I may have found a graveyard from a mining site...need advice

[YooperAlan]

I have no idea if I have found a graveyard area but an old timer told me that there was an old rumor in the area in which I'm about to start a larger excavation project. I don't know what the proper rules are in this matter. I own the land in which I'm about to start digging and where this supposed gravesite is rumoured to be. The area itself was extensively surrounded by 1 1/8 wire rope with old 5" steel piping which acted as fence posts and in the center of this 150' roundish area, is an old, very large, dead oak tree. At a minimum, the wire rope and pipes, seem to be 100 years old.

I can't get pictures just yet, as the entire area is a thick jungle and there's barely room to move.

So, if I do find evidence of graves, what do I do?
When is it considered science/archeological/treasure hunting verses grave robbing?

The general area is going to produce many finds, as a village had used this area for a dumping ground for decades, ending in the 30's-early 40's after the mine shut down.

 

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[treblehunter]

Oh, ok, I see your talking about grave robbing, six feet down, I got ya now.

 

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[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

YOU MIGHT WANT TO METAL DETECT AROUND THAT OLD DEAD TREE, FOR POCKET SPILLS. IF YOU FIND MANY OF THEM, THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA THAT THERE WERE FOLKS RESTING THERE FROM SOME KIND OF WORK.( LIKE DIGGING ) BUT IF IT IS AN OLD MINE SITE, THAT STILL MAY NOT TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. IF YOU CHOOSE TO DIG, AND HIT A WOODEN BOX. MEASURE IT BEFORE YOU OPEN IT.... THAT MAY BE THE ONLY PROOF THAT YOU GET. NOT A COMFORTABLE DECISION TO MAKE. I HAVE LEFT A MINE OPENING SEALED FOR YEARS AND WORKED AROUND IT, TO FIGURE OUT FOR SURE IF THE INSIDE MIGHT BE A MASS GRAVE FROM SPANISH MINING TIMES. I HAVE MORE TO STUDY THAN I CAN GET DONE WITH OUT ENTERING THE SHAFT.

JUST BE CAREFUL AND DON'T MAKE A GRAVE ERROR.
ALMOST SORRY FOR THE BAD PUN, BUT IT NEED TO BE SAID.

MIKEL
#/;0)~

 

[MrMikeJackie]

Speculation. Might be. Could have been. Maybe. I once heard. Some ropes and some pipes. An old dead tree. C'mon guys, let's be real. What concrete proof has verified the existence of a graveyard? No markers, no records, nothing. All worked up over hearsay.

 

[YooperAlan]

Here is a pic of the surrounding ''Fence''. The fence is "C" shaped and covers about 150 feet around. At each end of this fence, there was a 6 inch connection that connected right to the large building which once stood there. Right now, all I am doing is clearing brush and trees. I suspect that if the gravesite rumor is true, it is located within this fenced off area. I can not think of one other purpose that any company/business would invest a fence of this extreme. If it was a small picnic/break area, those miners worked for quite a good company.

The only part of this that I will begin excavating, is the area inside of the foundation. More pics to follow...

 

[lookindown]

If you find a grave stop digging...if you don't find a grave keep digging...wasn't that simple?

 

[lookindown]

Here is a pic of the surrounding ''Fence''. The fence is "C" shaped and covers about 150 feet around. At each end of this fence, there was a 6 inch connection that connected right to the large building which once stood there. Right now, all I am doing is clearing brush and trees. I suspect that if the gravesite rumor is true, it is located within this fenced off area. I can not think of one other purpose that any company/business would invest a fence of this extreme. If it was a small picnic/break area, those miners worked for quite a good company.

The only part of this that I will begin excavating, is the area inside of the foundation. More pics to follow...

View attachment 1047283

That fence looks like overkill for a graveyard...maybe it was to protect the big tree you said was in the center.

 

[PullTabPete]

Could have been fenced to keep horses or some other animal?

 

[NOLA_Ken]

You say the foundation was a dry house? I highly doubt there would be a graveyard right outside, and in fact connected to the building where the guys got ready for work. Think about it, having a graveyard with guys who may have been killed in accidents right next to where you're getting ready to go to the same job that got them killed would not be the best way to keep morale up among the miners. Any graveyard is going to be more likely around a church site.

 

[Caryl]

Disturbing a grave site in Michigan is a felony. BUT as of yet, he does not know if there is/are graves there.

Many small plot graveyards are fenced off around here that way, or with split rail fencing. The church or keeper's buildings are long gone, and nothing remains but the fence. No stones or markers to be seen. especially around the old pioneer trails.


grave sites should all be registered with the state somewhere. Here you can find some in odd places, like the asscessor's office, or the Platt offices.

