The sunburst image became popular for a few decades starting in the late 1700's. The image can be interpreted as a sunset suggesting death or as a sunrise suggesting the soul going to heaven.

Many different carvers produced sunbursts but the carvers of specific gravestones mostly have not been identified. Nathaniel Holmes, the first resident carver on Cape Cod, reportedly carved some sunburst stones including Kezier Hallet (1806) in Yarmouth Ancient Cemetery. Other carvers reported to have produced sunbursts include Bartlett Adams, Gabriel Allen of Providence, J J Geyer, Barny Leonard of Bridgewater, Levi Maxy of Salem, James New of Wrentham and Isaac Tomson of Middleboro.

A representative group of Cape Cod sunburst stones is presented here. The stones are listed in chronological order. Can anyone identify the carvers?