Something or Nothing??

[PoplarHill]

Would love some opinions on this.
I spend a lot of time searching old pre 1900 cemeteries here in Northern Alabama for genealogy and historic hobbies. I notice an abnormally large amount of random letters or numbers either backwards or upside down on tombstones. Sometimes it's a letter in a name or epitaph or a number in the date and usually only one mistake on a single tombstone. Death dates usually range from 1830's-1880s. I know of literally dozens, if not more than 100, such graves with this type error and just find it hard to fathom that stone carvers would make that many of the same type mistake on something hand carved and labor intensive.
Do you guys know anything about this phenomenon? Is it some type of code or done purposely or just an odd common mistake for the era? I will try and upload a picture for reference.

 

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[PoplarHill]

 

[wilcam47]

Interesting.

 

[PoplarHill]

168 views..... No opinions?

 

[danloop]

Probably not knowing how to read or write. Or dyslexic.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

What do YOU think...?

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Would love some opinions on this.
I spend a lot of time searching old pre 1900 cemeteries here in Northern Alabama for genealogy and historic hobbies. I notice an abnormally large amount of random letters or numbers either backwards or upside down on tombstones. Sometimes it's a letter in a name or epitaph or a number in the date and usually only one mistake on a single tombstone. Death dates usually range from 1830's-1880s. I know of literally dozens, if not more than 100, such graves with this type error and just find it hard to fathom that stone carvers would make that many of the same type mistake on something hand carved and labor intensive.
Do you guys know anything about this phenomenon? Is it some type of code or done purposely or just an odd common mistake for the era? I will try and upload a picture for reference.

More "pics"...?

 

[uglymailman]

In Northwest Iowa, the Original Land Surveyor (the first guy to lay out that certain area), had a Survey Crew member who was illiterate. The Surveyor made a template for the guy who couldn't read so he could mark the Quarter Corners with a 1/4 upon the stones they set. Unfortunately, he still sometimes got the template backwards. Could it be something like that? Good luck.

 

[dougward5]

I do not know about the backwards lettering but I can tell you that in one old cemetery in Dallas County there is a map on one grave that leads to an old cave. The cave turned out to have been used as a stopover on the way to old cahawba prison. Yankees prisoners were locked in the cave for short periods of time. The grave next to the one with the map was broken into back in the 1960s. Witnesses claimed someone involved was shot and tossed in the back of a pickup truck but no body was ever found. There is also someone buried in the same plot who's uncle dug up what would be today millions in gold from a map inherited from his grandfather.

 

[Ryano]

In the absence of other clues, I believe backwards letters/numbers was just a stylistic choice or trend of the times. The Brits and the Europeans did it too.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Confound it ALL!

 

[A2coins]

That's sounds creepy

 

[dts52]

Doesn't seem to make any sense. I wonder if there is an old folk belief behind it? Very puzzling.
dts