Funeral Services Burial & Cemetery Practices 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'interment'?
- The process of embalming
- The placement of human remains in their final resting place (Correct answer)
- The transfer of remains between funeral homes
- The legal registration of a death
Correct answer: The placement of human remains in their final resting place
Interment refers to the act of placing human remains — whether casketed, urned, or otherwise — in their final resting place such as a grave, mausoleum, or columbarium.
Question 2: What is the standard depth requirement for a grave in the United States?
- Two feet
- Four feet
- Six feet (Correct answer)
- Eight feet
Correct answer: Six feet
The common standard for grave depth in the US is six feet, though regulations vary by state and local jurisdiction.
Question 3: What is a 'mausoleum'?
- A building housing the crematory
- An above-ground structure for entombment of human remains (Correct answer)
- An underground burial vault
- A cemetery administrative building
Correct answer: An above-ground structure for entombment of human remains
A mausoleum is an above-ground building or structure that contains chambers for the entombment of casketed or urned remains.
Question 4: What is 'green burial'?
- Burial in a cemetery with grass maintenance
- Environmentally conscious burial using natural, biodegradable materials without embalming (Correct answer)
- Burial in a container dyed green
- Burial that includes tree planting
Correct answer: Environmentally conscious burial using natural, biodegradable materials without embalming
Green burial minimizes environmental impact by avoiding embalming chemicals, metal caskets, and concrete vaults, using biodegradable materials instead.
Question 5: What is a 'grave liner' and how does it differ from a burial vault?
- They are the same thing
- A grave liner covers the top only; a burial vault fully encases the casket (Correct answer)
- A grave liner is made of wood; a vault is made of metal
- A vault is used for cremated remains; a liner is for casketed remains
Correct answer: A grave liner covers the top only; a burial vault fully encases the casket
A grave liner covers only the top and sides of the casket for ground support, while a burial vault fully encases the casket on all sides to provide greater protection.
Question 6: What is 'entombment'?
- Burial in the ground
- Placement of remains in an above-ground structure such as a mausoleum (Correct answer)
- Cremation followed by placement in an urn
- Placement in a crypt below a church
Correct answer: Placement of remains in an above-ground structure such as a mausoleum
Entombment is the placement of human remains in an above-ground structure, such as a mausoleum crypt, as an alternative to in-ground burial.
Funeral Services Burial & Cemetery Practices 1
What is 'interment'?