Jacob Brickman's research project involved the heights of gravestones by death age. Walking around any cemetery it is clear that infants and young people often receive diminutive gravestones. In this sample, the gravestones of everyone under 20 years of age is less than 100 cm high (about 3 feet). The other end of the spectrum is interesting too - everybody over 90 in this sample has a very short gravestone. I think most of these are ledgers (which are flush with the ground), or small blocks that have settled into the ground through time.  |