Last week we posted an announcement here regarding remote sensing survey to
delineate four cemeteries in Knox County, Indiana. Ostensibly, the project
was to begin this week and continue through the first week in October.
Weather and other mitigating circumstances have delayed site preparation and
cleanup on two of the cemeteries. The project will be delayed until such a
time as we can plan to survey all of the sites in a single field session.
We have been working closely with Knox County Cemetery Commissioners in an
effort to assist in delineating these cemeteries before installation of
fences. To their credit, the KCCC have cleaned and fenced several dozen
cemeteries over the past two years. The sites in question pose a problem in
that the grave markers have either been completely removed or are
disarticulated in a fashion that prohibits an accurate determination as to
their original location. In one instance, the tombstones have been dozed
into a push-pile off the edge of the field to make way for agricultural
activities. This property is particularly important because it has been
acquired by a mining company and was in some jeopardy prior to it's discovery.
Sub-surface imaging technology may be used to delineate the extents of
cemeteries where surface features are missing or obscured. It may never be
possible to return grave markers (that have been stacked in a heap) back to
their original location; however it is entirely feasible to utilize technology
that may reveal a better understanding of where the entire cemetery was (and
is) located and, perhaps more importantly, where to erect a fence that will
protect the remains. It is the contention of the KCCC board members that
erecting a fence only bounding the visual remains gives tacit permission for
development outside the perimeter of the fence and 100-foot buffer zone.
Fencing a relatively small area and then increasing the periphery radially to
100 feet, may not adequately preserve the cemetery, particularly if it was
originally large in area.
We hope to have visitors interested in observing the fieldwork when we do get
this project underway. I will announce the dates on our "What's New" page
at
the HAR website (URL below). It was not my intention to solicit labor for
this work; I think we have enough help. However, it may be an educational
experience and we would welcome visitors. Anyone interested in attending,
please e-mail me off-list and I will inform you of impending project dates at
some point in the near future. I will also repost the information here.
Best Regards,
Rich Green
Historic Archaeological Research
4338 Hadley Court
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Office: (765) 464-8735
Home: (765) 464-8095
http://www.har-indy.com