With: Gail Golec

Event Fee: by donation

Event Size: 50 / Family friendly for ages 10+

This lecture will cover the ways in which historic gravestone design in New England changed over time and how those changes can serve as a unique lens through which to study history and culture. Primarily focusing on the late-18th and early-19th centuries examples of gravestones from cemeteries throughout the Monadnock Region of southwest NH and the Windham County area of southeast Vermont. We will track the evolution of gravestone materials, learn the "anatomy" of the different parts of a gravestone and study their symbology. We'll learn how to identify certain local gravestone carvers and discuss how, through those designs, we can track the movement of new people and new ideas from region to region.

Gail Golec is a professional archaeologist who has worked on sites around New England for over 20 years. She currently works for Monadnock Archaeological Consulting. Gail was born and raised in New Hampshire and developed an interest in local history at an early age. Most recently, she has taken her years of research and funneled it into writing, producing and hosting a podcast about local history called The Secret Life of Death. www.thesecretlifeofdeath.com.