1700 cemetery hunt?

[bootey_hunter]

i have a very old cemetery literally walking distance from my house.. est. 1780. i highly doubt any1 visits it on a frequent basis and it is a bit out of view from the nearby road.. my question is besides the obvious moral/ethical aspects.. would this site be a good place to detect? im not saying on top of graves but in the other areas... i know its a cemetery but i just cant help but wonder what might be in the ground in such an old site...

 

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[ppratt]

I wouldn't hunt a cemetery. Grave robbing isn't cool, even if you have a phd and work for a university.

Its not grave robbing if your not digging up rings with fingers still in them.

 

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[jeff of pa]

I wouldn't hunt a cemetery. Grave robbing isn't cool, even if you have a phd and work for a university.

Its not grave robbing if your not digging up rings with fingers still in them.

Exactly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_robbery

the act of uncovering a tomb or crypt to steal artifacts or personal effects. Someone who engages in this act is a grave robber or tomb raider.

I'm still not Condoning metal detecting any Cemetery without
explicit permission, But am offended by the words "Grave robbery"
being used to describe it.

funny how people Idolize "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"
I know it's just a Movie but alot of people who
are against Metal detecting even near cemeteries
Will watch this movie & Indiana jones for that matter
& consider the characters Hero types who
they would be proud to have their
children Idolize but attack somones question
about detecting within site of a cemetery.

 

[kai_gold]

The cemetery in question is very old. Who knows how shallow or deep the remains are. You go poking around the graves and who knows what will show up. Also, as mentioned by some others previously, some people intentionally leave items on or near the grave for various reasons. In my opinion, removing these items even if they aren't on someones finger is a form of grave robbing as the items were not lost, they were intentionally left. Though to clarify, my jab was more directed at at archeaologists who criticize and seek to punish someone who picks up an arrowhead at a remote site and yet it is ok for them to completely excavate a grave. Whether your religious beliefs include a sacred attitude for burial sites or not, it's still important to respect the beliefs of others in these matters. As for metal detecting the perimeter of an old cemetery, I see no problem unless as mentioned early, there are mourners right there.

 

[USMCLion]

In my area some of the old cemeteries once housed meeting houses on the same property.

Expanding on Jeffs "Limo" parking comment, in the pre 1800 meeting house/cemetery sites there will often be a large rectangle slab of stone, that would be where the "limo" parking was

I have seen several of those slabs myself. I hooked up with a group in Virginia that mapped, plotted an preserved old gravesites. Most were burried near their houses and probably only half has stones on them. There were a few large grave yards in the middle of nowhere. I helped them out (they were older folks) guiding them to the sites. They supplied me with locations for hundreds of old foundations, maps and contacts to get permission. I found lots of goddies int he 5 years I was stationed there.

The closest I ever got to detecting a grave yard was there. I detected the pathway up the hill where people would have walked from an old rundown road. The enterance into the graveyard was marked by an opening in a stonewall that circles the entire thing. I found 8 coins on that path the oldest being a 1801 large cent.

 

[lafatlife]

i have a very old cemetery literally walking distance from my house.. est. 1780. i highly doubt any1 visits it on a frequent basis and it is a bit out of view from the nearby road.. my question is besides the obvious moral/ethical aspects.. would this site be a good place to detect? im not saying on top of graves but in the other areas... i know its a cemetery but i just cant help but wonder what might be in the ground in such an old site...

Yes the potential is there but don't expect much. Out of respect for the deceased, do not dig over the graves. Along side or on the roads should be ok.

 

[Stanl (MI)]

According to some of the old timers: "people use to bury their money in graveyards".
I don't know if they were referring to family plots or public cemeteries.
The logic supposedly was that nobody will dig in a cemetery, so the cached loot should be safe.

I wonder how many of those caches were not recovered....??

I would check with your particular state's laws.
It is against the law in this state, to dig within the the cemetery proper.
Whether it's a misdemeanor or felony, I don't recall.

Note: it's only OK to dig up graves from another culture, and then if you get a $$ grant to do so.

BTW: the people planted there won't bother you.

