************************** More about tombstones Good evening all; I am Pete Dohms. 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 good and bad ways to clean stones, for the purpose of taking pictures, 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 erosion 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" Thanks, Martha Wooten Solomon