A question of ethics - old abandoned graveyards

[DeepseekerADS]

I'm aware of a long abandoned graveyard, dating probably back to the early 1800's. There are as many as 50 grave sites featuring only ground stones as markers. Many of these are probably relatives of my family.

As a person of faith and ethics, I'm not a grave robber.

But then this is so very tempting.

Any thoughts on this?

 

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[rjw4law]

When I first got into metal detecting (80s) I was astonished a fellow detectorist hit old cemetaries usually on rainy days, he said it was seldom someone would chase him off.....I disapproved, guess we never paired up again. Not my idea .... would give us all a bad name.

 

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[Truth]

You’d be surprised how many gold rings you find there!!!

 

[Notsuredomus]

I am all for artifact collecting but definitely draw the line at grave site and Indian burial mounds. If they wanted their bodies to be dug up and looted they probably would have mentioned it on their tombstones.

 

[JeffH_LykensPA]

I worked at a large cemetery for a few years

I worked at a large cemetery for a few years. I handled interments, disinterments, landscaping, maintenance, etc. Honestly, if I would have caught anyone detecting I would have chased them off. I've seen heartbroken wives, husbands, parents, and kids leave somewhat valuable things at grave sites and I always viewed those items as sacred. I would have never taken anything or allowed anyone else to take anything. This was a public cemetery though with thousands and thousands of graves. There's almost an unspoken trust that people will be respectful and honest in a cemetery.

However if it was a private cemetery in my family I would look at detecting it a bit differently. I think maybe the ghosts would think it's cool to see a descendant pull up a Morgan they left there 120 years ago.

I'm not criticizing anyone and I realize I'm a FNG here. I'm also not superstitious. I just found the question interesting and have a little unique background when it comes to graveyards. To each their own!

 

[RustyGold]

I worked at a large cemetery for a few years. I handled interments, disinterments, landscaping, maintenance, etc. Honestly, if I would have caught anyone detecting I would have chased them off. I've seen heartbroken wives, husbands, parents, and kids leave somewhat valuable things at grave sites and I always viewed those items as sacred. I would have never taken anything or allowed anyone else to take anything. This was a public cemetery though with thousands and thousands of graves. There's almost an unspoken trust that people will be respectful and honest in a cemetery.

However if it was a private cemetery in my family I would look at detecting it a bit differently. I think maybe the ghosts would think it's cool to see a descendant pull up a Morgan they left there 120 years ago.

I'm not criticizing anyone and I realize I'm a FNG here. I'm also not superstitious. I just found the question interesting and have a little unique background when it comes to graveyards. To each their own!

Good post! If I haven’t welcomed you to TreasureNet then welcome and thanks for your comment.

 

[GeoW]

[h=2]abandoned? How so?[/h]

 

[lairmo]

I own property that has an old graveyard on it. It dates from the 1820?ish to the latest one I've found 1940ish...
When I bought the land we knew of the grave yard but only 13 or so stones. Another neighbor bought the land next to me and put in a driveway up the hill to his new house. He hired a dozer and all of the sudden I had tons of rocks pushed up next to my fence line. They turned out to be cairn burial stones. We ended up finding at least 7 cairn burial sites and around 30 or so headstones in the piles. According to the guy running the dozer, the "rocks" were under every large tree. A previous owner had obviously stacked these stones in piles up against trees so they could brush hog the land. I'm guessing around 60-70ish graves exist on this hillside and a lot have been dozed onto my side of a newly erected fence. Their are CW headstones and Cavalry stones along with MANY small children's stones. I have to admit, before the new guy bought the land and made a driveway I detected all over that land. The only things I found were a bunch of lead (what I now know are stone "balancers") and bricks and a shovel....and a corner piece and hinge to a coffin.... Oh and barbed wire and some pieces of wrought iron fencing from way back when someone cared... I thought I was detecting the outskirts, but I was all over the major part of the original cemetery. I don't feel bad because I didn't know at the time, but I won't detect around the headstones anymore.....

 

[No gold in NY]

This question is raised occasionally as you know. My standard answer is.... If you need to ask, you know in your heart it is wrong.

 

[Simplex]

I always thought it was against the law to dig in any graveyard.

 

[Reconzero]

Lots of widows/widowers leave wedding rings on their beloveds grave....that's just bad jue-jue...there's soooo many other....other....places to hunt....good luck

 

[whistler84]

I will openly admit. That I have done this on a couple of long lost plots. My only rule is.....TAKE NOTHING. yes I have found coins, tokens. Even handmade trinkets. But you have to show honor. If I find an item that is next to a headstone. I won't place it on top. Instead I place it a few inches under the base of that stone, away from signals and anyone else's greedy eye. If you are talking about an old but modern day cemetery then I probly would shy away just from the scrutiny of it all. I've NEVER used any digging tool, nor removed, or exchanged an item.

 

[Lucio21]

Digging a battlefield is the same thing. You won't be digging but a few inches. I know the people who dig battlefields like to say they are "saving history" but that is just a way for them to justify digging in a graveyard.

 

[rjw4law]

I had a friend that would search out the Grave Yards....never could do it myself. His rationalization was grieving families would loose coins during the services.