What would you do ?

Me and a buddy go out early in the woods, in an area known for producing a good number of Civil War relics, and older items. We've both his this area numerous times, and keep finding new evidence of structures that existed, roads etc. My buddy hollers at me and is standing next to a rock, sticking up out of the ground. He asks if it looks like an ordinary rock, or if it looks like a grave marker.



As you look around, you notice several more in the area.



Then you notice one with engraving still legible, with deaths back into the mid 1860's. The others appear much older. You have stumbled onto a graveyard, and count at least 25 marked graves. Some if them show evidence of the caskets rotting away, leaving indentations in the ground. Do you keep digging, or move on ?

personally i would move on but my grandfather was an undertaker so i have alot of respect for the dead

I wouldnt dig on top of the graves, but I definitely hunt around them.

Gotta keep moving. What if someone has family there and they came to visit and saw you crouched over a grave digging? Not worth it.

If I were in that situation, I would do a few things.  I would of course remain outside the area that has been hallowed with the remains of those that came before.  I would also consider mentioning to the owner what is there, and perhaps work with him/her to conserve and preserve the site.  Was there a church nearby, or are these the graves of soliders?  Since you mention there were caskets, I assume this is not a battlefield cemetery.  Are you able to read the names on the stones?  I believe that the memories of our ancestors should be preserved and their resting places honored.  While I understand we do not dig 6 foot holes, I still prefer to remain a reasonable distance away.  I do not mind hunting near them, but not on top of them.
Anthony

I think you will not hurt any thing , most detectors only go 9 inches deep. You should not hit any bodys!!!! I would keep looking but I would never go into a moderen grave yard.

I would keep detecting around the site but not ontop of the grave sites. It seems like too good of a spot . You wont be digging more than 8-10 inches, no harm done. I woul give it a try. Keep us posted.
Marty

I wouldn't be doing any digging on the graves that is for sure!

Maybe the area away from the graves.

If you have permission...dig anything you'd like

You won't get haunted, and won't hit any bodies.

Lucky

I would avoid the immediate area of the graves. Around them or nearby ok. Let the owner know about the graves. Be sure sure to cover your tracks and fill all and any holes you dig.
I recently found a few cellar holes which I had been detecting around. Upon returning the last time, I saw that someone else had the same idea as myself. The only thing wrong was the person or people had dug large holes and left them without filling them back up. Because of this, I am reluctant to return to the area in fear of being blamed for the unfilled holes. Some people, besides creating dangerous booby traps, have no respect for property and I myself hope they get caught. It's people like that that make it bad for all of us. In regard to gravesites, you have a much greater responsibility. If you dig any where near these graves, be sure to leave the area the way it was when you came upon it. If you get caught defacing the area around graves, you'll probably be facing jail time. I would tread very carefully in that area.
HH

John

 dig dig dig, maby they have gold teeth!!  jk, if its abandon and in the middle of the woods i would detect anywhere you want.  just dont dig too deep!

We left the area alone....for now anyway. I'm going to try and pull up some old maps, and see if it shows if it was a church, or if it is a family plot. I'm guessing a church since there are so many, but it could have been several generations of a family, since the area was settled in the 1720's.

There wasn't any real concern for a family member, or anyone else walking up, since the area is at least a mile and a half from any existing structure, or paved road. I've been working this area for over a year, and haven't seen anyone else out in the woods.

There were about 5 or 6 legible names on one stone, but unfortunately the family name was Smith. Google just kept turning out tons of Andrew Smith, and Julia Smith hits. We plan on taking some paper and charcoal with us next time to see if we can read anything by taking some rubbings of the older markers.

I guess the good karma paid off, because we left the graveyard, went about 100 yards over the hill, and plucked a musket buttplate, a dozen .31, .58 and .69 cal bullets, and a copper grommet out of the dirt.

leave it alone --you said there appears to be rotting caskets* for you to see that they must be at or near the surface  --meaning the cover soil has washed off leaving the graves very very shallow --- I 'd back off the area RIGHT AWAY -TAKING  NOTHING AT ALL FROM THAT SPOT -- and say I'm very sorry if I distrubed your rest. --- I would inform the land own of the fact that there are graves in the area so he can have them offically  "recorded" and possibly "recovered " with some fresh dirt to prevent animals from getting into the coffins to knaw on the bones of the dead for the calcium in them.

