Metal Detecting in a graveyard. As many of us have observed there is a pretty long thread developing concerning the acceptable/right/wrong/ethics of such activity. This little poll is to ask (anonymously of course) if you'd turn in to the police or other responsible authorities an individual who you have seen or has admitted to metal detecting in a graveyard (private or public) and having disturbed or taken grave goods such as coins, jewelry, etc. The items taken could be either buried with the individual or placed upon the grave at a later time. Lets hear your opinion as well. Take Care Ben
Hard to say? So many circumstances to take into consideration...how old is the graveyard and when was the last burial...I assume this is just metal detecting the yard for lost and found and not digging up bodies... Is the graveyard ancient? Medieval? 18th century? 17th? has it been sitting there forgotten for many years? Dont think I would do it at Arlington national cemetery but I might do it if it was an old forgotten graveyard on my own land... I wouldn't disturb any bodies of course. and then of course who is to say WHAT was placed and what is just lost after so many years? When is the cut off date for digging up bones? I say we go and put a halt to archeology...bunch of grave robbers! I wonder if any of my or others ancient coins came from a grave, maybe from the hand of a dead soldier on an old balkan battlefield...or if someone broke the law shipping them into the US....to ignore such issues would be morally wrong....I wont tell you you wont Of course this came from a thread about a guy wanting to detect for stuff in an old forgotten graveyard on his own land...nor was he going to dig up bodies...
This part makes me vote unacceptable and I would report it. On the grounds perhaps, leading up to an old cemetary I have no problem but directly over a grave and contents within. Yes, I 'd have a problem with that.
its a heinous act to destro y the sentiments of loved ones and the dead themselves. look at what happened to the pyramids. in this world where live people dont get the rest they deserve its shameful to take from the dead. i cant beleive people actually do that
I for one am excited about going to see a mummified body at the museum when it comes around...and all the gold and riches buried with it...what a great learning experience!
I honestly think it really depends. I would have to be in the middle from what you posted as poll options, I would say finder's keeper's to an extent, not where it would be damaging the graves, disturbing a coffin, or anything that would be disrespectful. I'd say about 10 feet from a grave would be acceptable, but that might still be pushing it a bit, along with only digging a few inches. Also, depends on the graveyard too, like said earlier. I'm on the fence a bit if you know what I mean. The poll leaves a lot of grey a bit Bone, but JMO. Phoenix
Howdy, I think that it's morally and probably legally wrong to grave rob, as it were, I'm of the school that very seldom tattles. Of course, it would depend upon the situation, but I'd rather approach the culprits then 'narc' on them. just my opinion, rono
The reason I would steer clear of a graveyard is not legal but moral. Old head stones can be moved around and I may be digging into a resting place. I don't know a lot about metal detectors but doubt if they can go down six feet with most of the ones that people commonly use. That said, if I was metal detecting with a deep ground metal detector and there was no indication of a graveyard (like commonly happens in Europe), if artifacts are found then the Historical Society would have to be notified and then where is the profit?
Agree 100%. It would certainly open up a lot of new territory. We, the responsible ones would certainly follow the rules and abide by them, however... (Example) The cemetery/graveyard where I placed the knife on my dad's grave is considered very rural and only has one dirt road heading to and from it. As a matter of fact it was featured on a television program a few years ago as being one of the most spooky in the south. Last time I checked, the knife was still there, It was placed right beside the headstone as was the myriad of other items which folks have placed on their loved ones graves. But, I'll say one thing if the preacher who lives in the house attached to the church doesn't know you or he gets a bad feeling he'll run you outta there regardless if you're a legitimate visitor or not, LOL... Inside the church, down in the basement there are THOUSANDS of other items (guns, swords, lanterns, an old hand push plow, fishing poles, etc... I've seen them ) which had been documented family by family and left over the past 180 years, even before the Alamo, Texas Revolution, and the Civil War. Now, you and I both know some of these families are long gone and won't ever be back, but from preacher to preacher for the past 40 years that I know of (undoubtedly before that) will bust your butt outta there if you try to lift anything. Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Tx and some of the graves go back to 1820-something and several have huge oak trees growing out of them with the creepy Spanish Moss. The cemetery is on private deeded property and belongs to the Old North Church Association who own several old graveyards and churches around the area. You'd end up with at least a broken metal detector if you were brave enough to even pull it out there LOL. Take Care Ben
If it is a known burial site then you do not detect on it, with the exception of if you are part of a authorised archaeological dig. Or as in one instance I know of a Bride lost her ring while visiting her fathers grave, the local club was called in to help the ring was found in about half a hour along with a zillion ringpulls LOL
i think it is ok to detect on a forgotton graveyard only if it is on your property or you get permission by a land owner that has one on his property. as long as you don't dig too deep. i think it is wrong though to detect on a recent graveyard. i'd stay clear of graveyards that are say, 20 years old or newer. i think it would be ok to detect on a old graveyard that hasn't been used in a long time.
My dad and I used to go detecting in Texas when I was a kid in the late 1960s. We used BFO detectors from Bill Mahan's company out of Garland, Texas. Occasionally, we would go to a cemetery and dig around. We ALWAYS covered our holes and tried to make the ground look like we had never been there. That is what my dad taught me no matter where you dig. As far as the issue of defacing property, disturbing the dead, robbing the dead, etc. A true "detectorist" would not be considered "defacing" property. My dad and I had witnessed many very sad situations where people had painted horrible things on headstones and used big round marble balls found on some headstones to destroy other headstones by using the ball like a bowling ball. This would be more disturbing to me than any detectorist in a cemetery. Edited: Religious comments are not allowed by the rules,
Be aware that older cemeteries may be covered by laws generally unknown by many, due to they are seldom brought up. 2 cemeteries ( late 1800s- 1910), near me have had court cases involving detectionists, even though the cemeteries were not active, only had a wire fence around them. They were identified and warnings against all activities ( including parties or gatherings ( Halloween I guess). I got this info through my gem and mineral group, so do not know the outcome. Sometime I will drive out to it and see if they have changed anything.
When I was much younger a buddy and I would detect in old cemeteries that were hidden from view. We would dig a plug of perhaps 2" of depth and replace it when done. Once, I found an 1865 cent in perfect condition - probably lost by a rambunctious youngster. As I aged my respect for those buried in cemeteries increased and I started thinking it had been a mistake to have detected there. Now that we are much older my wife and I clean up old cemeteries that have fallen into disrepair, but would never metal detect there.
I'm not young, but I really don't see anything wrong with mding a cemetery any more than any other ground as you are only surface digging. Don't carry off things families have left, don't disturb anything, don't leave a mess and leave it neater than you started. The objects would be in the ground lost forever and no one would ever know they were there. What's wrong with having a piece of History? If you dig properly you will not leave it Disturbed. And to get permission if you need it from a church or a caretaker of the cemetery, assuring them that you will not take anything but just on the very surface no deeper digging or destroying of property. You can even show them how you take a plug and replace it.
As far as I’m concerned, a cemetery is sacred ground. What someone places there, stays there. Period. End of story.
