Editing Burial (section)

====Anonymous burial====
Another sort of unmarked grave is a burial site with an anonymous marker, such as a simple [[cross]]; boots, rifle and helmet; a sword and shield; a cairn of stones; or even a monument. This may occur when identification of the deceased is impossible. Although many unidentified deceased are buried in [[potter's field]]s, some are memorialized, especially in smaller communities or in the case of deaths publicized by local media. Anonymous burials also happen in poorer or disadvantaged populations' communities in countries such as South Africa, where in the past the non-white population was simply too poor to afford headstones. At the cemetery in the small rural town of [[Harding, KwaZulu-Natal]], many grave sites have no identification and just have a border of stones which mark out the dimensions of the grave site itself.

Many countries have [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier|buried an unidentified soldier]] (or other member of the military) in a prominent location as a form of respect for all unidentified war dead. The UK memorializes '[[the Unknown Warrior]]' in [[Westminster Abbey]]; [[France]]'s is [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (France)|buried underneath]] the [[Arc de Triomphe]]; [[Italy]]'s is buried [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Italy)|within the Monumento al Milite Ignoto]] in [[Rome]]; [[Canada]]'s [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Canada)|is buried]] at the [[National War Memorial (Canada)|National War Memorial]] in Ottawa; [[Australia]]'s is located at the [[Australian War Memorial]] in [[Canberra]]; [[New Zealand]]'s [[Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (New Zealand)|is located]] in [[Wellington]]; [[Russia]]'s [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Moscow)|memorial]] is in [[Alexander Garden]] in [[Moscow]], and the U.S.'s [[Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington)|is located]] at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].

Many cultures practice anonymous burial as a norm, not an exception. For instance, in 2002 a survey for the Federal Guild of German Stonemasons found that, depending on the location within Germany, from 0% to 43% of burials were anonymous.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stonereport.com/ihtm/detail-e.htm?aclnews=10:0:294:::0:242: |title=Stonereport News for your natural stone business |publisher=Stonereport.com |access-date=25 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716145341/http://www.stonereport.com/ihtm/detail-e.htm?aclnews=10%3A0%3A294%3A%3A%3A0%3A242%3A |archive-date=16 July 2011  }}</ref> According to ''[[Christian Century]]'' magazine, the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church is that anonymous burials reflect a dwindling belief in God.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-18311722/europeans-seek-the-grave-s-anonymity|title="Europeans Seek the Grave's Anonymity" – The Christian Century, Vol. 113, Issue 17, May 15, 1996|website=|access-date=|archive-date=10 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610090107/https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-18311722/europeans-seek-the-grave-s-anonymity|url-status=dead}}</ref> Others claim that this trend is mainly driven by secularism and the high costs of traditional burials.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/germans-opt-for-alternative-burials-for-individual-touch/a-17188952|title=Germans opt for alternative burials for individual touch {{!}} Culture {{!}} DW.COM {{!}} 31 October 2013|last=(www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche Welle|website=DW.COM|access-date=18 May 2016}}</ref>