Using Geophysics for Cemetery Delineation on DOD Installations: Practical Advice, Pitfalls, and Project Examples

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Application of Geophysical Techniques to Military Archaeology" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cemeteries and burial grounds are a common feature of the historic landscape, and mapping cemeteries is a consistent and pressing land management need for DOD cultural resource managers. When a cemetery is involved, stakeholders may be diverse and the results can be emotionally charged. Land managers and the public may consider geophysical methods as a straightforward method to identify unmarked graves because they seem to present a simple and non-invasive way to find answers. Geophysical survey results, however, are rarely clear-cut, and they require custom approaches, experienced practitioners, and intensive data processing. New South Associate’s geophysical archaeologists have surveyed over a hundred formal and informal cemeteries both on and off DOD installations. This paper outlines survey strategies for different cemeteries and discusses the evaluation of geophysical survey results. It highlights practical examples of large and small area surveys using multiple instruments including single channel GPR and multichannel GPR in a towed array.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Application of Geophysical Techniques to Military Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37863.0