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Publishing the Perished: Uniform Collection Standards and the Future of Cemetery Excavations in the United States
Research Funded by the University of Manchester Faculty of Life Sciences
Amanda Murphy, RPA, MS, PhD Candidate
They Offer…..A unique look at historic
cultures
A counterpoint to records
Large osteological datasets to answer big
questions
Historic Cemeteries are Unique Datasets
Unfortunately….Their value is overlooked
Their study is often rushed
Their study is often complicated
109 Cemeteries Surveyed
5 main categories & 60 subcategories Archaeological
Features Osteological Data Artifact Data Secondary Sources Synthesis &
Reporting
27,000 Pages
Big Neal Cove Cemetery, AL Pine Ridge Cemetery, GA Filhiol Mound Site, LA Cockrill Bend Cemetery, TN
Elko Switch Cemetery, AL Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, GA 1st Cemetery of New Orleans, LA Wells Cemetery, TN
Lucas Hill Cemetery, AL Mt. Gilead Cemetery, GA Horton Family Cemetery, LA Waller Family Cemetery, TNBecky Wright & Eddy Cemetery, AR
Vandaworker Burying Ground, IL Lane Memorial Hospital, LA Providence Baptist Church,
TNCourt St Cemetery, AZ Thurston Cemetery, IL Uxbridge Almshouse, MA Pioneer Cemetery, TX
Alameda Stone Cemetery, AZ Bowling Cemetery, IL Cole Cemetery, MD Tucker & Sinclair Cemeteries, TX
Los Angeles Cemetery, CA Main Street Cemetery, IL St. Francis Cemetery, MO Adams Homestead, TX
Manzanar Relocation Center, CA Old Irish Cemetery, IL Cope Family Cemetery, NC Connally Cemetery, TXMadam Felix/Hettick Cemetery, CA Stellwagen Cemetery, IL Kearny Rd Cemetery, NM Ivie Reservoir Cemeteries,
TXSacramento County Hospital, CA Beardstown Cemetery, IL 7 Rivers Cemetery, NM Montgomery Hill Cemetery, TX
Woodville Site, DE Mitchell Rd Cemetery, IL Abeyta Street, NM Dallas Freedmen’s Cemetery, TX
Mother UAME Church, DE Obringer Cemetery, IL TVI Site, NM Williams-Green Cemetery, VA
Avondale Burial Place, GA Dunning Poorhouse, IL African Burying Ground, NY Wrenn-Hutchinson Cemetery, VA
Crawford Cemetery, GA Grafton Cemetery, IL Applegate Lake Cemeteries, OR Defense Supply Center, VA
Roughton-Brown Cemetery, GA Gee-Cabbage Cemetery, IN Stevens Family Cemetery, OR Quantico Center, VA
Augusta Cemetery, GA Douthitt Cemetery, IN Voegtly Cemetery, PA Terre Haute Cemetery, VA
Bethany Cemetery, GA Dubque 3rd St Cemetery, IO 10th St 1st African Baptist, PA Weir Family Cemetery, VA
Big Lazar Cemetery, GA Campbell County Cemetery, KY Shippenville Cemetery, PA Henrico County Cemetery, VA
Drennan Family Cemetery, GA Old Branham Cemetery, KY Blanchard Family Cemetery, RI St James Episcopal Church, VA
Sandy Creek Cemetery, GA Alderson Jackson Cemetery, KY State Institutions, RI Guinea Rd Cemetery, VA
Martin Cemetery, GA Rudy Cemetery, KY Son Cemetery, SC Lackey Cemetery, VA
Edwards-Attaway Cemetery, GA Ward Hall African Cemetery, KY Hampstead Cemetery, SC Oliver Family Cemetery, VA
Morrow Cemetery, GA Bennett Cemetery, KY Handsmill Cemetery, SC Evans Cemetery, VATwo African American Cemeteries, GA Eastern State Hospital, KY Circular Congregational Church,
SC Reynolds Cemetery, WV
Stewart County Cemetery, GA Diuguid-Slack Cemetery, KY Williamson County Cemetery, TN Milwaukee County Poor Farm, WI
Rambo Family Cemetery, GA Horse Park Cemetery, KY Mason Cemetery, TN
Shockley Cemetery, GA Braziel Baptist Church, LA Read Family Cemetery, TN
Fuller Cemetery, GA Charity Hospital, LA Ridley Graveyard, TN
SAMPL ES
GRAVE FEATURES & ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHODSMETHODOLOGY REPORTING
EXCAVATION & ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE TESTING USED TREATMENT OF SITE RECORDING
IN REPORTMonitoring Only
CRM FirmAcademic
InstitutionGeneral
MethodologyField MethodsLab Methods
Artifact MethodsHistorical Methods
Hand Excavation Machine Excavation Hand & Machine Exc.Unclear Exc. MethodIn Situ AnalysisLab Analysis
Lab & In Situ AnalysisUnclear Analysis
HazardsMunsell ReadingsSoil (pH etc.)
