CEMETERY PRESERVATION
Cemeteries provide a lasting reminder of earlier generations but are often in a state of neglect and disrepair. However, there are several innovative technologies available to help locate, map, protect and preserve these sacred spaces.
In order to determine which technology or tool to use for historic cemetery preservation:
Observe and Identify Challenges, Look for Patterns, and Research Resources
We offer grant funding to historic cemeteries and sacred sites. Our organization and others can help with the cost of using these technologies to preserve your historic cemetery.
Using Technology for Cemetery Preservation
PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
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Canine Forensics is a relatively new method of using trained dogs to identify and map areas of human burial.
Canines trained to alert on specific scents have long been utilized in law enforcement, U.S. Customs, the military and search and rescue work. The Historical Human Remains Detection (HHRD) canine is the newest in the evolution of detection canines.
Trained HHRD canines can be used to locate burial sites up to 1,000 years old. This is a highly effective technology for identifying burial sites in challenging circumstances, including:
Mountainous cemeteries
Locations where burials have been disrupted by erosion
Situations of natural disaster
Places where GPR is unavailable
The trained HHRD dog is a tool that can be layered to collaborate with other methods of detection.
Adela Morris, President and CEO of the Institute for Canine Forensics (ICF), presented at the workshop with her dog, Jasper. ICF’s handler, John Grebenkemper, and his dog Kayle were also present. ICF has been requested by cultural resource management firms, archaeologists, American Indian tribes, construction companies, federal, state and local agencies, cemetery preservation foundations and families looking to locate lost family cemeteries. For more information or to contract with ICF for your project, contact ICF at:
Workshop Resources:
Adela Morris presentation
John Grebenkemper presentation
China Row ICF Final Report
Marysville Cemetery ICF Final Report
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Cemetery Botany plays a role in creating a landscape within a cemetery. The location and type of vegetation in and around cemeteries provide additional information for preservation. For instance, the presence or absence of plants can denote a burial. Certain types of plants can also be clues to the ethnicity or age of the deceased.
Phytoarchaeology, the study of plants in archaeology, can be useful for dating archaeological sites. Further specialization within this study provides researchers the ability to analyze plants as a burial indicator, including the symbolism of certain types and properties of plants. Related studies include:
Landscape archaeology: studies of the ways in which people in the past constructed and used the environment around them.
Historical archaeology: seeks to understand places, things, and issues from the past or present.
Historical ecology: focuses on the interactions between humans and their environment over long-term periods of time, typically over the course of centuries.
Historical ethnobotany: seeks to understand past interrelationships between people and plants using written records and iconography.
John S. Harris, a University of Montana Ph.D. student, joined the Cemetery Preservation Technology Workshop and led a session on cemetery site vegetation. In addition to presenting at the workshop, John joined the working field trip to the Marysville, MT cemetery, where he analyzed and cataloged his vegetation analysis. John can be reached at john1.harris@umconnect.umt.edu.
Workshop Resources:
Cemetery Botany Notes from John S. Harris
Botany findings in Marysville, MT
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Data Collection is the process of gathering and measuring information. This is especially important in historic cemeteries, where information (literally) weathers away each day. On-site data collection provides a record which can then be entered into an online database, allowing historians and family members to locate grave sites remotely.
Documenting cemeteries not only honors the dead but also the living. By documenting headstones, monuments, and cemetery symbols, we can better notice patterns, track burials, and improve preservation and maintenance.
Crystal Alegria, Co-Director of The Extreme History Project in Bozeman, Montana, presented and led a demonstration of her data collection marker assessment form at the cemetery workshop. Crystal can be reached at crystal@extremehistoryproject.org.
Workshop Resources:
Marker Assessment Survey Form
Crystal Alegria presentation
Online Cemetery Database Examples:
Online Genealogical Research Resources:
www.ancestry.com (subscription)
www.familysearch.org (free)
www.findmypast.com (subscription)
www.myheritage.com (subscription)
Online Newspaper Resources:
www.chroniclingamerica.com (free)
https://montananewspapers.org (free)
www.newspapers.com (subscription)
www.chroniclingamerica.com (free)
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To get a better understanding of a site, sometimes you need to get above it. Drones provide this detailed information at a relatively inexpensive cost. Drone footage can produce high-quality images; digital elevation maps; and, using photogrammetry, 3D maps of a cemetery. These tools are especially helpful in an abandoned cemetery.
Before using a drone for cemetery preservation, check with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. Regulations limit the weight of a UAV and the elevation it may be operated at.
When purchasing a drone, research which features will be needed. How large is the area that will be canvassed? How long will it need to fly? Fixed rotors tend to have more power, but multi-rotors are a fraction of the cost.
James Strait, Tribal and Cultural Resource Officer with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, operate the UAV program for the state. James led a demonstration of drone photography at the cemetery workshop. He has been called on to work in abandoned mines, remediation, hard rock, and opencut programs. All of these experiences have given him a greater understanding of the wide applicability of this technology tool. James can be reached at jstrait@mt.gov.
Workshop Resources:
James Strait presentation
Sample drone footage from the workshop
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Forensic Archaeology uses archaeological methods to recover human remains and evidence in a forensic context. It is related to several other methods:
• Physical Anthropology: the study of skeletal remains.
• Bioarchaeology: the study of human biology in the archaeological context (i.e. human remains, mortuary practices, chemical and molecular).
• Forensic anthropology: the application of physical anthropology in the legal setting for identification
• Mortuary archaeology: the archaeology of mortuary contexts including human remains, graves, monumental archaeology that houses mortuary remains, and grave goods.
Forensic anthropology and archaeology can identify burials by class characteristics (sex, age, ancestry, height, weight, and health) and individual characteristics (pathology, trauma, dental restorations). Mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology can be used to completely recover remains, interpret grave goods, and analyze human remains and artifacts in situ.
Kirsten Green, Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Montana, also consults with the State Medical Examiner’s Office on forensic cases. Kirsten presented on “Forensic and Mortuary Archaeology” at the Cemetery Preservation Workshop. She can be reached at kirsten.green@mso.umt.edu.
Workshop Resources:
Kirsten Green presentation
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GPS – Global Positioning Systems is used to locate and map burials. GPS is widely available and relatively inexpensive, making its use widespread. Data collected through GPS can identify burial sites and stones within a cemetery and is often used in conjunction with GIS.
Before purchasing a GPS device, consider asking a local organization to rent or borrow their device (e.g. a local college or university, engineering firm, or cultural resource management company).
GIS – Geographic Information Systems
By using existing maps and spatial data from a GPS, GIS mapping software can create a cemetery map system. These maps help:
• Track burial sites
• Simplify burial site sales
• Plan for future cemetery management
GIS can integrate data from GPS, photogrammetry, GPR and more to produce a highly compact package. It can also be used to create layers of historical information, searchable at an individual level or used to create mobile-friendly walking or driving tours.
GIS Resources:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com – Story maps use GIS tools to combine geospatial data with photos, video, audio, and text to visually represent an idea, theme or event. Story maps are designed for all audiences with access to the internet. Users do not need experience with GIS software to read or use story maps.
www.QGIS.org – A free and open source GIS.
https://doc.arcgis.com/en/collector/ – Collector for ArcGIS. Use your smartphone or tablet to collect and update information in the field, whether connected or disconnected from the internet.
Mapit GIS – Spatial Asset Collection, GPS Surveys and Data Management for Android.
John W. Olson led a demonstration on GPS and GIS at a local cemetery during the workshop. John can be reached at bozemandragonlover@gmail.com.
Workshop Resources:
John Olson presentation