|
Many times when
visiting older cemeteries there will be
indications of unmarked graves. These can be
indicated by among other things, rectangular
indentations in the ground. There are a
number of methods of determining the exact
locations of these graves, including the
following:
Ground
Penetrating Radar (G.P.R.)
Ground penetrating radar surveys are
useful for grave location. This method can
locate the coffin, the person, objects
buried with the person, or the burial trench
into which the coffin or body was placed.
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is operated
above the ground surface, and produces a
cross-sectional image on the screen of the
grave location that is underground.
Unfortunately, badly decomposed bodies or
those who are buried in wood coffins are
extremely difficult to find. It is easier if
bodies have things like belt or boot
buckles.
Ground
Scraping
You can scrape the soil down about one
foot over the area you want to check and
look for burial shafts. When the dirt is
taken out and returned there is a color
difference. 20 acres is a bit much for this
technique.
Grave
Dowsing
Dowsing, also known as rhabdomancy,
divining, water witching, or doodlebugging,
is an old practice of finding water or
minerals by the means of a dowsing rod. A
dowsing rod is traditionally a forked stick
which is held firmly in one's hands in a way
that allows the rod to swing up or down at
the slightest impulse, supposedly indicating
the presence of the sought-after material.
The mechanism behind the detection is
believed to depend on energy fields hitherto
unknown to science. The hypothesis is that
these energy fields are emitted by all
objects at different frequencies and
intensities. The origin of the practice is
not clear, but the earliest sign of its
usage dates from a 4500-5000 year old grave
inscription in Brittany.
The subject
of grave dowsing has been much discussed and
Saving Graves chooses not to enter into the
debate. However, we feel it may be of some
help to offer the following points regarding
the subject:
1. In
virtually every case where someone who uses
this method is asked to explain
scientifically how the process works, they
have no idea, but they know that it works
for them.
2. Many
people may not aware of the many Scientific
studies and experiments, all of which
disproves dowsing capabilities. In one such
study conducted in 1986, University
Physicists from the University of Munich and
the Technical University of Munich in Munich
Germany spent 400,000 German marks (about
$250,000.00) testing the dowsing theory. The
results provide the most convincing disproof
imaginable that dowsers can do what they
claim. In fact, the results showed that the
dowsers would have done better had they left
their rods at home and guessed in the
experiments. For the complete story as
published in the January 1999 issue of
Skeptical Inquirer, see
http://www.csicop.org/si/9901/dowsing.html.
For
additional information on the subject, we
recommend the following link:
Dowsing -
Science or Humbug?
|
