Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Cemetery

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    MINDING YOUR FEET: AN EXAMINATION OF CEMETERY RECORDATION AND ANALYSIS THROUGH GEOSPATIAL DOCUMENTATION IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA
    (2024) Boyle, Colleen; Palus, Matthew; Anthropology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Cemeteries are a wealth of information and are a vital cultural resource for the communities in which they reside. These spaces reflect the cultural and community practices, the evolution of public space, economic conditions, and religious traditions of those interred. This thesis seeks to answer the research question: can cemetery landscapes be understood using a phenomenological approach to interpreting cultural patterns and trends in a digital landscape? Understanding cemetery landscapes is vital to the understanding and preservation of the cultural landscapes of these communities, so clear and accurate documentation of these sites is possible and necessary when using modern geospatial technology. This thesis examines the results of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Archaeology and Collections Branch cemetery survey using geospatial mapping methodologies to record cemetery boundaries and inventory grave and grave marker locations. Through the examination of each of the three cemeteries highlighted throughout this thesis, it was determined that a hybrid approach to cemetery analysis utilizing the theoretical framework of phenomenology in conjunction with the broader perspective offered through digital data and mapping allows for a greater understanding of a space and its use over time.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Death in the Round: A Critique of Funeral Architecture and Burial Practices
    (2019) Jesmer, James Nicholas; May, Lindsey M; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Traditional Cemeteries are known for their groomed, grass lawns with headstones denoting rows of graves. These environments often use vast swaths of land and serve as biological monocultures with one purpose—to hold people who have passed. Spaces like these are only activated when a burial takes place or when friends and family visit the deceased. Because of this, cemeteries are often placed at the edges of society and all but forgotten during everyday life. This distance augments society’s negative association with death. A cemetery complex will be the focus of this thesis. Consisting of ceremonial halls, mortuary, crematorium, and a refectory for repast, the complex will promote sustainable interment practices, serving as a model for future cemetery sites. The grounds will offer a variety of landscape typologies that accommodate the needs of natural burial, while providing programming for a waterfront park throughout the year. The location for this thesis will be on the urban edge of Part Covington in Baltimore, remediating a brownfield site and giving it back to the community, instilling values of environmental stewardship.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An Urban Mausoleum
    (2012) Black, Ian James; Cronrath, David; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis explores the placement of a mausoleum into an urban environment. Ideally, one is encouraged to reflect on their temporal nature. A benefit of this contemplation is to be able to live a good life to the fullest extent possible. Not only does contemporary US culture not do this, but it continually distances itself further from supporting any type of reflection on death. An absence of critical reflection is detrimental to the human experience. It is the goal of this thesis to demonstrate that the built environment can rectify this situation and sponsor a solution.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Revitalizing the Urban Cemetery: The Waters at Holy Rood
    (2011) Correll, Stephen David; Gournay, Isabelle; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The American urban cemetery is an anachronism both as a typology and as an ideal. Between the decay of the physical cemetery infrastructure and that of the ideal of the American cemetery the typology is ripe for revitalization. The potential exists to take the site of the urban cemetery and reanimate it with people and activity while creating a place of reverence and respect. Water proves to be a powerful element with which to create a series of experiential spaces that can frame the site and prepare the visitor for the reinvigorated cemetery beyond. A procession that leads the visitor through a series of spaces, culminating in a contemporary bath building, creates both a physical and emotional transformation in the visitor. Once prepared, the visitor enters the cemetery space with a renewed appreciation for the memory inherent to the site. By invigorating the site with new meaning, one can simultaneously repair a blighted urban space, the memories of the forgotten souls therein.