 

[Mr.T]

Fascinating thread.

As you are only surmising it could be a grave site, personally I would do the following.

I would weed-whack and clear all the vegetation. Then I would methodically detect the whole site, but dig nothing. I would mark every signal with a
golf tee, different colors for different tones. That should give you the lie of the land. You might find the whole place littered in horse shoes or nails.
Problem solved. At least you will find a pattern.

Best of luck with whatever you do, and it's great that you are handling it in such a respectful fashion.

Rory

 

[Eureka!]

I have no idea if I have found a graveyard area

regulations having to do with Cemeteries are STATE and NOT LOCAL -- Check with the States Governing body for information and regulations

 

[dirt claw]

I am aware of a situation where a company building a shopping center dug up some human remains. The company was required to run an ad describing the location of the remains in an attempt to find heirs. None responded, so the remains were moved and buried in a proper location. Also in MO:
Missouri Revised Statutes
Chapter 214
Cemeteries
Section 214.131

August 28, 2013

Tombstones, fences, destroying or mutilating in abandoned family or private cemetery, penalty--abandoned or private burying ground, defined.
214.131. Every person who shall knowingly destroy, mutilate, disfigure, deface, injure or remove any tomb, monument or gravestone, or other structure placed in any abandoned family cemetery or private burying ground, or any fence, railing, or other work for the protection or ornamentation of any such cemetery or place of burial of any human being, or tomb, monument or gravestone, memento, or memorial, or other structure aforesaid, or of any lot within such cemetery is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section and subsection 1 of section 214.132, an "abandoned family cemetery" or "private burying ground" shall include those cemeteries or burying grounds which have not been deeded to the public as provided in chapter 214, and in which no body has been interred for at least twenty-five years.
(L. 1987 H.B. 60 ß 1)
You might check your statutes.

 

[YooperAlan]

Fascinating reading and thanks to everyone.

If I find the faintest sign of a grave, no worries, someone within the state government will be notified.

Wish that I had a dozen or so of you treasurenet folks to help with the excavating - it's only a 50 acre site

Here is the progress that was made on the uncovering of the burner/warmer/blacksmith furnace...? There is approximately 6 feet of fill underneath the point of that shovel (where the excavating will begin). The foundation is rather unusual (in background) as instead of having a face/sill plate for the floor, concrete was used and the joists holes are evident as concrete was poured to surround them - each measuring 2 1/2" wide.

 

[Peyton Manning]

do detectors pick up signals from 6 feet down?
If no markers don't dig more than a foot and you won't find a grave

 

[YooperAlan]

I'm not going to dig within the fenced area, just yet but to answer your question, the MD is hitting inside that area.

Today's find and after 45 minutes on the wire wheel side of the bench grinder....

 

[Tnmountains]

Now that your title is in the top of Google searches I would probe or have someone probe the area in question. At least that would give you an idea of what it may hold. It is how they often locate old graves to…. re-locate them. Simple process. Good luck with your hunt and keep us updated.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

I spent more then a few years living up there and studying geology at Michigan Tech - College of Mines in the 60's.
The fenced in area is typical of an abandoned mine shaft opening that was fenced in to keep people from falling into an open shaft.
In the 70's the state hired contractors to fill the openings, sometimes with old cars and then pour rock in them to stop people or kids from exploring. My fellow students and I used to look for the open shafts and explore the mines. These old mines used donkeys to pull the ore carts out. There still were veins of copper in some. There were dangerous air shafts one could fall in because the timbers were rotten. If you dig in the the fenced area be cautious. It could fall in taking you with it.
About 5 years ago one of the "caps" caved in because the cars inside rusted out enough to allow the rocks and cars to fall in. They dug it out and capped the opening with I beams and metal deck, then poured a concrete cap. This was in town and about 50 ft from US 41. There were no cemeteries close to the mines except in Phoenix. location. All the cemetery locations are in the mining archives, well marked and looked after by the counties.
Be safe and HH

 

[YooperAlan]

Good info and thanks! Allan Johnson from tech is helping me with some of the questions that I have. I'm hoping to have our county mine inspector there soon, on site with me. The main shaft goes straight down 1392 feet, the other I am not sure about. There are many caved in areas and depressions in and around the site and I am always mindful of that. This area is not for the weak hearted. The two railroad plates are from (what we call) mule rails. I even found out where the mule yard was on the property lol.

 

[Scrappy]

So much legal BS getting thrown around here. I would keep it simpler: Get a Ouiga Board and let the spirits tell you whether it's a douchy move to dig there.

-Happy Hunting!

 

[goldnugget]

Just go slow in clearing the bush and just check for stones about 1 foot tall. goldnugget