Hi all, In my last E-mail, I had unfortunately been a little too incensed by a comment made against a profession which I have taken very seriously and have tried to maintain high standards for almost a decade now. I apologize to the board if my words were too harsh, but as an archaeologist, I know all too well the rules of the blame game and how archaeologists can be perceived both in good and bad lights. I know all too well the threats against one's self and one's family if you stand up for what's right. Ms. Silver, I truly do feel bad that your experiences with archaeologists have been poor and can only say that we are not all scavengers and grave robbers who look the other way when money calls. Heck, if it was a matter of money...trust me, there would be no archaeologists, as you do not go into the field of archaeology because of its great pay and benefits (if you know of a job with these, let me know and I'll spread the word, 'cause I haven't seen one yet). ANd now, as I would hope we would all continue to do, I would like to share some information that perhaps not everyone out there is aware: basic mapping tips for a cemetery. Most established cemeteries within city boundaries are well mapped, so I would like to address those smaller cemeteries and family plots that are located almost every day. Now, some of these tips may seem a bit outlandish and totally obvious; but you would be amazed how many of them are forgotten... Some basic tips for mapping 1. Find North, and make sure you indicate it on your map. This will make it easier for others to use your work in later years, especially if you have a cemetery without headstones or markers that is becoming overgrown or deteriorating. 2. When mapping out the boundaries of your cemetery, use benchmarks and if possible indicate distances to them from the corners or boundaries of your plot boundaries. Try not to use plants, rock piles or that beautiful old oak that seems to make the perfect reference point. Plants (like day lillies or wildflowers) tend to spread or die out. Rock piles can be moved (especially if adjacent to ag fields). And that old oak may be cut down or removed if someone wants to sell the wood. 3. Select a benchmark or marks that are established, or will take basically a construction crew with a backhoe to move. An easy reference point that you can get, if possible, is a utility line...especially buried cable. Call your utility company and ask for any lines in the area to be marked for a possible project (the utility company doesn't have to know what the project is). The service is free and you will have an exact distance from an existing line to your boundaries. What is also nice about this is that you can mark the utility lines on your map and will have an exact reference point to look at if you ever have to deal with some of the problems that the board has noted several times. If the lines are marked by the utility company and then you measure and mark them on your map (for a dual purpose) then there will be much less 'confusion' where boundaries are if someone wishes to do some construction. Why? because a licensed and recognized utlity company that has marke! d their lines has given you their exact measurement of where their lines are, and that cannot be disputed; plus you will have a lot less arguments with planners who might say "well...we weren't too sure where the lines were, so we went ahead with the project and took out part of the cemetery anyway..." because you have the information in front of you on your map. 4. Make sure you date your map...both on the original date(s) and any updates. I am sure you can guess why this would be important from the previous, as well as other reasons. 5. If you are mapping a cemetery that is close to a curve in the road, do not use the curve, or even the road as your primary benchmark. If there is a utility junction of some kind, I would suggest using that more than a road. Roads can change over time, and they are often widened, so your distance from the road to the outer edge of the cemetery can be skewed over time as well. Also, different people create different maps and not everyone can create the exact curve and distances of a winding road. One example of this was from three different maps I had to use for a project in which we were to report if a cemetery was to be affected in a road widening down south. There was a curved road on each, but the distances were different for each as well; and overall, the diffrence between the three maps was approximately 30 feet. If I had used that map, an entire row of graves would have been affected. Luckily, one map created by a retired draftsman, had put on his map the location o! f a utility station and gave measurements on the map that coincided exactly with his scale. We were able to use that information and obtain exact boundaries and go on with the project to assess what should be done. (By the way, we suggested a big ol' move in the project route and they were not happy, until we brought to their attention that several ancestors of the county commissioners of the area were buried in the cemetery - it was a lucky break). 5A. If you absolutely HAVE to use a road, take a measurement from the center of the road and not the side. More often than not, roads are widened equal distances on both sides, so the center is the most reliable source. Also, surveyors use the centers and often you can find one of their benchmarks (a metal stake pounded all the way down with just the top showing). 6. Make sure that you put a scale on your map. Don't cheat. There are no 'ishes' and 'somethings' or 'abouts' in mapping. 7. ONce you have a scale, stick with it. If you have to add extra pieces of paper then do that. You can always shrink the map at Kinko's later on. In order to map out a site once, and to do it justice, my crew and I created sections of a map and later combined them into what became a 10'x10' map. It may have ended up huge, but I'll be darned if we didn't have an exact idea of what was going on everywhere at the site. 8. Don't be afraid to make a big map. You have twenty plots, and your scale is 1'=1"...so be it. Add some paper if you need to. You might even wish to write the names and epitaphs of the stones on there, if room allows. You might also maybe just number the plots as you map them and then write down in a journal a corresponding number with any and all information you can about each stone. 9. Take notes and measurements on the surrounding terrain. Any ag fields? Woods? Pipelines? Has the terrain been altered in the last decade? Last 50 years? Mark any streams, wetlands or potential areas in which erosion could take place for future reference. 10. Make a key and legend. Make sure that distance, Northing, scale, and any symbols used are in a legend. IF you are marking veteran graves, make sure that you mark what those symbols mean on your map for future reference. Just because you know that a "*A" means Veteran of the Revolutionary War, doesn't mean that others will know what you mean. Make sure that any symbols are easily referenced on the map you make. 11. If you take pictures, write down the information in your legend of where these pictures can be found. Because you have dated the map, pictures will settle a lot of arguments later on if you know exactly when they were taken. 12. Most of all, take your time and enjoy your mapping. Creating a map should not be a chore. If it is, come back when you are in the mood. You will catch alot more information. Hope these tips help someone. I know that alot of this seems like common sense, but it does make a difference later on if ever facing a problem in 'community planning'. I have seen great maps that have been discarded because they neglected to fill in all the information, and therefore were thought 'unreliable' (and yes, it was horrible trick that was used...makes me sick remembering it). Maps are just as important to have correct as crossing your T's or the wording in a legal document. They can be just as powerful or just a poor. Russ Hapke