Cemeteries

Blind Squirrel · Jun 18, 2010

From time to time I see posts in different forums about cemetaries of graveyards. Do some of you actually MD in these? This seems to be very creeeeeeeeepy to me. Share your thoughts. Much appreciated. HH Mean Gene

Sandman · Jun 18, 2010

Hunting cemeteries is not a good use of your time. Visitors that go there to pay their respects don't lose much of anything.

Besides looking like a Ghoul by hunting and digging there, it is just plain disrespectful.

Deepdiger60 · Jun 18, 2010

The cemeteries out here are called the Old Burying Grounds and rightly so some stones go back as far as the mid 1600,s all the plots are maintained by the Township i don't think i would feel comfortable digging in there besides being tacky i would be looking over my shoulder every minute CREEPY :laughing9:

one day i want to take some photos of some very old stones Dd60

ivan salis · Jun 18, 2010

md a graveyard / known burial area? --- just say NO!!! >:(

steve from ohio · Jun 18, 2010

Some people actually do detect cemeteries. And they are the ones who give metal detecting a bad name.

There are some cemeteries in southern Ohio that had to put up signs saying no metal detecting due to people doing something they should not be doing.

It is just common sense not to metal detect in a cemetery.

lennon631 · Jun 18, 2010

Unless you're the landscaper or grounds keeper of the cemetery, it's a felony to shove a shovel even in the ground! So besides being extremely tacky, I don't suggest it. My sister in law and I just found an abandoned church from the mid 1800's that we went to detect, but when we did get there, most of the property was 150 yo graves, so we didn't cover much ground there.

River Rat · Jun 18, 2010

lucky1777 · Jun 18, 2010

This is a very touchy subject for some on this site. Be prepared for comments pro and con. I have hunted cemeteries a few times for my self and also have helped restore a few older ones. I help by locating old graves that the headstones are missing. A lot of times there were small pieces of lead used in them. Or I have been asked to locate old flag holders or other items you see in cemeteries. Ones that I have hunted for myself are done a lot different. I only do the parking areas or roads. I never get close to graves. I always have permission to hunt. These are older cemeteries with the last person buried there has been at least 50 years. The ones I have done all have had churches which are a great place to hunt also. Look for open areas in the older cemeteries. A lot of times the families would come out to clean up around there families plots. They would have picnic lunches and the kids would play in these lots. If you get permission and be respectful I don't see a problem with it. That is just my oppinion.

P.S. Thanks River Rat, for posting all the links.

Iron Patch · Jun 18, 2010

You'd have to be pretty desperate because the most you'll find will probably be what someone purposely left behind. Better to just quit detecting and call yourself a site finding failure. In other words... don't hunt em. :-X

miser · Jun 18, 2010

I have to agree with the majority here. Ignoring the fact that you're not likely to find much, even if you could, hunting in a cemetery is just kind of an unwritten major "no-no" in my book.

The earth in a cemetery should only be disturbed for one reason: another burial.

daroofa · Jun 18, 2010

I guess you have to ask yourself....If you went to a cemetery to pay your respects to a relative, how would feel about seeing someone next to the grave with a metal detector?

Mackaydon · Jun 18, 2010

Daroofa:
Your response put the situation into sharp perspective; great answer!
Don..

lafatlife · Jun 21, 2010

I agree to an extent on the above opinions. If it is a public cemetery I would not detect anywhere near graves. That is out of respect plus it is private property and I can't exactly ask permission to detect can I? We have a sitting area in our cemetery that is at a pond. There are no stones there and yes I have detected there. Not much was found but I liked looking at the fish in the pond too and when I was done, I went up and said hello to my relatives that are buried there.

Now on the other hand, if the said cemetery is on private property and the owner gives you permission to hunt that particular area, then go for it.

I honestly don't know of anyone that is going to dig down 6 feet to recover something. Not many detectors can go that deep anyway.

One other thing, private or not, if it is a Native American burial ground, or a listed historic one then absolutely not!!

ivan salis · Jun 21, 2010

the 6 feet deep rule was not always held to in the old days and in some places very shallow graves are not uncomman -- due to ground erosion some graves might be very shallow as well watch out for sunk in spots -- ground settling into a coffin that caved in .

allenb · Jun 22, 2010

I've hunted the outskirts along the sides but never on top of graves. I can bet though that they would be pretty productive, people pulling out handkerchiefs to cry on and coins spill out. I can only imagine. I think on my tombstone, I'm going to engrave "have detector? Dig man....DIG!".

P.B. and Dylan · Jun 22, 2010

I just hunted an old family plot cemetery about two weeks ago.

I was however not looking for coins or jewelry, I was there at the request of the local graveyard preservation society. They asked if I could try to locate an unmarked grave. I was not successful with finding any evidence with my metal detector but I did find a large area of soft soil using my privy probe. While we will never know for sure if this is a grave, it was in the same spot they suspected it would be.

I would not hunt a cemetery for "fun" as I think it is terribly disrespectful to the dead and their living relatives.

teleman 2525 · Jun 22, 2010

i look for very old cemeteries the help me age an area colonial cemeteries always close to old home sites stone walls in the woods great places to hunt but no not in the cemety its self bad respect i did once run my coil over a gravecause was told you could hear the coffin nails yes you can very creepy but no never dig in a cemetery hope that helps

Lowbatts · Jun 23, 2010

We have an old cemetery in town that was torn out in the 1940's, turned into a park and subsequently a schoolyard. There's an athletic field, tennis courts, playgrounds and a running path through it. I've hunted it many times and the passersby are always interested in what I'm getting out of there. Never had anyone complain.

Did have a fella tell me he was part of the team that excavated for the gymnasium and approximately 12 bodies came out during that work, graves that had not been moved, though they were reported as such. That dirt with those bones went into backfill the site of another school in the district, so the story goes.

I've also turned a bucket or two of old casket handles over to the local historical society.

As to whether or not it's a good place to hunt, I've found lots of silver there, many IH's, some jewelry, old and new toys, and bones. (ham, steak and chicken especially) as many people had post-funeral picnics in the same park back in the day. Also found one bottle dump with very old local beer bottles in it at the site.

No, I wouldn't hunt an active cemetery, that includes any long-forgotten place that still holds headstones or markers or is known as a cemetery.