Daily AncestorPick and spade
A pick and spade on an old gravestone are the gravedigger's tools, a mortality symbol meaning everyone will be buried in the end.
Crossed picks, spades and shovels sit in the corners or borders of many colonial stones, next to coffins and skulls. They are the sexton's tools and stand for mortality in general.
On an 18th century stone they belong to the carver's stock set of mortality images, so do not read them as a sign of the person's work. Look for an occupation in the inscription or in records instead.
As seen in a recordNew England burying ground, 1690 to 1780
Crossed pick and spade under a winged skull: Here lies the Body of Mr. Gershom Wadleigh, who died Febry 19 1747, Aged 66 years
Sources
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Daily Ancestor. "Pick and spade." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/pick-and-spade. Last checked 2026-10-15.