cemeteries

[junkhunt]

Has anybody hunted cemeteries? I don't know if hunting a cemetery would be looked at as disrespectful or would be like anyplace else.
We have some cemeteries here that go back to the early 1800s and sure would like to see whats there.

 

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[AlienLifeForm]

Youll get burned at the stake if you get caught. A big no-no.

 

[afmo]

Disrespectful is probably the least of your worries. It's almost certainly illegal.

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[fmrUSMC_0844]

I wont do that. I consider disrespectful and you will call attention to yourself and metal detecting. Thats all we need. The wrong person seeing us detecting a cemetery and shut it down for everyone everywhere. I personally would recommend against it.

 

[Kansas_Jayhawk]

Has anybody hunted cemeteries? I don't know if hunting a cemetery would be looked at as disrespectful or would be like anyplace else.
We have some cemeteries here that go back to the early 1800s and sure would like to see whats there.

I was living in south central Kansas. This guy I had met at church knew I played with a metal detector - in fact I helped him find a huge chain hook that broke when he was moving some trees. He told me about the local area - I had just moved there. He told me about this old and I mean old cemetery that was really in bad shape. Cave ins and stuff like that. I thought about it and first thought was finding a nice gold ring attached to a hand. The more I though the less I was interested. That is final resting place of the people in that cemetery Even though is was run down and no one cared enough to get it fixed didn't justify going in there. If they bodies were moved to a different cemetery then maybe.

But I do believe it is illegal to dig in a cemetery - I would bet there are laws on the books called grave robing. Would have to check your local laws.

 

[luvsdux]

Don't know about the legality, but over the last 10 years or so I've seen this come up on several forums. Not once have I seen anyone post that it's all right and a good thing to do.
luvsdux

 

[junkhunt]

I was living in south central Kansas. This guy I had met at church knew I played with a metal detector - in fact I helped him find a huge chain hook that broke when he was moving some trees. He told me about the local area - I had just moved there. He told me about this old and I mean old cemetery that was really in bad shape. Cave ins and stuff like that. I thought about it and first thought was finding a nice gold ring attached to a hand. The more I though the less I was interested. That is final resting place of the people in that cemetery Even though is was run down and no one cared enough to get it fixed didn't justify going in there. If they bodies were moved to a different cemetery then maybe.

But I do believe it is illegal to dig in a cemetery - I would bet there are laws on the books called grave robing. Would have to check your local laws.

I'm not going to take a gold ring off of anybody's hand or dig up someone. Just hunting in the normal way.

 

[afmo]

I'm not going to take a gold ring off of anybody's hand or dig up someone. Just hunting in the normal way.

The fact that you posted looking for validation suggests you know it's wrong to do.

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[Kansas_Jayhawk]

I'm not going to take a gold ring off of anybody's hand or dig up someone. Just hunting in the normal way.

The finger on the hand was my thought process based on how bad the cemetery was. If I dug up a ring with a finger attached there would be burning tracks as I took off. Kind of like the cartoon image.


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[smokeythecat]

There is so much stuff out there, why even think of digging in a cemetery....

 

[junkhunt]

The fact that you posted looking for validation suggests you know it's wrong to do.

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NO I didn't know it's wrong, If I knew I wouldn't be asking.

 

[junkhunt]

There is so much stuff out there, why even think of digging in a cemetery....

Because they are so old.

 

[Kansas_Jayhawk]

NO I didn't know it's wrong, If I knew I wouldn't be asking.

Enough people have asked this over the years points that out. Why some of the clipped responses is interesting. Happy hunting.


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[2screwed]

Here are the laws for cemeteries in Arkansas. You can be certain that they will find something in here to charge you with most likely a felony.

Arkansas Cemetery Laws

Part of what is in there:

5-71-215. Defacing objects of public respect.


