Some people think this was the origin of the 6-foot standard. The pamphlet included a section titled "Burial of the Dead. Unfortunately, the pamphlet didn't explain the reason for the 6-foot mandate. It's possible officials believed 6 feet of soil would keep animals from digging up corpses. Londoners didn't know the plague was spread by fleas on rats, so they may have also thought deep burial would keep the disease from spreading.
There are a few reasons why this probably isn't the origin of the 6-foot standard. Between and , there were an estimated , plague victims. Many were buried in mass graves called "plague pits. The orders also didn't say in force long. This is because the outbreak quieted in after the Great London Fire.
It's not likely, then, that the "6-foot requirement" had enough time to become a tradition. While it's possible that London's plague orders created the lasting impression that graves are always 6 feet deep, it's not likely. Some people think 6 feet was just a matter of safety. Deeper graves might need bracing to prevent cave-ins. This would be especially true if the soil was sandy.
The depth could have also made grave digging easier. At 6 feet, an average-sized gravedigger could still toss dirt out with a shovel. He could also get in and out without a ladder. Grave robbery or "body snatching" was a serious problem in the early s. This was especially true in England and Scotland. Medical schools in these places needed bodies for anatomical study. Some people met the demand by digging up fresh corpses.
Cemeteries had a lot of ways to deter grave robbers, including:. People may have also buried bodies 6 feet deep to help prevent theft. There was also concern that animals might disturb graves. Burying a body 6 feet deep may have been a way to stop animals from smelling the decomposing bodies.
A body buried 6 feet deep would also be safe from accidental disturbances like plowing. The 6-foot rule might have just been a way to protect bodies. Deep burial is a practical way to deter grave robbers and animals. People have not always understood how diseases spread. During disease outbreaks, they may have feared that bodies could transmit disease. While it is true that some illnesses like cholera and tuberculosis can infect people who handle bodies, this is not true for other diseases like bubonic plague.
Still, this may be one of the reasons why people thought bodies should be buried 6 feet deep. On average, a grave that is 6 feet in depth, 6. This is what is standard practice.
If only one worker is digging he will take about ten to fourteen hours. Extra time is required by one worker as he has to take a break in between the process.
The process can be expedited if you are able to hire a small excavation machine that can accomplish the same task. But usually, that is not possible in a cemetery. As most graves are close together, even a small garden excavation machine is tough to fit between the tombstones. So, you will mostly have to rely on manual labor.
The next hard step that most people miss is that most manual workers will not agree to dig a grave. It is one of those things that most people are scared of. To dig a grave you have to be in a grave. And only a few people will agree to do the job. If you want to dig a trench or a hole, almost every worker will agree. How long it takes to dig a hole of this nature depends not just on its height, but on its width or diameter as well. More importantly, you have to consider other factors such as the ground conditions.
The rates for digging in different types of soils are not the same. Digging in medium soil such as sandy clay will slightly reduce the production output rate and increase the labour cost. Digging in heavy soils such as clay, shale and caliche will reduce the production output rate further, and increase costs.
Heavy soils are the most expensive soil type to dig in if we are not taking rock into consideration, otherwise ground with loose and hard rock is the most expensive. Heavy soils are cohesive soils with a high amount of fine particles clay. They tend to be hard when dry and plastic when moist. Light soils are granular soils like sand and silt with a small amount or absence of clay.
Similarly, to prevent erosion or other undesirable effect to the piles of excavated soil, I cover them with tarps secured with rocks as well. You need more than a shovel and you need more than an hour. It is an incredibly daunting task. When I first started digging for the Sanctuary, it took me about eight to ten hours to dig a human size grave.
Now, with a fair amount of experience and almost always a helper, we can dig a grave in about four to five hours. In addition to the time and tools required, the movies also fail to capture something even more significant, which is how rewarding the work is.
To use your body in such a physical way, although hard, feels good. Contact Us to Schedule a Tour. Anthony is the Sanctuary Steward, responsible for tending to the land, helping to dig graves, and taking great care of the diverse living beings from plants to animals. Anthony is inspired by the day-to-day changes he observes at the Sanctuary. The cycles of living and dying, working and resting, feed a healthy curiosity about both conserving native habitats and expanding contemplative practice.
News and Updates. Step 2: Gather the Tools A good sharp spade is the primary digging tool, but there are many other useful tools for digging. Step 3: Prepare the Site With tools gathered, and hopefully a ready and willing digging team, I am now ready to begin the work of clearing the space around the grave. Step 4: Dig the First Layer When digging a grave, as the earth comes out, it goes into three different piles. Step 5: Dig the Second Layer The next layer down is called the eluviated or leaching layer, and at least at the Sanctuary, it tends to be a lighter color than the topsoil, and with fewer hairy or stringy roots.
Depth — Will an animal dig up the body? Call Us: info carolinamemorialsanctuary.
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