Monday, November 24, 2008

Searching for Hidden or Forgotten Burials - with 21st century tools

University of British Columbia Reports (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) has an interesting article this month about the use of a new ground penetrating radar device last summer in an archaeological field school pilot project to detect 'lost' burials in local First Nations cemeteries. This device can 'see' 5 metres down, allows for non-destructive surveys, and is ideal for use in urban spaces. Already new temporary burial markers have been erected at the Kwantlen First Nation cemetery in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

"Finding the Lost: Ground Penetrating Radar Helps First Nations Honour Ancestors", by Basil Waugh, UBC Reports, 6 November, 2008: http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/2008/08nov06/lost.html

1 comment:

Terry Thornton said...

Diane, Thanks for this link to a discussion of a most important scientific tool used to find lost burial sites.

The debate about "grave dowsing" still rages in my home county with even some members of the local historical society advocating the continued use of this pseudo-science to locate graves with coathanger wire or twigs of willow or peach. I am happy to see this information about ground penetrating radar devices used to locate lost burials.

Terry Thornton
Fulton, Mississippi USA