Finding known graves

The crew found that the cemetery has been aggraded to 2 feet above the graves--an archeologist needed to excavate the overburden to locate grave stones. Stones found were added to a map and repaired to be reset at the cemetery in Artesia.

Next the contactor's crew excavated the fill of each grave until the first sign of a burial was found--wood, nails, a rust spot, change in soil compaction, or bone--and then the archeologist continued the excavation. Remains were photographed, and carefully removed and placed in a container for further study in the field laboratory at the Seven Rivers Cemetery.

Here the skeletal remains, identified by grave number, were measured by an anthropologist who recorded his observations. The remains were transported to Artesia at the end of each day and stored at Twin Oaks Memorial Park.