A gravestone carving from 1862

From Walter's excellent link:

from a site on tombstone iconography based in Alabama

the star page

home page for Magnolias and Peaches

I haven't been able to find a picture of the Islamic five-pointed star. Here's an example of where I've been looking:

http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

("Available Emblems of Belief for Placement on Government Headstones and Markers.")

At the end it says,

Here it is (middle):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_star

Seems to be pointing up. "Government-issued" would seem to fit with other clues.

The keeper of the cemetery says that the plot , or area, where they are, are supposed to be from 1862.
The area around that group range from 1850's to 1890's. So he could be right on with his date, and he may not be.

There is no date available on them to be able to tell anything different.

As for the other symbols, I see them all at this grave site.
The ones you posted Soz, and the picture Beth put up....
they are all there..

But this group is completely different from any I have ever seen.

Im chasing this symbol because I have signed up with the Austin Geneological Society as a grave investigator/charter.
My job is to go to assigned grave ( or possible) sites and photograph, chart, or attempt to disprove there are any graves there.

I just got on board that project, but I have been in and out of grave yards for a few years now.

This symbol is .. just.. odd.. to me..

I would almost call it a freemason symbol. But the star is the wrong way.

I could ALMOST consider it a symbol of firemen?
No188 could be a precinct?

There are a few policemen, guards, and armymen buried in this one yard who have 'different' symbols, but easily identified even if they are a variation of what is typical from thier time frame.


I will go back out today, take a few more of some of the other faded ones and see if that helps?

Check out the symbol glossary on this page!

The symbol looks like it might be military in nature. The star with the number of the division. Is it 188 or 138? That would make sense if the time frame is Civil war. Texas could well have used the star. I am not sure if bodies would have been sent back during that time. They could just be markers of the lost from the community.

Are there names on any of the headstones or just the symbol?

OR-

I just thought of something..

Since there is no personal information on them, they could have been unidentified people, possibly freemasons.. from another country?

The freemason symbols on the grave sites here in austin, then to be sort of... sideways stars..

Alot of the grave sites at this yard specify if people are from another country. They will say things like " austin police officer, born in scottland, died in austin.. " etc..

These could be foreigners? With no family maybe? who died in a local fire /tragedy at the time?

dunno.. Im pulling at straws here..

That's interesting, Parados. A while back I noted that the star, point up, was a Union symbol in the Civil War (which ended in 1866).

Maybe POW's?

Someone give Setanta a holler...

That was my first thought.
Notice the double circle around the star pointing up, then clickhere. :wink: Every search comes back to Wicca/Pagan.

parados, you had the same idea i did about 1 minute before I posted it.

I am thinking, this is probally what it is considering there is no information on it.

But I do know that there are graves / coffins below the headstones as there are sinks in the area.
Not all of them have the sink, but most do, so I would believe that they contain bodies.. but aside from digging, I am not 100% certain..

Here's something about the 138th infantry:

http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/infantry/138thInf/138thInfMain.htm

Note date

This is the graveyard these headstones are in --

Oakwood

Oakwood 2

Ok.

Im going to get ready and head out.

I will stop by and snap some more pictures of them, maybe I can find some more information if I look closer..

I will post them when I get home.

thanks guys.

A pentagram on a German headstone ...




... with unknown meanings.


A so-called 'pentalpha', btw, is alpha made by five alphas = a star.

are there no cemetery records at all that might give some clue - churches , lodges , undertaker , municipal ?
hbg

would this be of any help >>>TEXAS CEMETERY RECORDS

there are other texas cemetery records to be found in google .
hbg

the TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION has a welth of information on its website .
hbg

A star surrounded by a circle is a symbol used by the Texas Rangers.

http://www.texasranger.org/ The Research Center is in Waco, but they have an E-mail address and a research-by-mail program.

Can you try lifting the image by rubbing a piece of paper with a pencil?