Quartz on graves

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Does anyone have any info on the use of quartz on modern graves? I'm not sure if its practiced anywhere else but in Ireland its somewhat traditional to have a layer of quartz covering graves yet I can't find any info on how far the tradition goes back or if its a modern fad. I was just pondering the link with ancient cairns reputed to be covered in quartz and where all this quartz might have gone over the millenia. Could it be a lingering traditional association with the passing of the dead or just something that looks nice with some flowers on top? Was the quartz taken from ancient sites and spread on graves to provide a link with the sacred??

Any info or thoughts greatly appreciated.

Hi C Mc,
I wonder if the chintzy stones (about an inch or more in length) - the green, or white, etc., that are often used (or used to be used) to fill in the space between the marble, or stone, borders of some graves are of a similar origin.
Regards,
TE.

Not sure if this is what you are after... but you may find some useful references in this paper:

Darvill, T. 2002. White on blonde: quartz pebbles and the use of quartz at Neolithic monuments in the Isle of Man and beyond. In A. Jones and G. Macgregor (eds), Colouring the past: the significance of colour in archaeological research, 73-91. Oxford: Berg.

I think Cooney also mentions modern usage in Ireland in:

Cooney, G. 2000a. Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland. New York: Routledge.

Best, Buck.

p.s. your photos continue to amaze me – keep up the excellent work!