Question, opinions wanted.

[SWV Coin Hunter]

There are some very old cemeteries located outside the city limits in my area that are no longer in use, haven't been in many years. These are all run down and quite honestly, it would be hard to get a coil close to the ground. So the question is. Is it wrong to detect a sites such as these? May be a stupid question to some of you but I honestly want your thoughts on this because I'm on the fence. On one hand its the final resting place for those who have passed but on the other hand, they are dead and gone and no one seems to care that the grave sites are falling in and weeds are 4 feet tall all around them. Some will say that this is wrong but what is the difference in detecting around old home sites with graves on the property verses detecting an a grave yard? To me there is no difference.

 

[GKMan]

first off I believe it is illegal in some municipalities.personally I wouldn't care If you dug up the graveyard I was buried in. I'm not saying dig up my bones and take my rings and jewelry I was buried with.I don't think you're going to find anyone is going to say publicly yeah go ahead and do it becauseit is such a no no.This conversation comes up over and over again obviously one of the better reasons I heard you should not detect there is that you could be taking away things that were purposely put there by the family of the deceased. Besides all that if the public or archaeologist heard you were doing so they would probably have a conniption fit no matter how old and uncared for the graves are. I personally don't think it's worth it.

 

[Elton]

Just ask yourself. " How will this promote metal detecting" ???


I don't think that detecting a Cemetery will enhance peoples opinion of Metal Detecting in the proper light... DO YOU ???

[size=large]In my opinion it just isn't a good place to be exacting our Hobby[/size] !!

Many, Many other places would be more acceptable. Most people view Cemetery's as sacred grounds and not a Hobby area......

 

[John(Tx)]

of cemeteries with good results but not in the actual cemetery. HH

 

[GKMan]

on the other hand archaeologist do that all the time with impunity.if you let a couple archaeologist know where it is they would probably be crawling all over the place digging it up.I suppose that's one of the big differences between them and us, we barely scratched the surface of the earth they did right down to the body, put the bones in a box and then store them away forever

 

[KinTN]

Whatever the moral implications or not, it is illegal most states to dig in a cemetery or above/near a grave with VERY minor exceptions (none of which are hobby related). In my state, the law clearly states that it is a crime to disturb the ground within 10 feet of a gravesite. So 11 feet is ok, but like everything else, I urge everyone to use common sense. If you must proceed, you would do well to check the state and local laws.

fwiw, I have never dug near a gravesite. It just isn't worth the potential headache of a confrontation to me.

 

[edjcox]

Digging in a graveyard...

Grave robbing....


Your on your way to te pokey....

You got to change your evil ways.....


Around here it's ilegal witin the boundary of a cemetary or on a private burial land..

No a good image to the public either...

 

[daddyflea]

In the Cemetary "No" In the Parking lot for the cemetary "You Bet"

 

[richbat]

Sorry even if it was legal i still would not MD a graveyard,gotta have some respect for the deceased.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Coin Hunter, The "difference" you ask about is that you could,as I did, meet up with some seriously hacked off old guy with a loaded 12ga. who is bound and determined to KYA. I have told my story before on several of the forums but will spare the details now, only to say I was not hunting a cemetery but an Extinct church foundation/site which was located at the far end of, and within a huge fenced in cemetery. There were no graves near where I was hunting. Had I not been armed with a side arm in plain sight I do not doubt for a second that I would have been gunned down on the spot , which is exactly what "he" told me he had "intended" to do. Besides all the other perfectly good reasons everyone has given you, you now have the choice of looking over your shoulder for some dude with a 12ga." dead set" on spoiling you Happy Hunting Day! HH, Charlie

 

[yowow#1]

Stay out of the cemeteries for goodness sake, they are sacred ground.

 

[JoeinMemphis]

Funny you should say that, as they are going to dig a 20' x 20' hole 6' deep this weekend where some friends and I found a gravesite years ago. The county coroner will be there, along with Archie's and media. We have been invited. It is in the middle of nowhere. They are going to use a backhoe with no tines on the bucket to scrape 2", then detect, then scrape 2" and detect etc, until something turns up. The remains will be stored at the county morgue until they can be re buried later next month.

 

[GunnarMN]

as long as you dont destory anything or dig 6 ft deep I have detected in several only the 1st 8" just a few coins and tabs but then people have been going thear 100 years so could be somthing

 

[KinTN]

Funny you should say that, as they are going to dig a 20' x 20' hole 6' deep this weekend where some friends and I found a gravesite years ago. The county coroner will be there, along with Archie's and media. We have been invited. It is in the middle of nowhere. They are going to use a backhoe with no tines on the bucket to scrape 2", then detect, then scrape 2" and detect etc, until something turns up. The remains will be stored at the county morgue until they can be re buried later next month.

This sounds like something that will be a great experience to participate in. Please take lots of pics/vids and post here! Good Luck!!!

 

[JoeinMemphis]

It should be very interesting, especially seeing how people "trained" in recovery do it. From what they have said the only thing we should see is different colored dirt, and perhaps the coffin handles and possibly teeth. Everything else should be long gone. I guess I will know Saturday. I will post the results. The city is springing for a horse drawn hearse to take them to the next resting place next month.

 

[togamac]

If you don't mind having your picture in the local paper along with the headline "Man Arrested For Digging In A Cemetary" by all means, go for it.
The rest of us will watch the trial on Court TV.

 

[D&P-OR]

You wanted opinions--you got 'em!-----If all the reasons already given isn't enough to deter you---I'll repeat this one---It's illegal, stay out of cemeteries.