 

[gods country girl]

my husband and i take care of his family cemetery many of the graves go back to the early 1800's.I would not have a problem with someone MD'ing in the gathering areas, though i never have myself.the only problem i could see with hunting in old cemeteries is that in many there is way more burials than markers.So how do you realy know that you are not digging on someone's grave.As long as you get permission i'd say go ahead, but if you did accidently uncover remains , just make sure to contact someone so they can be properly reinterred.

 

[minton7]

First off, after that long, there are no bodies left to dig up.... no vault means no body.. maybe a hinge or MAYBE a little bone... and my XLT has gone 10" for a large cent.. so you are saying that people are buried at 10" deep? If this is so, the EPA needs called so they can fix this possible ground water contamination.... having said all that, my opinion is that I would not hunt the graves themselves... but around the area I am fine with... and yeah I agree with those who ask about the civil war sites.. how many men were blown to bits and those sites are their graves? or shipwrecks where the wreck is their grave? We never get all bent outta shape over those sites....

 

[Smudge]

One thing's for sure, the residents aren't likely to complain.

 

[goodmore]

You are forgetting about one big point. That is perception. If someone sees you and is offended then this thing could spiral into a big mess for the hobby itself. You know that there is a conflict of morality with this so right there should be reason enough to say no to the idea. You can't twist it to make it right. Every cemetary around here is either owned by a church (private property) or the community itself. Being community owned means you respect the wishes of the community. Could there be an official reason to detect a graveyard? Sure! Marker findings. Boundary or pin findings. Good press for the hobby. Think of the rest of us. Do us a favor and keep the hobby in a good light.

 

[ppratt]

You are forgetting about one big point. That is perception. If someone sees you and is offended then this thing could spiral into a big mess for the hobby itself. You know that there is a conflict of morality with this so right there should be reason enough to say no to the idea. You can't twist it to make it right. Every cemetary around here is either owned by a church (private property) or the community itself. Being community owned means you respect the wishes of the community. Could there be an official reason to detect a graveyard? Sure! Marker findings. Boundary or pin findings. Good press for the hobby. Think of the rest of us. Do us a favor and keep the hobby in a good light.

All Sites are protected by some governing body if you get permission by that body then everything should be OK. There the ones that take care of it. Cut the Grass , do the bushes pick up trash Etc.. Who cares about what other people think. your not going to get permission from everyone.

 

[coin finder]

Hi , all what up with people ? why do you want to hunt a CEMETERY ! Let them rest in peace ! how would you like it if some one came with a metal Detector over to your love one grave !

 

[BuckleBoy]

Can I add this thread to the List?

 

[ppratt]

Hi , all what up with people ? why do you want to hunt a CEMETERY ! Let them rest in peace ! how would you like it if some one came with a metal Detector over to your love one grave !

I would love it. To hear that steady hum again would be great and if he / she got a good signal over me then let dig away. If I dead, my body will be there but not my soul so I wont give a crap.

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

These kind of post always turn into the proverbial tug of war.

I will take the 5th on this one.

 

[m bryan]

Hi , all what up with people ? why do you want to hunt a CEMETERY ! Let them rest in peace ! how would you like it if some one came with a metal Detector over to your love one grave !

I would love it. To hear that steady hum again would be great and if he / she got a good signal over me then let dig away. If I dead, my body will be there but not my soul so I wont give a crap.

Would you register as a pull tab?

 

[ppratt]

Hi , all what up with people ? why do you want to hunt a CEMETERY ! Let them rest in peace ! how would you like it if some one came with a metal Detector over to your love one grave !

I would love it. To hear that steady hum again would be great and if he / she got a good signal over me then let dig away. If I dead, my body will be there but not my soul so I wont give a crap.

Would you register as a pull tab?

Thinking more nail. I'm 6.6 so more like a 16 penny nail

 

[teleman 2525]

arnt you glad you asked this hot topic question no i will not detect in a cementary but idid once run my detector over a few old graves cause ild heard they were buried real shallow in the late 17 and 1800,s i could hear the coffin nails real spooky feeling i left but seriously i just cant bring my self to dig in this kind of location yes look for the old near by pinic area old homes near by folks did not travle far to bury there dead in the old days get the old maps stop bythe cementarys read the names learn the history hunt always with respect