How to Excavate a Grave From the 1850s
- 1). Contact the cemetery or landowner to gain permission to dig, and ensure any surviving family members approve. Ensure you have all necessary permits. Procedures will vary by state and possibly the county or city. The Office of the State Archaeologist in Iowa advises that in Iowa, graves over 150 years old are controlled by the Office of the State Archaeologist, and you may not excavate them. Your state may have a similar requirement.
- 2). Locate the grave location on a cemetery map. If there is enough room between rows of graves, use a wide, toothless backhoe to excavate the grave. Gently remove the soil above and around the grave a few inches at at time. It is important to disturb the coffin as little as possible. A backhoe is used to speed the soil removal process. However, if the space between the row of graves is too narrow, use shovels to begin the excavation. As layers are being stripped away, check for a grave shaft, which is a filled-in hole.
- 3). Locate the grave shaft above the burial and continue to gently remove soil layers. Gently remove the coffin using a forklift from the excavated grave site. If the coffin is not to be put back into the grave shaft, fill the hole with the soil removed using the backhoe or shovels.
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