Scott Cemetery: an Abandoned Early 20th Century Cemetery in Dallas

An abandoned cemetery west of downtown Dallas, Texas, was moved by AR Consultants, Inc. after careful recording and research funded by the land developer. The cemetery was covered by debris and construction trash in the mid-1900s after the area was turned into a borrow pit. The Scott Family Cemetery was dedicated in 1903, however excavations revealed it was in use before the dedication circa 1870s to 1931. Jack Scott, a Dallas resident since 1869, and five family members were buried in the cemetery. This symposium will discuss the cemetery's removal and interpretations of the lives of the family; including the process of discovering an abandoned cemetery in Texas and the subsequent steps necessary for excavation, the pitfalls in excavating loose soils - now and then, taphonomic processes, preservation, and influences from funerary practices, coffin hardware typology and comparisons with local cemeteries, and skeletal changes associated with Victorian clothing styles.