Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of the Historic Cemeteries at the Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site
The Nathan Boone Homestead State Historic Site is located two miles north of Ash Grove, Missouri. This site was originally the home of Nathan Boone (youngest son of Daniel Boone), his family, and their slaves. The site contains the Boone Family House, Boone Family Cemetery, and African American Cemetery. This study focuses on the cemeteries. The goal is to delineate the boundaries of, and identify burials within, each cemetery. To accomplish these goals, a RAMAC Ground Penetrating Radar PR system using a 500 MHz antenna was employed. Profiles spaced 0.5 meters apart were collected from North to South in the Boone Family Cemetery and from South to North in the African American Cemetery. The data analysis does not reveal anomalies in the African American Cemetery, perhaps indicating the absence of intact coffins in the cemetery. In contrast, the analysis reveals eight anomalies, each a possible burial, in the Boone Family Cemetery. These anomalies include two associated with current grave markers for Olive Boone and for Nathan Boone. These results can be used by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to manage the cemeteries. The results also have broader value for archaeological and historical research in SW Missouri.
Nathan Boone, ground penetrating radar, Boone family cemetery, African American cemetery, Anthropology
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