Luther College research team surveys Iowa cemeteries for possible unmarked burials

Work completed ahead of the new school year by veteran and aspiring anthropologists at Luther College in Decorah could help locate now-forgotten burial sites and survey archaeological finds before putting shovel to dirt.

Luther College anthropology professor Colin Betts, joined by three student researchers, spent the summer visiting historical cemeteries, laying out grids and slowly moving through them with special equipment, to identify possible unmarked graves buried long ago.

The group surveyed three cemeteries in Winneshiek County, each with unique aspects that students had to take into account. Each cemetery also yielded different data for the researchers to analyze, and served as important teaching grounds for the students, who said they gained valuable knowledge they’ll be able to apply to their future work.

Tools for testing and teaching

To best identify potential graves, the team used three instruments to gather data — magnetic gradiometry, soil resistivity and ground penetrating radar. Magnetic gradiometry and soil resistivity tools use different methods to find where soil has been disturbed, like when a grave is dug and then refilled. Ground penetrating radar sends electromagnetic waves underground that bounce energy back when encountering different materials in the soil.

These tools allowed the team to examine larger areas and receive information faster than if they had employed the usual tool — digging — to find what’s underneath the surface.

“It’d never replace traditional archaeological methods, but it can add a whole lot to it,” Betts said.

Benson Newhouse, a Luther College junior and one of the students who worked with Betts this summer, said he was excited to be able to train on the remote sensing equipment, as those skills and knowledge will be an asset when he graduates and pursues a career in archaeology.

While many graduate programs have access to this equipment, Betts said Luther is unique in being able to offer undergraduate students the chance to learn with them.

“It’s wonderful for me because it’s a great research tool, it’s great data, but on the other hand, it’s just a fantastic teaching tool, so students like Benson can get that practical experience,” Betts said. “They can learn how to use the instruments, how to interpret the data, all that other fun stuff. So it’s just an integral part of what I do.”

The group conducted tests at Big Canoe Norwegian Methodist Cemetery, Springwater Cemetery and Crossroads/Metcalf Cemetery. Weather caused the occasional problem with equipment measurements and the ability to complete the work in a timely manner, but Betts said they found promising signs at both Springwater and Big Canoe of what could be unmarked graves.

Betts and the students still are going through the data from the cemeteries, which they will use to craft presentations and a report. With information provided to the Winneshiek County Pioneer Cemetery Commission on areas where graves could be, Betts said staff can use it to better manage the cemeteries and avoid unearthing bodies unexpectedly. The commission was happy to see an initial presentation from Betts in August, he said.

“They were really excited, because they were seeing it in ways they hadn’t and could already see the value in some of that stuff,” Betts said.

Even with all the data collected by the team, student researcher Rebecca Zheng said they can’t say with complete certainty whether the indications of shifted dirt and different objects under the earth are actually the coffins from graves lost to time.

If an object detected by the equipment has very similar dimensions to that of a coffin and is measured at the correct depth for a burial, Betts said they can be “pretty sure,” but that’s the furthest they can go with the equipment they used.

“We can say that this anomaly has all the characteristics of (a grave), but the only way to know would actually be to dig it up,” Zheng said. “And I hope we can develop our ability to do these things and not have to excavate as much as our predecessors.”

A first step with big potential

One inherent problem with traditional archaeology methods is that once researchers dig up a site, they’ve potentially destroyed areas or objects of interest by disturbing the space. There are “no do-overs in using traditional techniques,” Betts said, and when burial sites and human remains are involved, there are moral and ethical reasons for not disturbing the area.

However, this equipment can provide an avenue for gathering at least some information about an area before anyone starts digging, Luther College student and research team member Evan McElroy said.

“It’s a perfect first step for any sort of archaeology work that you do anywhere, because if you have an area where you want to dig into, being able to use this in advance is super necessary to guarantee the integrity of the site,” McElroy said.

Betts and the students said the equipment could also be used to identify gravesites at indigenous boarding schools, where Native American children were taken from their families and forced to attend.

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs identified four boarding school locations in Iowa as of Jan. 1, 2024. Betts said he would be interested in using the technology to help locate some of these gravesites, but no official project has been initiated.

Zheng, who said her interests lie more with cultural anthropology, said the use of noninvasive equipment will be important to expand historical and cultural knowledge.

“It’s emphasizing the context that archaeological monuments, whatever they may be, are within, and how that is so important just for everything that’s involved, whether it be people or history or things like that,” Zheng said.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.