When a 2018 expansion of Indianapolis International Airport called for relocation of Bethel Cemetery, archaeologists faced a huge challenge. Early surveys of the cemetery, established in 1838, indicated stones bearing 196 names, but ground penetrating radar and archaeology revealed 543 graves.
Dr. Brooke Drew of Indiana State University uncovers the methodology a team of experts and students used to name unmarked burials and respectfully relocate them. Bone studies that revealed age and gender, archival records, and artifacts found within the graves all combine to tell a fascinating history of a community and the largest cemetery archaeologically relocated in Indiana.
This virtual event was hosted on February 25, 2021 by Preserving Historic Places, Indiana's Statewide Preservation Conference -- a partnership of Indiana Landmarks, Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, and Indiana University. Learn more about the annual conference at [ Ссылка ]
