If You See Stones Piled On A Grave, This Is What It Means

As you stroll around the average cemetery, you’ll see an interesting mix of graves. Some feature huge headstones, some sport stone angels and crosses, others have more modest decorations. On some you’ll see flowers, on others photos and cards. But your eye may be caught by a stranger decoration: little stones adorn some of the graves. You might ask yourself why, and the reason’s profound and powerful.

The flowers in the cemetery range from fresh blooms to wilting plants that’ve lost their color. But it seems that some people have chosen a more lasting tribute: pebbles. It’s true that they don’t have the bright hues of your average bouquet, but they’ll stay the same for, well, years, as long as they’re left untouched.

But while we all recognize why mourners leave a flower or two, most of us likely don’t know what the stones are for. Are they some kind of memorial? Are they intended to be some kind of artwork? It doesn’t seem likely. They don’t form shapes or pictures. They’re just pebbles, seemingly cast without thought.

And they aren’t a rare sight. You can view stones on graves in just about any cemetery across the United States, and in many graveyards around the world as well. It seems a strange way to mark out a place of rest, but it’s still common. Some graves have many pebbles, while others have just a few. But why?

Well, floral tributes are still the kind you’ll find most commonly by a grave. Blooms continue to decorate many a burial plot. And they have done since ancient times. In a ceremony known as zoai, the Greeks paid tribute to their fallen troops by leaving unopened flowers at their graves.