FlotationBotanical/Wood
PollenParasites
Special Tests (DNA etc.)
Environmental Setting
Spatial OrganizationUse-History/Taphonomy
Depth Possible?Depth DataShaft DataOrientation
Body Position
Plan ViewsTablesMaps
PhotosSoil Profiles
GraphsIllustrations
Timelines
OSTEOLOGICAL DATA
ARTIFACT DATA
SECONDARY DATA SYNTHESIS
Osteology PossiblePreservation Possible
Preservation DataGeneral AgeSpecific Age
Sex DataRace Data
Pathology DataNon-/Metric Data
Coffin Data PossibleCoffin
ConstructionCoffin Hardware
Artifact Analysis
Date EstimationWood Analysis
Fabric Analysis
Historic Background
Funerary/Cultural Data
Demography
Project Background
Research GoalsSynthesis
5 Categories & 60 Subcategories Studied
Some general stats….
EXCAVATION METHOD 54% machine excavation 6% hand excavation 20% combined (hand
before coffin level) 18% unclear method
70% CRM 23% Academic7% Collaborative
ANALYSIS METHOD 41% lab analysis 22% in situ analysis
6% combined 31% unclear method
Average of 1 burial per person per day analyzed
Average of 1.7 burials per day excavated, or 0.7 burials per three
excavators
…but African & Hispanic cemeteries had more pages
devoted to them
47% European: Average 160 Pages 24% African-American : Average 574 Pages 10% Native American/Hispanic: Average 314 Pages 1% Asian: Average 137 Pages 17% Uncertain/Unassessed: Average 76 PagesOverall average number of pages: 284
More cemeteries had European ancestry….
Archaeological Features
Osteological Data
Material
Culture
83% Historical Background37% Cultural-Funerary Context
35% Demography21% Use History & Taphonomy
Secondary Data
Synthesis73% Project Background20% Research Goals
19% SynthesisInclusion of graphs, a range of photos, all plan views, soil
profiles, special tests, & inter-site comparison was rare
Poor archaeological methodology negatively impacts every other result
Methodology
Time and monetary constraints negatively impact methodology
Attitudes of researchers (to some extent) dictate how time and
money is spent
Elemental and Biological Hazards
Unfamiliar Discoveries
Logistics & OSHA Compliance
Expecting the not-so-unexpected
Balance
3 Separate Report Focuses:
“Historical”: Beautiful objects, interesting stories
“Osteological”: Describes the population, but rarely individuals“Archaeological”: Tells what was
done, but not what it means
1 Report, 3 Focuses
Publication
•Clarity: Is it written in a way researchers can use?
•Parity: Is there a balance between data & story?
•Posterity: Where will it be published?
• Use of specialists• Specific US states
• Ethnicity of cemetery
• Time & methods for excavation &
analysis
Correlating with…
6% had all Basic Data10% all
Archaeological Data18% all Osteological
Data21% all Historical
Data
Of the best reports…
University of Manchester Faculty of Life Sciences
The Society for American ArchaeologyThe numerous SHPOs, Archives, CRM
firms, and Academics who helped find reportsAnd you!
Acknowledgements
