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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[SusanMN]

Maybe a private cemetary for family members of the land owner or a public cemetary for a local church or town. In any case, there might be historical records relating to it - plat maps, local histories etc. I would start with your property records, which may list all owners. Then you can do historical research on those names to see what you can find out. If you can't find anything, then I would do a dig to see if there is wood or bones.

 

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[treasurehunter313]

Did you ever use historicalaerials.com ? I don't know if anyone mentioned it already but the old topo maps show a lot. Pretty cool pick head or whatever you found though

 

[tinpan]

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

Hi ,hate to throw a wet blanket on your grave yard but the fence is made from a mine winder cage cable . Often erected around old mine shafts of great depth to prevent persons from falling down them . I have seen many examples in the past. The expense of filling in or capping the shaft would be great , cheaper to go for the low cost fence using cheap poles and left over mine cable. Might be a deep shaft on the other side of the fence covered by overgrowth or timber.
Careful Mate

tinpan

 

[Eureka!]

Excuses...... Excuses......

 

[dirt claw]

Cases of which I have knowledge in Missouri:

An excavator, clearing land for a shopping center, dug up some human bones. The property owner had to advertise for any heirs. None answered so the bones were reinterred at another site.

Graves moved to make room for airport expansion.

Graves moved to make room for highway.

I am sure your state has statutes that apply to digging known gravesites and the relocation of such. I think you are explaining hearsay.

 

[cti4sw]

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

If you suspect a graveyard, this is the best starting point.
I suggest in addition to this, that you make a grid on a Google Maps aerial, and collate your finds to the grid. Photograph everything.
If you do turn up something significant, you will have at least saved some of the context of the find.

By the way, to those asking about the law, Google "ARPA 1979", U.S.C. Title 16.