(a) A person commits the offense of defacing objects of public respect if he or she purposely:

(1) Defaces, mars, or otherwise damages any public monument;

(2) Defaces, mars, or otherwise damages a work of art on display in any public place;

(3) Defaces, mars, desecrates, or otherwise damages any place of worship, cemetery, or burial monument; or

(4) Removes a broken or unbroken, commercial or rock, grave marker for any reason except for cleaning or repair by a family member, caretaker, or preservation organization.

(b) (1) (A) Except as provided in subdivision (b)(1)(B) of this section, defacing objects of public respect is a Class A misdemeanor if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500).

(B) Defacing objects of public respect is a Class D felony if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object does not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) and if the object that is defaced, marred, desecrated, or otherwise damaged is a cemetery or burial monument.

(2) (A) Except as provided in subdivision (b)(2)(B) of this section, defacing objects of public respect is a Class D felony if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object exceeds five hundred dollars ($500), but does not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).

(B) Defacing objects of public respect is a Class C felony if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object exceeds five hundred dollars ($500) but does not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) and if the object that is defaced, marred, desecrated, or otherwise damaged is a cemetery or burial monument.

(3) (A) Except as provided in subdivision (b)(3)(B) of this section, defacing objects of public respect is a Class C felony if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).

(B) Defacing objects of public respect is a Class B felony if the value of repairing or replacing the damaged object exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) and if the object that is defaced, marred, desecrated, or otherwise damaged is a cemetery or burial monument.



A cemetery that old is also considered an archeological site:

(1) (A) (i) "Archeological site" means a location containing the physical remains of human life or human activities that are no less than one hundred (100) years old.

(ii) An archeological site may but need not contain pottery, basketry, bottles, weapons, weapon projectiles, tools, structures or portions of structures, rock paintings, graves, and human skeletal remains.

(B) "Archeological site" includes all aboriginal mounds, forts, earthworks, village locations, burial grounds, historic or prehistoric ruins, mines, or caves that are or may be the source of a significant amount of artifacts;

(2) "Artifact" means a relic, specimen, or object of an historical, prehistorical, archeological, or anthropological nature that:

(A) May be found above or below the surface of the earth; and

(B) Has scientific or historic value as an object of antiquity, as an aboriginal relic, or as an archeological specimen; and

(3) "Field archeology" means the study of the traces of human culture at any land or water site by means of surveying, digging, sampling, excavating, or removing subsurface objects or going on an archeological site with that intent.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Has anybody hunted cemeteries? I don't know if hunting a cemetery would be looked at as disrespectful or would be like anyplace else.
We have some cemeteries here that go back to the early 1800s and sure would like to see whats there.

No problems since the cemeteries are very old, but only if you search for single coins and jewels. No heavy digging. God bless.

 

[McClod]

I wouldn't even walk past a cemetery with a detector to go hunting in a park (or other legal site) on the other side of the cemetery, but that's me, I'd rather be totally safe in a situation like that, wouldn't even want someone getting the wrong impression and end up being mistakenly accused of it, laws or no laws, some things just aren't right! It sure wouldn't be worth the battle, in my opinion.

 

[Electricfrontporch]

Id be too bugged out to dig in a cemetery.
I love hiking at some old cemeteries and Indian mounds here in Florida.
The thing that gets me though is that archeologists and scientists don't
even bat an eye at digging up some ones bones and disturbing their eternal rest.

Noah

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

In my state, it is illegal to disturb the ground within 10' of a grave. 10'1" is OK.
I'd look up any state's laws that i wanted to dig in before doing anything if I was you .

But you gotta ask yourself, WWTD?
(what would Tom do?)

 

[oldkoot]

Common sense tells you its totally wrong,but there are those that have no morals and would do anything if they thought they could find something valuable

 

[SusanMN]

Don't care it it is littered with coins and jewels. It's just plain wrong and most certainly puts our hobby in a terrible light. If it is found out and makes it to the papers, I don't care how old the cemetery, the next thing you know parks and other areas will be no hunting areas as well.