I  am proud of you in your actions in staying out of  clearly "known" hallowed ground --  the "modern" kinfolk of those dead may not come to visit due to the fact that they do not know where their great great grand pappy / granny was buried at --you might have helped folks fill in missing branches in their family trees.   

leave it alone --you said there appears to be rotting caskets* for you to see that they must be at or near the surface  --meaning the cover soil has washed off leaving the graves very very shallow --- I 'd back off the area RIGHT AWAY -TAKING  NOTHING AT ALL FROM THAT SPOT -- and say I'm very sorry if I distrubed your rest. --- I would inform the land own of the fact that there are graves in the area so he can have them offically  "recorded" and possibly "recovered " with some fresh dirt to prevent animals from getting into the coffins to knaw on the bones of the dead for the calcium in them.

I  am proud of you in your actions in staying out of  clearly "known" hallowed ground --  the "modern" kinfolk of those dead may not come to visit due to the fact that they do not know where their great great grand pappy / granny was buried at --you might have helped folks fill in missing branches in their family trees.   

well said, I agree with all of the above

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?! There is your answer.

I have detected on the outskirts of cemeteries,
but i'll never detect in one, so leave it alone...

Do the research and find the church and old homesites in the area. Hunt those places and stay away from the graves.
Randy

I know that you will do the right thing dcinffxva, Just because you asked the question and the
opinion of others.There is nothing wrong with detecting around the outside of the cemetery.
But leave the burial site alone.(Respect the dead and their resting place).Keep us informed
with the outcome of your adventure.
Happy hunting


fortbball9

This is just a part of the Shermanville list of posts he would normally throw into one of these topics concerning cemtary hunting since the question gets asked about once a month. 

I post these in his memory - I miss ya Sherm - come on back to T-Net!

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,215653.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,61363.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,64213.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,71897.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52824.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,35096.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52327.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,6911.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,70182.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,89783.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,122835.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,142739.0.html
 
I think you might have found something more valuable than a place to hunt, you should back out and report the location to the landowner, possibly see about sprucing it back up, documenting the finds, and play like the concerned citizen who found an old cemetary... it might matter to someone.  That kind of publicity might bring a community together, and would possitively reflect on you as adetectorist AND the hobby as we are folks who not only like to discover the past but also CARE about the past and preserving it!  That is what I would do...

gps the area and do some research, then the doubt can be clear

Dcinffxwva,

You didn't mention if the site was on private land. If not, contact the local county/state historical/geneaological association. With a little digging (pun intended) and research you may get to know something about those people. You did the right thing by backing out. 

Hi, I have never posted before, just read.  But I wanted to say something on this.  You should contact your local G.I.S. (Geographical Information System) department.  Most counties have them in their government/courthouse building.  If your county doesn't, a close by one should.  They are in charge of mapping for the county for tax purposes, amongst other things.  My local GIS coordinator is a fellow digger and always stresses the importance of reporting any site that you even have a thought about being an old cemetery or graveyard.  Hallowed Ground.

The site is private land, and is very remote by central eastern Virginia standards. It is a long way before you hit an occupied structure, or a driveable road. We parked at the end of the road, and hiked in a couple of miles when we stumbled onto this area. Oddly enough, it was within 100 yards of places that I've been several times before and had marked in the GPS. We were literally standing in the middle of this plot before we realized what it was.

Just so no one had any concerns, there was never any thought of disturbing the graves themselves. The extent of our exploration of this site was to mark it on the GPS, try and establish the area that was covered by graves, take a couple of pics, and look for the most likely area where a structure would have been. Both of us layed our detectors down, took off our backpacks, and just checked out the area, surprised to have walked into a graveyard in the middle of nowhere.

The land is owned by my buddys next door neighbor. He plans on asking him if he even knows it exists. My guess is that he probably doesn't. It is several thousand acres of land, and somewhat rough terrain getting to much of it. It will be his call on what follow up if any will be done as far as preservation/restoration.

I did check on the county records on-line, and these records were only available at the state level. The state required an in-person, or mailed application to search the records, and charged for each search. Being the time frames involved, and many records were lost or burned during the war, that doesn't sound like a great bet.

