Grave

A grave is a burial site where a deceased person is interred, or the remains themselves when placed in the ground. In its most common use, a grave is a small plot or cavity dug in the earth, often within a cemetery or graveyard. The body is usually placed in a coffin and covered with soil, though cremated remains may be buried in an urn or containers within the grave. A marker, such as a headstone or plaque, may identify the deceased and record dates and epitaphs.

Graves are shaped and marked according to cultural, religious, and legal traditions. Orientation of the burial, the materials used for lining or protecting the grave, and the type of memorial all vary widely. In many Christian contexts, graves are marked with headstones and alignments that reflect burial customs; in other traditions, graves may be simple pits without permanent markers. Variants include urn burials, ossuaries that hold multiple remains, and above-ground interments in mausoleums or tombs.

Historically, graves are central to mourning rituals and community memory. They can reveal social status, family structures, and burial practices, and archaeologists study them to understand past peoples. Grave goods—objects placed with the deceased—occur in some cultures and periods.

In modern practice, graves are maintained by families, cemetery administrations, or preventive authorities. Regulations govern digging, placement, maintenance, and, where necessary, exhumation or reinterment. The term gravestone or grave marker is commonly used to describe the monument that identifies the grave. The etymology derives from Old English graf, meaning a pit or trench.