Radar survey helping to detect unmarked graves
The survey conducted by Southern Geophysical in May for the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust used the radar to scan and mark out potential sites to protect them from future repair works to the cemetery and to ensure they got the respect they deserved.
Southern Geophysical geophysicist Jack Fleming said the survey did not say with certainty if there were unmarked burials, but was based on GPR signature sites of potential interest for archaeologists.
Four sites were marked as likely to be an unmarked burial and 27 were marked as possible unmarked burials.
"We'll locate what we believe is relevant, and an archaeologist will also look at it and determine what they think is relevant, and hopefully by the end of everybody getting their data sets together, we can come up with a comprehensive story."
Archaeologist Sarah Dugdale is helping to piece together the puzzle of what lies underneath the sites of interest.
Ms Dugdale is in the process of writing a report to summarise what they found with the GPR and what it is likely to indicate.
The report would be presented to the community, who would discuss further action, she said.
In the GPR survey report, likely burial sites and possible burial sites were detected with the suggestion both were treated as if they were graves.
"If there's a graveyard and we know that there were quite a few people buried in that part of the cemetery, ... a lot of them would have been unrecorded and pauper," Ms Dugdale said.
The difference between likely burial sites and possible burial sites could be put down to the fact the possible burial sites were atypical.
"Potentially they're a little bit smaller or a little bit not as deep," she said.
Friends of Cromwell Cemetery member Katie Seymour said the GPR survey meant the group could now protect and give the burial sites the respect they deserved.
With the new discovery it was hoped a fence could be installed around the burials to protect them from being driven over as well as a monument commemorating the miners and paupers buried in the unmarked sites.
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Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Radar survey helping to detect unmarked graves
The results from a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of Cromwell Cemetery have revealed the potential sites of unmarked graves. The survey conducted by Southern Geophysical in May for the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust used the radar to scan and mark out potential sites to protect them from future repair works to the cemetery and to ensure they got the respect they deserved. Southern Geophysical geophysicist Jack Fleming said the survey did not say with certainty if there were unmarked burials, but was based on GPR signature sites of potential interest for archaeologists. Four sites were marked as likely to be an unmarked burial and 27 were marked as possible unmarked burials. "We'll locate what we believe is relevant, and an archaeologist will also look at it and determine what they think is relevant, and hopefully by the end of everybody getting their data sets together, we can come up with a comprehensive story." Archaeologist Sarah Dugdale is helping to piece together the puzzle of what lies underneath the sites of interest. Ms Dugdale is in the process of writing a report to summarise what they found with the GPR and what it is likely to indicate. The report would be presented to the community, who would discuss further action, she said. In the GPR survey report, likely burial sites and possible burial sites were detected with the suggestion both were treated as if they were graves. "If there's a graveyard and we know that there were quite a few people buried in that part of the cemetery, ... a lot of them would have been unrecorded and pauper," Ms Dugdale said. The difference between likely burial sites and possible burial sites could be put down to the fact the possible burial sites were atypical. "Potentially they're a little bit smaller or a little bit not as deep," she said. Friends of Cromwell Cemetery member Katie Seymour said the GPR survey meant the group could now protect and give the burial sites the respect they deserved. With the new discovery it was hoped a fence could be installed around the burials to protect them from being driven over as well as a monument commemorating the miners and paupers buried in the unmarked sites.
Otago Daily Times
01-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Cemetery project makes grave discovery
At least three probable unmarked graves were discovered using ground-penetrating radar at Cromwell Cemetery and it is very likely more will be discovered in the coming weeks as the data is analysed. Southern Geophysical geophysicist Jack Fleming said during the mapping process his team found sites with a few surface depressions that align with unmarked graves during their time at Cromwell Cemetery yesterday. "They show all the signatures of an unmarked burial." The data will be analysed properly over the next few weeks when it is hoped the probable graves as well as others would be confirmed. Mr Fleming said it was surprising to find three probable unmarked graves while out on the site. The Southern Geophysical team (from left) George Dart, Jack Fleming and Jess MacFarquhar scan the southeast corner of Cromwell Cemetery with ground-penetrating radar. PHOTOS: ELLA JENKINS "It's not always the case that it shows up that clearly in what we call the raw data. "We usually have to do a bit of processing and analysis but yeah, no, that was certainly nice." The Christchurch-based company had offered the service for more than 15 years all over New Zealand, he said. Mr Fleming said the mapping process involved pushing a trolley with a 350 MHz hyper-stacking antenna which was one of the leading ground-penetrating radars in the world. Also on the trolley was a GPS antenna which allows Mr Fleming and his colleagues to correlate the data collected and get it to within 2cm accuracy in real time. Jack Fleming discusses the mapping process with Friends of Cromwell Cemetery member Katie Seymour. The radar collects the data, stores it and then displays it on a screen. "Our team of geophysicists will assess the data, make our picks, we call it, and we will map out the unmarked graves or features that are indicative of unmarked graves," he said. Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust treasurer and project manager Odette Hopgood said the work was part of the trust's heritage sites review. With the help of the Central Lakes Trust, Pub Charities, donations and funds raised from events, the trust was able to call in Southern Geophysical to map the cemetery's northeast corner. Ms Hopgood said the mapping would ensure no unmarked graves would be encroached on during repair works.
Otago Daily Times
30-04-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Possible unmarked graves discovered in cemetery
At least three probable unmarked graves were discovered using ground-penetrating radar at Cromwell Cemetery and it is very likely more will be discovered in the coming weeks as the data is analysed. Southern Geophysical geophysicist Jack Fleming said during the mapping process his team found sites with a few surface depressions that align with unmarked graves during their time at Cromwell Cemetery yesterday. "They show all the signatures of an unmarked burial." The data will be analysed properly over the next few weeks when it is hoped the probable graves as well as others would be confirmed. Mr Fleming said it was surprising to find three probable unmarked graves while out on the site. The Southern Geophysical team (from left) George Dart, Jack Fleming and Jess MacFarquhar scan the southeast corner of Cromwell Cemetery with ground-penetrating radar. PHOTOS: ELLA JENKINS "It's not always the case that it shows up that clearly in what we call the raw data. "We usually have to do a bit of processing and analysis but yeah, no, that was certainly nice." The Christchurch-based company had offered the service for more than 15 years all over New Zealand, he said. Mr Fleming said the mapping process involved pushing a trolley with a 350 MHz hyper-stacking antenna which was one of the leading ground-penetrating radars in the world. Also on the trolley was a GPS antenna which allows Mr Fleming and his colleagues to correlate the data collected and get it to within 2cm accuracy in real time. Jack Fleming discusses the mapping process with Friends of Cromwell Cemetery member Katie Seymour. The radar collects the data, stores it and then displays it on a screen. "Our team of geophysicists will assess the data, make our picks, we call it, and we will map out the unmarked graves or features that are indicative of unmarked graves," he said. Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust treasurer and project manager Odette Hopgood said the work was part of the trust's heritage sites review. With the help of the Central Lakes Trust, Pub Charities, donations and funds raised from events, the trust was able to call in Southern Geophysical to map the cemetery's northeast corner. Ms Hopgood said the mapping would ensure no unmarked graves would be encroached on during repair works.
