Which description best defines a Conventional Cemetery?

• A. A cemetery requiring the use of concrete or fiberglass grave liners and hard-bottom caskets, also known as a lawn cemetery or modern cemetery.
• B. A cemetery that uses only biodegradable materials.
• C. A cemetery that avoids vaults entirely.
• D. A cemetery that uses only natural materials for caskets.

Answer: (A)

Conventional cemeteries are defined by the use of outer burial containers, such as grave liners or vaults, inside a lawn-style, modern cemetery setting. Requiring concrete or fiberglass grave liners and a hard-bottom casket fits this practice because the outer container protects the grave from soil pressure and settling and helps maintain the even, well-manicured appearance of a lawn cemetery. The term lawn cemetery or modern cemetery describes this standard, orderly arrangement where graves are bordered by turf and marked in a uniform layout.

The other ideas describe approaches aimed at environmental considerations: biodegradable materials, avoiding vaults, or using only natural materials. Those are characteristic of green or natural burials, which contrast with the conventional approach that uses outer burial containers.