What would you do ?

[dcinffxva]

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 ?

 

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[NUKE345KV]

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

 

[RickyP]

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

 

[vthepresident]

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.

 

[Narthoniel]

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

 

[detector dave]

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.

 

[NJ Marty]

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

 

[thrillathahunt]

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

Maybe the area away from the graves.

 

[piratesgold]

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

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

Lucky

 

[John987]

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

 

[dank]

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!

 

[dcinffxva]

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.

 

[ivan salis]

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.

 

[CRUSADER]

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

 

[hogge]

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

 

[allen]

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

 

[RPG]

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

 

[fortbball9]

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

 

[Montana Jim]

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...

 

[STH69]

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