Someone is already naive enough to actually think that I would think coathangers would be acceptable dowsers in the 'scientific community'. Yeah right, hold on while I put away my crystal ball and tea leaves, fellas, and find my ouiga board. ;-) I'm an experienced dowser. I know it isn't an accepted practice, that isn't the point. I will get whatever equipment that may be necessary to verify the existence or non existence of the graves, hire whatever consultant I need to hire, and frankly I would be VERY happy to be proven wrong in this case. I've been dowsing just in Strangers' Row to try to approximate all of the missing graves, never even thought about elsewhere. Several of you have asked to learn more. Here is what I have on it in my files: LOCATING GRAVES The first time that I ever heard of dowsing for graves was in 1984 in the state of Indiana. They had moved the old folks home graveyard to make way for a road and there were no tombstones. How did they find the graves? They dowsed. How do you dowse you ask? Take two metal hangers and cut yourself an L shape from both. Go to a cemetery that you know of, and try it there first. If you can document this on film that would be great, and take several witnesses with you. Don't forget to let them try, though you may not want to give up the rods after you try it yourself a couple of times. Hold the hangers in front of you by the short ends, like you are ready to box someone, with the long ends sticking strait in front of you. You don't want to hold them firm, but not dangling from your fists either. Now, walk across a row of graves that you know are there. WOW! The first time is a shocker. The rods will cross in front of you at even intervals for each grave as you walk at a steady pace across them. If there are unmarked graves in the cem. walk across them too. Do you see how the rods will cross and identify the grave? Don't forget to take the video camera with you when you go out to the farm then. You want to record finding the graves, and you will need to make a grid map of where the graves lye. Using this method, you should be able to identify where all the graves in a cemetery lye. If the rods do the opposite, go out instead of crossing, BINGO!! You have water. I have had that happen once. Really shocked me. ~~~~~~ The Cemetery Collection Process. Written May 2002 by Renee L. Waring of ICM How to number the graves: Go to the front of the cemetery with the names facing you. Folks are usually buried with their heads facing west and their feet facing east, I suppose it is because when Jesus comes back again he will rise in the East and the dead will rise to greet him. If some of the stones are facing the other way, the bodies were still buried in the row that the stones are in with the head to the West. Go to the very left of the row. This will be your first grave to record (see "Dowsing" below). This grave is Number 1 in the Row of 1. If it is in a family plot (which is usually marked with four small stones at each corner) you would list it with a Plot number. Any other grave stones in that plot should have the same plot number, that way they can be ecognized as being buried with those family members. You continue to collected the rest of the cemetery in the same manner, always working left to right. Some questions that may arise: 1) What if some rows are shorter than others? Answer: Check to see if there are unmarked graves. Without the original grave layout plans the only way to tell without someone there that can tell you different is to dowse the ground. More on that later. If you find that there is an unmarked grave, then you will need to assign it a number. You want the grave yard to work like a grid. 2) What if the grave yard is broken up into several areas? Answer: Break it into sections and give it a Section Letter such as A, B, C. A road is something that would break it into sections A and Section B. Use your best judgment on how it is to be broken up. If the grave yard is divided into several sections, this is how your numbering system would go: The first grave in the first section: Section A, Row 1, Number 1, Plot 1 The second one in the first sect: Section A, Row 1, Number 2, Plot 1 The 15th grave in the 3rd sect: Section C, Row 1, Number 15, Plot 28 I hope this makes sense. 3) What if someone asks me what I am doing? Answer: Let the local police department and newspaper know you are working in the area. Perhaps you can get some coverage for your group. If someone asks you what you are doing, tell them, then pump them for information. That is how we found the single grave on the mountain in Clearfield County. Folks that care enough to stop and ask you may just want to jump in to help as well. Perhaps if you are working at a local church in their grave yard contact them before hand, they can get someone out there with some information who also wants to help. It also lets them know you are there working. They should appreciate the fact you considered their feelings enough to notify them. 4) What if I find a grave yard that needs some upkeep? Answer: Find out what the local laws are first off. Who is legally responsible for the upkeep? Sometimes these folks are older and not in the shape to get out there to work on the graves and do not have the funding. If this is the case, then suggest to them that possibly if you work together you can find a group (such as the Boy or Girl Scouts) that might help put the cemetery back into shape. How do you find the owner? If everything else fails, go to the local real-estate taxing department at the local court house and ask who owns the property. Try to have an idea what the address is. If you are not sure, go to the mapping department and ask them. I have worked with both departments and either one could tell you. 5) Why take a walking stick? Answer: You can use it to push shrubs aside to see the stone. You could use it to test the ground for holes. You could use it to throw unwanted things into the bushes (creepy crawly things). If you put a nail in the end, you could use it to see if there is a stone buried under the ground (which the care takers do, or time). You could use it to lift a stone off the ground to see if there is writing on the other side. Or you could use it to just walk with. 6) How do I read a partially illegible stone? Answer: This is a touchy subject. There are several ways to try to read a stone that seems illegible. You could try a mirror, you could try a digital camera looked through at different angles (try to put shadow on the letters as with the mirror), or you could try a piece of sidewalk chalk. I have contacted the chalk company of the brand that we use, and they assure me that it will not damage the stones due to the fact that the substance that they use in the chalk is softer than the stone. There is one type of stone that is very porous and I would not suggest using the chalk on and