Louisiana has a long and rich cultural history. Numerous native peoples lived here before European explorers, hunters, and trappers ever appeared. Colonists and immigrants came from France, Germany, Spain, England, and many other regions of Europe, and brought with them their own unique traditions. The Americans carried their own customs with them when they arrived. When individual members of these various groups died, the remains were treated according to the group’s own practices.
A cemetery is a formal, sacred space where a community will place the remains of human beings. However, the manner in which they do so can vary greatly, from large crypts, to simple graves, to burials covered by a small wooden house. Settlers used family plots. Enslaved peoples and their descendants were buried at the edge of a plantation. Since these plantations usually fronted a river or bayou, many of the graves have been washed away, while others have only been forgotten. During times of conflict and war, the graves of combatants were often anonymous. During outbreaks of disease, bodies would often be left stacked outside of cemeteries.
Louisiana is home to many kinds of formal and informal cemeteries, all of which are reflective of the culture and times of the people who have made them.