I'll get better pics next time. As soon as I started taking these, the camera decided to fail.

something people may not realize or not think about is back then they didn't bury bodies six 6 feet deep. ground hard no backhoe ,dull shovel ! lol . so 12 to 24 inches may get into something you dislike -yuc

 Might just try a grave probe used in locating old grave sites. After you know how to use it the owner may want to try to preserve the area. You do not have to dig. That looks like many graves from home sites in the mountains .Amazing the rocks are still upright though....  tread softly study hard and work with the land owner.Might be a fun adventure,,,,,
Cheers
TnMountains

I'll agree with Likelyguy..contact the local Historical Society and elt them know about the cemetery adn ask if they know anything about it, if not they may ahve an interet in preserving it. Also, if this is an old civil war site, contact the Veterans Administration for if is a cemetery for some vets, they may wanna preserve it as well.
Personally I would not detect anywhere but around the area but no where near the graves, but that is a moral question and only one you can answer yourself.
Hopefully someone will show some interest in taking care of this cemetery for it is a shame to see it untended and forgotten.

There are way too many other places to hunt.  I would leave the old cemetary alone.  Pretty neat find in itself though.

Isn't it illegal to dig in cemeteries? I'd leave it alone. I really hope you do too.

This cemetery find is BANNER worthy.  You and your buddy found the remains of 25 apparently forgotten people.  How many can say that?  It's way more rare than a coin or artifact.  There is bound to be an interesting story behind the fate of these people and location of the graves.  I agree with the 'no digging' sentiment.  I do hope you can ID the grave markers and perhaps reunite the descendants with these lost graves.  Good luck and you have my vote for BANNER 

 FUNNY THING YOU SAID THE CAMARA ACTED UP AS YOU STARTED TO TAKE PHOTOS --- many folks say that the spirits of the dead can drain energy from electrical devices *  as a way of  attempting to "make" their presence "known" TO THE USER OF SAID DEVICES ---AND TO GAIN "LIFE FORCE" TYPE ELECTRICAL ENERGY  --- and if they get enough energy can try to form shapes or mist to make their presance ever farther "known" -- in graveyards and in haunted areas * unexplaiined high sudden or total drain of batteries has been know to occur.  -- yes I am a "believer"in spirits thru first hand "happenings" --which is why I WOULD NEVER EVER TOUCH A GRAVEYARD OR "KNOWN" BURIAL AREA

I appreciate the banner nomination !

As far as the camera acting up due to supernatural forces, I admit this didn't cross my mind. I placed the blame more towards my girlfriends daughter probably trying to jam the battery cover shut when she had borrowed the camera 

I'll take my "good" camera there next time, and if I get a repeat malfunction with two different cameras, on two different days, then I'll be a believer in more than just ghosts !

Right now I'm betting on the girlfriends daughter being the culprit.

ghost are natural forces --nothing "suoer" about em . --- they just scare the bejesus out of some folks (those that are scared of death)

the human body has a bit of electrical energy running in it ==some call it chee or life force in the far east --(it 's how our nerves work and it makes our heart beat --- --- thats why they "shock" heart attack folks "back to life"--ever heard the term "the spark of life ?"--- well when one dies that  life energy  in the body has to go somewhere / discharge into something or place.-- this is the basis for "spirits" in my view .

Bah, ghosts are crap. Hunt the site; just be careful and don't dig too deep.

Take some pics of the grave stone engravings or make rubbings of them. Maybe we can pinpoint who they were!

I think you will not hurt any thing , most detectors only go 9 inches deep. You should not hit any bodys!!!! I would keep looking but I would never go into a moderen grave yard.

OK, I am not trying to start an argument here.
Why would you dig an old cemetery and not a modern cemetery?
That makes no sense at all. So, if the cemetery is in the woods and nobody can see you it is OK.
Or you have more respect for modern day graves. Please enlighten me.

In my mind stay the hell away from those places. It is disrespectful to not only the family but to the Human Being that was put to rest there. Put yourself in their shoes.

(related Topic) Please read if you have not already.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,233459.0.html

  wave good bye to that spot and move on! 150 years from now would you want someone digging around where your family is laid to rest? I would personally contact my local historical society if I were you. A lot of history could be learned from that spot! Best of luck.

Looks like a Native american beral site

I would definately tell the land owner.  You might make his day in having found it.  I for one know of a family cemetery somewhere on a hillside where my ancestors are buried, but no one knows where it is anymore.  My granddaddy tells me stories about it, says it has old fashioned headstones and stuff, but is too old to show us and can't tell us.  I'm talking an 1800s cemetery.

All right get the tomatoes ready but her is my take:

Would I go into a public cemetery and detect: NO, it would just look plain bad to others and they probably have close loved ones around still.

What could you find in such a place: Coins, jewelry, misc stuff dropped by people attending funerals or visiting deceased loved ones about the same kind of stuff you might find in a park.