that is marble. Unfortunately, during the years just before the Civil War and afterwards they used mostly marble. Touch is the best way then. I get down and finger the letters. You will become accustomed to the feel of the letters and sometimes that is the easiest way. You could say you are giving the stone the personal touch. It certainly brings you closer to the one buried there. What is dowsing, and how do you do it? Dowsing is what they have used in the past to identify sites where water could be found. It is also a way to identify unmarked graves. Don't ask how it works, just know that it does. I know of a case out in Hendricks County Indiana that they wanted to build a road past the County Home that dated back into the 1800s but there was a cemetery in the way with many, many unmarked graves. The authorities dowsed the ground to identify the graves, then dug them up and reburied them elsewhere. Justin Houser and I have both used this method to identify graves, and we have asked others who walked by to try it. It does work, and surprises everyone. This is what you do: Take two metal hangers and cut them so you have two pieces of metal shaped like an "L's." Go out to the local grave yard and hold the rods out in front of you like you are holding a steering wheel in the 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock position but not tightly. Walk across a row of graves that you know to be there. As you walk, you will right away notice that the rods cross at the same intervals as you cross over each grave. WOW!!! How does this thing work? I have no idea. Now walk over a row of graves that has a few stones missing. If there are graves there, you will again have the rods crossing at regular intervals. Now, walk across a whole field of unmarked graves as I did in Osceola Mills in Clearfield County and you will be amazed!!! There were the crossings at the same intervals as the rest of the marked cemetery. The real shocker was when the rods didn't cross, but went violently outward!! I asked Justin Houser what the heck that was. I had never felt that kind of movement before, not with such force. He said "water." Amazing. I know that sometimes they don't cross. There are other things to think about. Sometimes there is no body there, even though there is a stone. I can think of several reasons for that happening. Family lost at sea. During the years that there were several deaths due to sickness, sometimes they were buried in a mass grave. the families were still known to put up grave stones in the family grave yard. I do know of one case where the young man died during a battle in the Civil war, but between the field hospital and the coffin the body was lost. There is a stone, but no grave in the family plot. ~~~~~~ I have one suggestion that may help with the search. Check for areas with a small stand of fir or cedar trees. (I do not know what trees are native to the area.) Many, but not all, will have had some type evergreen tree planted either at the corners or on certain lots. In a heavily forested area they are easier to spot during the fall and winter but can help in the search anytime. I have heard of many old cemeteries being found this way. ~~~~~~ Great news re: your support! That’s the best motivator. If Tech wasn’t involved each June with free labor to continue excavations at Menard (like now) I don’t know how active I would be working on my own. Some thoughts on cemeteries: The tricky part is the location may not be tied to the ‘ol homestead. I’m sure you’ve seen plots close to the structures, but it seems they were also some distance away (like Stephan Klein’s, probably). They can also be tied to site conditions – a knoll on the property that had a nice view of the land/creek, surrounding a landmark tree that may no longer be there, etc. It’s great detective work, but put yourself on the property as you think it looked in the early 1800’s when the plot was selected (this is the fun part for me). Since the land most likely doesn’t look at all like it did 200 years ago due to agriculture, clearing, site contouring, try to get a USGS map of the place and look at the contours. These maps usually show old fence lines and paths – some may actually show the cemetery at the end of a private road on the property (happened on a place my uncle bought). The contours may reveal that knoll that you can’t see today for the trees. Also – if you want to spend all your vacation on this search – a trip to the County soil conservation office may be worthwhile as they usually have aerial photos that go back into the ‘40s, a great reference. And never discount oral histories of the old folks in the area. Have fun! I have been amazed how clear the burial outlines are apparent when a site has the top foot or so of soil carefully scraped away. The soil in the burial usually is a darker color than the adjacent, relatively undisturbed soil. ~~~~~ Take a metal detector also. If you can find any nails from the coffins (they should be all over) gather a few and take them as evidence. They can do an archaeological dig to help identify the precise boundaries of the cemetery. ~~~~~ Go to _http://dowsers.org/faq.htm_ (http://dowsers.org/faq.htm) for info on map dowsing. If you write to the ASD, they will give you contact information for Dowsers close to your area. ~~~~~ This is the most easily understood article on dowsing I have found. Can even tell sex and approximate age. Hope it helps. _http://www.tommymarkham.com/gravedowsing.htm_ (http://www.tommymarkham.com/gravedowsing.htm) ~~~~~ Hold your pendulum over something you need to know the sex of, e.g. an egg, new born animal, friend of uncertain gender, and wait for the natural pull. The pendulum will swing in straight lines for a male and circle for a female. If you hold it over the end of a pencil it will circle, then as you move it along the length, say to the middle it will gradually change its swing to a straight line. (what does this tell us about the gender of pencils!) You probably know that it is based on the theory that we are in possesion of all knowledge and just need a little help to overcome the restraints of the conscious mind to release it.You can use a map. I believe the police use dowsers with maps occasionally with some success to find bodies. Im not sure what I believe but when the pendulum starts to move wildly and you know that you are not consciously making it happen its quite a freaky experience and not nearly so scarey as howdoyspellum oueejie boards. I have a pair of the bent coat hanger type but never felt the same confidence in them as I do in the pendulums. How do you know if it works though without digging up a few bones for proof. Please add my name to your protest list, just off to try my unmarked pet graves in the orchard. If that works I may cross the allotments with my eyes closed and see if I can find my way to Winston Churchills resting place.