Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Open Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Industrial Heritage and Archaeology (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Social Sciences
Advisor 1
Don Lafreniere
Committee Member 1
Sarah Fayen Scarlett
Committee Member 2
Timothy J. Scarlett
Abstract
The Copper Harbor Cemetery in Grant Township, Michigan, is one of the oldest settler cemeteries in the Keweenaw, with the earliest burial dating back to 1853. The cemetery is also still used by the community today. However, consistent burial records have not been maintained throughout the cemetery's entire history, leading to some doubt about which areas of the cemetery can be opened for new burials and where excavation should be avoided. For this reason, Grant Township commissioned a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the cemetery, primarily to locate anomalies indicating possible unmarked graves and possible buried headstones. The survey located forty anomalies indicative of unmarked graves and twenty-six anomalies suggestive of buried headstones. Thirty-four of the potential grave anomalies and twenty-four of the potential headstone anomalies were located in the oldest section of the cemetery, demonstrating that despite the age of the cemetery, the GPR survey was able to provide valuable information for future cemetery use and management.
Recommended Citation
Griffin, Grace, "REPORT ON A GPR SURVEY OF THE COPPER HARBOR CEMETERY, COPPER HARBOR, MICHIGAN", Open Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2026.