FORENSIC GROUND PENETRATING RADAR FOR DELINEATION OF HISTORIC GRAVESITES FAYETTEVILLE, TX USA

A forensic ground penetrating radar study was conducted to map the extent of a historic gravesite located in Fayetteville, Texas. The gravesite contains one large monument dedicated in 1879 to the patriarch of the original family settlers and seven marker stones believed to be the gravesites of children that were lost due to past disease epidemics like smallpox. The family cemetery was lost in a sale that involved the conversion from the Mexican system of land measurement to the U.S. system. The original family descendants wish to install a fence around the gravesite and the new owner of the property wants to ensure that the fence does not enclose more property than is necessary. A Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. Subsurface Imaging Radar-10 (GSSI SIR-10) with a 200 MHz mono-static antenna was used to delineate the graveyard. Four 30 meter survey lines oriented north-south and one 45 meter survey line oriented east-west were used to determine the radial distances from the child marker stone that lies in the center of the gravesite. The data is acquired by dragging the antenna over each survey line and using a record marker every 5 meters for spatial integrity. From the survey we were able to identify the marker stones as head stones. This was based on the assumption of the Christian burial practice of facing gravestones to the east and that the disturbed soil (void space) was on the west side of the markers. The resting place of the patriarch is obscured by the root systems of several trees that are in very close proximity to the grave. The gravesites did not extend beyond 5 meters from the center of the graveyard. The recommendation was for a radius of 7 meters to allow access to the graves and to ensure that the burial sites would not be encroached upon in the future.