Tombstones

/ˈtuːmˌstoʊnz/ noun

Definition

Stones or monuments placed at graves to mark where a dead person is buried and usually display their name and dates.

Etymology

Compound of 'tomb' (burial place) from French/Latin, and 'stone.' The practice of marking graves with stones exists in virtually every human culture, often predating written language.

Kelly Says

Tombstones are essentially humanity's first databases—carved stone served as searchable memory before paper, and entire genealogies and histories of diseases and child mortality can be read by walking through old cemeteries and noting dates and names.

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