Cemetery gravesite identification is often taken for
granted, but what happens when individual graves are not
well identified, or their location has become obscure? A
project conducted in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, will offer
insight into cemetery and grave identification, and feature
techniques that have enabled a community to remember
their past. Presentations will focus on collaborative efforts
between a community and the nearby university archives
that highlight discovery of the stories of Civil War veterans
and Chinese Americans; how members of the local
historical society engaged the community to document and
preserve cemeteries in their area; and applied archaeology
techniques and analysis of headstones and geophysical
methods to examine changes in the development of a
cemetery. Participants will be engaged to explore how their
communities can benefit from a discussion about these
special projects.
