How to hunt cemeteries?

[mvSWAT]

I've seen where several people talk about hunting old cemeteries, I had a little time the other day and went to one but just wasn't sure how to hunt it so for the most part I just went along the edge of the drive. I just felt a little uncomfortable when I searched around the grave sites. Is that a personal thing or is there any grave yard etiquette I should know about? Dan

 

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[jeff of pa]

Except, When I'm doing it for someone, I don't get any closer either. I once went and Received PERMISSION from a Township official to do an abandond cemetery. I got in it, swung my detector, got signals and couldn't talk myself into digging. it took several years later and an OK from the head of the restoration project to get me over my being uncumfortable . I am not the type to RUN someone down for their Beliefs or lack of..... but , IF you'r going to hunt a cemetery, and IF you have no problem with it. MAKE ABSOLUTELY SHURE you have Permission. Preferably in writing, or at least a few people that have heard the person giving you permission. There will always be TWO sides to hunting Cemeteries, and the NAY sayers will always win on this one.

 

[alwayslookin]

Just not sure I could actually go into an active cemetary with a shovel. Even with permission. I have found an abondoned cemetary and long gone church in the woods in southern Indiana last year while mushroom hunting. Will probably get to it this spring. Very grown up area and cemetary dows not appear to be maintained at all. Only draw back is it is on Morgan Monroe state forrest property...so don't know if permission is needed. I know you can hunt there (deer etc).

 

[jeff of pa]

a SUGGESTION for anyone who wants to hunt an Abandond Cemetery. MAKE IT INTO A RESTORATION PROJECT. if on State or County Property, Borough, town, or Township Property, even Private. Contact the person in charge of the land. Tell them you are into history, & seen the Cemetery, and would VERY MUCH LIKE to restore it, so everyone can enjoy a part of the areas history. maby get the Scouts involved, a local high school History Class, & if there is one, the Local Detector club.? <> IT's ALMOST GUARANTEED TO WORK, and if it does, the P.R. will SKYROCKET. guaranteed !? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? If talking to land owners is hard for you to do, Contact the Local News Paper, Sit down with them And Tell them you would like to Post an Open Letter to the public, for info on who to contact so you can restore it.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? once you get started and the place starts looking better, Have an on site open house "advertised in the Paper" & set up tables so people can see the finds.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? after the project is done, talk to the local clergy, have one of them, Re-Consicrate ? "SORRY"( I am not up on religion )_ what ever it is they call it, that, they do, to make the place SACRAD all over again.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Just some of the suggestions, I can come up with right now, from Personal Expierence.

 

[alwayslookin]

Good idea Jeff...

This one is very deep in the woods found it after seeing Blair Witch..didn't hang around long as I was alone. LOL

 

[jeff of pa]

In a place like that, I'd say go with your own Conscience, but under NO CIRCUMSTANCE , dig a grave. (Let the Legalized GRAVE ROBBERS "ARCHIES" do that")? Maby while your there , Restore it on the Sly, just to do it? ?8)

 

[alwayslookin]

Would never dig a grave..too much respect for that. Interestingly what I believe to be the church is about 100 to 150 yards from the cemetary..seems like it is kind of far for the age of the place.

 

[jeff of pa]

I don't know on that. I know of a couple Cemeteries that are fairly distant from where the ORIGINAL church stood. IF their both secluded from town, by a great distance, there may have been a town there at one time also.

 

[alwayslookin]

Good point..haven't found any other foundations or impressions that look to be foundations..may actually pre-date foundations tho since it is in the woods...at least it is now woods.

 

[1320]

I'm giving you all permission to metal detect my grave! I think it would be cool looking up at you while recalling the days that I used to detect! I'll even have my family put some targets on top of the grave so I can watch you dig. Just make sure to cover your hole and say howdy.

 

[jeff of pa]

Wouldn't bother me either 1320, at least I'd know my body wouldn't be, BEING MOLESTED by some Self-Reichous ARCHIE, trying to find out what my last meal was? all you Detectorists can dig to your hearts content? 8)

 

[TORRERO]

I'm basicly like you guys, I won't hunt Cemetaries unless I absolutly have permission, with that said,
I've hunted 2 in my lifetime, one being the Church my father preaches at, hence the permission.

The other was deep in the woods, and someone told me about it, that it was on private property and ok to hunt.
I did not find much in eather one of them, sorry to say. My fathers church dates to 1808 I think I got 2-3 wheats and a
methodist sunday school pin, the other was only 1900's and got very little there as well.

 

[freeze12]

There is an old cemetery not to far from where i live. It has graves from the 17 & early 1800's. It has been abandoned for a LOoong time & it is overgrown with trees & brush & the Headstone are either fallen down,broken or not legible anymore. I do not think that many people know of this Cemetery as is is not listed & out of site & abandoned. I too have no problems detecting the small Graveyard & only will do within reason & respect.
Now for the snow to mely & the ground to thaw & try out My new Minelab Quattro!!

 

[alwayslookin]

I guess if we aren't digging real deep then it shouldn't hurt......

 

[jeff of pa]

Just remember there Are Laws on the books in alot of states. make shure you'r in the right first. Get PERMISSION . IF it's abandond in the woods, Follow your Consience , and Leave it looking better when you leave, then when you arrived.

 

[SnowQueen]

Hey, I'll be using mine to help my son with his eagle project which is restoring a old cemetery. It's been vandalised, ect. There may be old stars and other things that the vandals have torn off the gravestones in addition to the outright destroying of the graves. In addition, there could be old graves that are lost as the cemetery was started in 1844 and we can see the where some of the graves as recently as 1985 are almost completely sunken in. I personally don't think I could hunt a cemetery for personal gain, but am looking forward to the historical restorations, etc.

 

[jeff of pa]

I'm looking forward on hearing how it goes S.Q. , you'r going to have a ball. Doing what you like to do, While Helping the Community !!! Very Rewarding , HH ; jeff

 

[spotz]

I've never swung a detector over a cemetery although there are a few untinded pioneer cemeteries in my area that I intend to check out this year. I think that there is a major difference between coin or relic shooting in or around an old cemetery & digging up a grave. I suppose that others who do not know your intent might jump to conclusions before they ask what you are doing there. Personally, I have no intent or interest in disturbing someones final resting place. Again though, digging 4 inches is not the same as digging 4 feet. Spotz

 

[TORRERO]

There is an old cemetery not to far from where i live. It has graves from the 17 & early 1800's. It has been abandoned for a LOoong time & it is overgrown with trees & brush & the Headstone are either fallen down,broken or not legible anymore. I do not think that many people know of this Cemetery as is is not listed & out of site & abandoned. I too have no problems detecting the small Graveyard & only will do within reason & respect.
Now for the snow to mely & the ground to thaw & try out My new Minelab Quattro!!

Any roads go through the middle of it ??
Beware of boxes 4 feet deep in the roadbeds....

 

[treasurekidd]

I live about a mile from a small historical cemetary which dates back to the mid 1700s, and as kids, we used to hang out there and play. I KNOW there are probably loads of coins in there to be found, both old and new, but I just have not had it in me to search there. I briefly considered it, and then quickly decided that it was just not for me. I am currently in the process of trying to get the city, or the local historical society to fund a cleanup of this old cemetary, as it is in terrbile shape. When I was a kid, you could clearly tell it was a cemetary from the street, and we used to go gravestone shading, with paper and crayons. Now (20 years later) it is so horribly overgrown that you cant even tell its a cemetary withyout walking through 20 feet of waste high grass and 10 feet of dense brush before seeing the markers. Any ideas on how to pressure the powers that be on cleaning thias place up?