Can we locate lost graves from the 1800s in a cemetery with no marker or records?
Yes. Sentry Mapping's high-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) scans every square foot of soil, revealing the tell-tale subsurface patterns left by 1800s burials even when stones are long gone. We map each unmarked grave with sub-inch GPS accuracy and add it to a searchable digital cemetery map.
Lost 19th-century graves can be located without disturbing a single shovelful of earth. Sentry Mapping specializes in cemetery mapping, burial-plot mapping, and unmarked grave detection. Our crew grids the cemetery and runs high-frequency ground penetrating radar across each line. This ground penetrating radar cemetery survey supports precise grave locating and digital cemetery mapping. GPR detects changes in the dielectric properties of the soil — rectangular cuts, backfill contrasts, and voids left when a coffin was lowered — all of which still contrast with native soil 150+ years later. We log every radar hit with survey-grade GPS, then overlay those points on an aerial basemap inside our cemetery GIS mapping platform.
Next, our drafting team converts the data into clear burial plot maps that show both marked and newly discovered graves. You and your staff receive a printed master map plus an interactive, zoomable web map. Each grave record can be managed in our optional cemetery management software, so you can attach photos, deeds, and notes in seconds.
Because the process is non-invasive, it protects heritage and complies with preservation rules. Most small historic cemeteries can be completed in a single field visit. With professional cemetery mapping from Sentry Mapping, you can finally answer families’ questions, avoid accidental reuse of occupied plots, and honor every burial dating back to the 1800s.