Unmarked grave

An unmarked grave is one that lacks a marker, headstone, or nameplate indicating that a body is buried there. It may also include burials that previously had identification but which are no longer identifiable due to weather damage, neglect, disturbance or otherwise. However, in cultures that mark burial sites, the phrase unmarked grave has taken on a metaphorical meaning.

The term has been used to describe former Canadian Indian Residential School cemeteries. "Given the lack of regulations" in the schools' early years, it appears that most Residential School cemeteries "were established informally", resulting in little formal documentation as to their whereabouts. Over time, many cemeteries had been abandoned, disused, and were vulnerable to accidental disturbance and weather damage. As such, the locations of many burial sites, wood grave markers and names of the deceased have been lost.