On March 13, Clarence Weatherby contacted this office regarding possible gravesites in a proposed borrow area. On March 14, our archaeologist, Teresa Paglione, met with Clarence Weatherby and surveyed the proposed borrow pit, which is located in a plowed field south of SR 138 near the intersection with SR 212. A small patch of woods near the center of the field was reported by the landowner to contain ‘Indian gravesites’. A visual check in the woods resulted in the discovery of possibly 12 unmarked graves. A few of the gravesites are slight depressions in the ground surface, however, most had small rockslab headstones or toestones. One other possible gravesite is noted as a 2-meter scatter of large quartz rocks. At least one gravesite has been disturbed by an excavation (approximately 1 meter in diameter) between the headstone and toestone of the grave. The depressions, headstones, and toestones indicate that the patch of woods contains a small, unmarked cemetery. The gravesites are not threatened by the planned borrowing activities since DOT and their contractor propose to borrow fill only from the surrounding plowed field. The immediate area around the unmarked cemetery would be contoured; the cemetery would remain intact.
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