Dead bodies......would you??????

[hoser]

Not me Detector, my mummy told me I couldn't.

[bobbulge]

SO wouldn't a battlefield like Gettysburg be the same as a cemetary since there is always the possibility of bringing up shallow graves of known civil war soldiers if a known particular battle was on a field?

If I knew there was the slightest possibility of digging body parts with the finds I'd be worried about a curse or something on the items I'd find. Some rings and stuff you find out there sometimes it feels like they are begging to find there rightful owners especially if they have names or markings on them that can be traced to a particular owner. Where as coins, well finders keepers.

[early_americana]

I agree that Gettysburg is like a cemetary. I wouldn't be digging around either.

[spittfire]

You all make a lot of sense with your opinions, I did notice that several people were more worried about the actual finding of body parts rather than the ethics question and that several people were more worried about the "superstition" or uncomfortable feelings they would have as opposed to the ethics question. We have several "field" cemetaries in this state, quite a few are in peoples back yards, this is common from years ago when family plots were in the backyard..I would, to be honest, be more worried about how people would view my actions at this place as opposed to finding "bones" when I hunt. I would not freak out over remains but would be running if there were flesh attached to a more recent death! I appreciate everyone's comments, it has given me an insight into what people feel about a "touchy subject"!

[Don]

Well..........I have to admit, sometimes I could use an extra hand.    I know...Bad joke.

[Beefcake]

Not me... bad JuJu... I think we all remember The Exorcist... and if that wasn't scary enough... remember when Greg Brady found that figurine in Hawaii ....you could end up with a bad haircut, tight polyester and poor surfing skills ...stay away!

[bobbulge]

and don't forget POLTERGEIST, about building a new developement on Indian burial ground. Well you saw what happened there.

[wescowood]

There are those things which are sacred to us all. It is not only a religious view point but a moral one as well. What is right or wrong and how you feel at the end of the day or weather you can look at yourself in the mirror when you get up in the morning. Pilfering the deceased or trying to gain from their misfortune is in my opinion is just plain wrong weather they have been gone a day or a thousand years. You have to draw the line somewhere and there are some things you just don"t do and in my honest opinion this is one of them.
HH, Wes.

[spittfire]

Originally Posted by wescowood

There are those things which are sacred to us all. It is not only a religious view point but a moral one as well. What is right or wrong and how you feel at the end of the day or weather you can look at yourself in the mirror when you get up in the morning. Pilfering the deceased or trying to gain from their misfortune is in my opinion is just plain wrong weather they have been gone a day or a thousand years. You have to draw the line somewhere and there are some things you just don"t do and in my honest opinion this is one of them.
HH, Wes.

I think there is a misconception here about what I originally asked. Modern day burials are in steel caskets and vaults. This is not about digging up the dead, it is about dirt removed from a burial site, dirt which is removed and dumped in a field in the back of a cemetary where no graves exist. Every potential excavation site is a burial site of some sort or another from days gone by. Whether it is a housing developement going up on a old farmhouse site or a road going through a new route. The dirt gets moved from one place to another, to include treasure, gold and silver coins, artifacts and yes even old bones. I am one of these people who believe that when we die our soul leaves the body, I do not believe in burying people in the ground as I think it commits a family member to an obligation for life. Whether it is tending the gravesite, visiting it on every holiday or just the thought of it. My Dad hated the thought of being put in the ground and my Mum said she wanted to be buried with a date seed in her hand because it would eventually break through all the barriers and reach the surface so we could touch her hand and be connected. These were back in the days when caskets were wooden. My Dad got his wish and was cremated, we scattered his ashes and he remains in my heart always. My Mum has changed her mind and now wants to be cremated. It is a personal belief and choice, my "religion" has nothing to do with my way of life. My Father was Jewish, my Mother Congregational, my husband is Catholic and I was raised Church of England. I accept others beliefs because I have seen most of the doctrines in my life, discussed and argued with the best, agreed to disagree with most. It has been interesting to see what the opinions of other people have been based on, in fact quite surprising. I have enjoyed reading your posts.

[Treasurekidd]

Every potential excavation site is a burial site of some sort or another from days gone by.

I agree, Spitfire, but the point I was trying to make is that there is a world of difference between hunting a field or an excavation/construction site where there MAY be remains and an actual marked memorial or cemetary. When you are out hunting in the woods, there is no way to know what may lay in the ground. Heck, that's one of the main reasons we go out and hunt - the possibility of what may be buried there! I would just hope that, when hunting that field, if any of us came across remains, we would do the right thing and afford that site the respect it deserves. Designated memorial sites and cemetaries are places where we DO know what is there. These are sites specifically set aside for that purpose, and should be left alone and respected, for that purpose.

As for hunting in the Valley Of The Kings, I'll leave that to the so called "professionals", lol.

[bugguy]

i would have to say if i came across a site like this and dug up some bodies i would report itto the police and let them handle it from there let them know what you wer4 doing there though or they might think you buried the body stupider things have happened

[Carol K]

Would I dig in a field in back of a cemetery? Yes I would.

Would I dig a field "knowing" they dumped body parts there, no I wouldn't.

Would I dig the backwoods of Tennessee and Virginia, yes I would

Would I dig a known Civil War battlefield? No I wouldn't

I know of 2 incidents where detectorists were just out hunting and found a ring with a bone attached, and authorities were called both times.

On a side note, I was detecting a beach a couple of years ago, and found a crematory tag. I didn't like finding that.

[Cladius]

Spittfire as you can see this is a very touchy subject and is brought up at least once a year. Your original question got lost in the hubbub. I say that if the cemitary caretaker grants you permission to hunt the area and you're comfortable with it good luck. Let your concience be your guide. Cladius.

[dooby]

and it is not just cemeteries, Cladius is right, "let your conscience be your guide."

As weird as it sounds, there is a valley near my parents house that just gives me the creeps. An absolutely beautiful valley with huge trees that opens only to the east. But, I always felt someone was there watching me as I deer hunted through the valley, one of those feelings that makes the hair on your neck stand up.

Well, after talking to my grandmother and the old neighbors about the valley I found out it used to be a major Indian camp ground. My neighbor used to claim Black Hawk used the valley, undocumented but a good story the same.

Would I metal detect this area or take something from this valley ???

not a chance .................

[DJS]

Originally Posted by dooby

and it is not just cemeteries, Cladius is right, "let your conscience be your guide."

As weird as it sounds, there is a valley near my parents house that just gives me the creeps. An absolutely beautiful valley with huge trees that opens only to the east. But, I always felt someone was there watching me as I deer hunted through the valley, one of those feelings that makes the hair on your neck stand up.

Well, after talking to my grandmother and the old neighbors about the valley I found out it used to be a major Indian camp ground. My neighbor used to claim Black Hawk used the valley, undocumented but a good story the same.

Would I metal detect this area or take something from this valley ???

not a chance .................

is that in wisconsin?

[spittfire]

I do understand that this was (and is) a touchy subject for most people, so therefore I will proceed with life and move on! You have given me insight and I will as a wise man said..."Let my conscience be my guide"...thanks for all the input.
SPRING ARRIVES TODAY IN THE FORM OF 55 DEGREES!Wooooohhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo

[dooby]

Yes it is DJS, in the bluffs of Sauk County .................

[mexiko41]

Be very careful. TB, and other ailments are still in the ground and in the body for years and years!

[ztzzt]

I doubt they would mind!

[spittfire]

I think it is time to "bury" this subject