Dectors and depth: You bet ya, in today's age of bronze and metal caskets your detector might just pick it up since it is so large, but like with pipes, and other items but you better know what it is and not dig it. With that interference  it just isn't worth detecting for what you would find.

Now would I detect an old private cemetery with the owner permission: YUP, I would also offer to help clean it up, record data and info and research the folks who reside there. 

Why would I do it:  Well anything lost  would be old, maybe a pocket watch, broach, hat pin, and coins. Would I dig..no I would surface scan not going more than 2" Worst case scenario you find some old rusty coffin nails.

Now this is my personal opinion and I am okay ethnically with it, you might have different views and might not feel its right, but I love to uncover the past, and try to re-tale a story, so that those people who lived so long ago that no one remembers might just live again, even if I invent a story around it, I am sure they wouldn't mind much.  My story in such a case would go something like"

In a wooded area south of somewhere, lies a small hillside, where the trees line the northern border and whisper the echos of the past  drawing me nearer. I discover as I stumble my way over the rocky terrain odd shape stones jutting out sprinkled beneath a blanket of time. In that instant, with the sun dancing methodically through the trees, the realization dawns. YADDA YADDA YADDA..it was within this peaceful forgotten plot I found a delicate broach, I could see her at that instant a young woman falling to the cold- hard- ground, her black skirts pooling around her threatening to swallow her fragile shell.  A gray sky looming above, then a boom of thunder her eyes turned to reveal the all the sorrow of the world that was now laid upon her.  Then as if no longer able to contain its tears, heaven opened up and cried for her. Struggling to untangle herself from the mass of black cloth, she tried to rise, and as if death itself reached beyond the grave, an invisible hand closed over the tiny oval broach nestled against her heart, plucking it away.  She ran at that moment, ran for shelter, away from all she had ever known, her heart, her life, her love, and she swore as the rain lashed against her checks, she swore she heard heard his voice~ fare thee well my love, fare thee well.

tx kickergirl --you missed yer calling as a  "romance"  mush book writer.

LOL...I read enough of the dang things, I really ought to start writting my own...ah maybe someday, except I would have to have a dashing misunderstood pirate as the hero, and a beautiful, cunning lady that not only steals his treasure, but also his heart. 

All right get the tomatoes ready but her is my take:

Would I go into a public cemetery and detect: NO, it would just look plain bad to others and they probably have close loved ones around still.

What could you find in such a place: Coins, jewelry, misc stuff dropped by people attending funerals or visiting deceased loved ones about the same kind of stuff you might find in a park.

Dectors and depth: You bet ya, in today's age of bronze and metal caskets your detector might just pick it up since it is so large, but like with pipes, and other items but you better know what it is and not dig it. With that interference  it just isn't worth detecting for what you would find.

Now would I detect an old private cemetery with the owner permission: YUP, I would also offer to help clean it up, record data and info and research the folks who reside there. 

Why would I do it:  Well anything lost  would be old, maybe a pocket watch, broach, hat pin, and coins. Would I dig..no I would surface scan not going more than 2" Worst case scenario you find some old rusty coffin nails.

I could live with that.

Now this is my personal opinion and I am okay ethnically with it, you might have different views and might not feel its right, but I love to uncover the past, and try to re-tale a story, so that those people who lived so long ago that no one remembers might just live again, even if I invent a story around it, I am sure they wouldn't mind much.  My story in such a case would go something like"

In a wooded area south of somewhere, lies a small hillside, where the trees line the northern border and whisper the echos of the past  drawing me nearer. I discover as I stumble my way over the rocky terrain odd shape stones jutting out sprinkled beneath a blanket of time. In that instant, with the sun dancing methodically through the trees, the realization dawns. YADDA YADDA YADDA..it was within this peaceful forgotten plot I found a delicate broach, I could see her at that instant a young woman falling to the cold- hard- ground, her black skirts pooling around her threatening to swallow her fragile shell.  A gray sky looming above, then a boom of thunder her eyes turned to reveal the all the sorrow of the world that was now laid upon her.  Then as if no longer able to contain its tears, heaven opened up and cried for her. Struggling to untangle herself from the mass of black cloth, she tried to rise, and as if death itself reached beyond the grave, an invisible hand closed over the tiny oval broach nestled against her heart, plucking it away.  She ran at that moment, ran for shelter, away from all she had ever known, her heart, her life, her love, and she swore as the rain lashed against her checks, she swore she heard heard his voice~ fare thee well my love, fare thee well.

Wow!