Dowsing - Mesa FamilySearch Library

PowerPoint Presentation by: NEAL Du SHANE
Copy Right 2013 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - Version 121613
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
taphophile (n.)
taf'o-fil
Historically interested in
tombstones, & cemeteries
From the Greek 'Taphos'
meaning 'Tomb'
Is this a pile of rocks,
camp fire ring or grave?

There is a
way you
can easily
determine.
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
DETERMINE BURIALS
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Walking Area
Metal Detector
Dowsing
Probing for buried
headstones using a
Metal “T” Rod
Raise Sunken
Headstones
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Level Bases
Reset Headstones
Rebuild Foundations
for Headstones
Repair Damaged
Headstones
Prepare Ground
Build new headstone
(if needed)
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Historical Societies
Historical Books
Individuals – Local Historians - Families
Museum’s
Plat Books
County Court House
Abstract Office’s
Libraries
Topographical Maps
DOWSING
 Has been used for decades to find water.
 Old timers used a “Y” Willow Branch.
 No special talent, almost everyone can dowse
with a little practice and understanding what
the rods are identifying.
 Magnetic field from one person to another.
 Rods pick up on this electrical field.
 Reams of diatribe disputing dowsing.
 Try it - no further explanation needed.
 IT WORKS!
Did You Know?
 Dowsing – it is believed, detects the electro
magnetic field all mammals posses, living or
dead.
 One theory is that dowsing for burials,
detects disturbed earth, which is incorrect.
 Personally proven, with two freshly dug
graves, side by side – one had an interment
the other didn’t – only the disturbed earth
with a burial got an indication.
Vandalized? Exhumed? Animal?
Did You Know?
 You will NOT get a reading if there isn’t a
interment at a burial plot.*
 When the dowsing rods turn in – (toward
your body) the burial is a male.
 When the dowsing rods turn outward –
(away from your body) the burial is a
female.
 98% of the people that try dowsing are
successful.
 Information by the State of Iowa 9/05
 Ground Penetrating Radar is the legally
accepted way to detect actual burials.
IT IS ILLEGAL
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TO DISTURB A GRAVE
By digging
Exhuming
Destroying
Removing headstones
Report vandalism to proper authorities
Upon investigation, APCRP find’s most
destruction is from cattle, horses, apathy,
time, elements and wild life - not vandals.
DOWSING Introduction
 Rods can be
made from:
 Old Metal Coat
Hangers
 Welding Rods
 Purchase Pipe
Locators etc.
 Length is not
critical.
 Two Rods most
useful.
Dowsing Basics
 For comfort
you can add
Beads.
 Personally I
don’t use
beads.
 Personal
preference.
-LEXUS –
COMMERCIAL DOWSING RODS
Pipe Locator
$25.00 ea.
Need two
Compact – fold
Ideal for pocket –
purse
 More sensitive
 Tight Grip and
thumb issue is
eliminated
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CRITICAL ELIMENTS
• Maintain a loose grip.
• Keep rods horizontal as possible at all times.
• Keep thumbs off the top of the wire eliminating
restricted movement.
• Walk very slowly, when you get a reaction stop.
Walk Extremely Slow
• If you walk
at a normal
pace its
unlikely you
will find
items
buried in
the ground.
IDENTIFY PERIMETER
• As you get
indications of a
grave, have
someone place
markers at the
perimeters of the
rectangle/s.
• You will be able to
identify what you
have found with the
markers.
GRAVE INDICATION
• X = Male – Rods
cross in front of you
• Y = Female – Rods
open out
• Once past the grave
rods will return to
neutral position.
Mark ingress and
egress F,B,L,R.
• Work an area to
establishing a
rectangle.
Dowsing
• Once movement is detected.
• Determine what you have found.
– Buried Pipe
– Buried Cable
– Grave/s
– By working and marking the area.
– If the rods indicate and follow a long single
line your have found buried pipe or cable.
– If rectangle – it is likely a grave.
Female, 7 to 10
years old based
on size of grave
 Gillett
Cemetery.
 Found 50
graves with 10
names
documented.
 Believed 3 year
old Matilda
Swilling (2)?
 1 of 3 females.
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Five graves were found
in the Swilling Cemetery.
At the time their backyard
and stage stop.
Col. Snively’s Grave
Swilling Cemetery – Black Canyon City
BASIC’S
• Christian burials
face east.
• Almost everyone
can dowse.
• Practice, Practice.
• Start by going to
local cemetery with
headstones and
practice dowsing.
• Practice on live
subjects.
• Not everyone will
get the same
readings when
dowsing.
• Some can’t
distinguish female
graves.
• More you dowse the
more proficient you
become.
• Plus Factor
DOWSING BASIC’S
 Try not to dowse on a windy day.
 Wind moves the rods giving false
indications.
 Dowse with the wind to your back.
 Protect the rods from the wind.
 Remove brush and plants that will
restrict the rods movement if you
suspect a grave.
Most Graves are Rectangle
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Adult = 3’ wide X 6’ long (adults shorter)
Female = 3’ wide X 5’ long
Teenager = 3’ wide X 5’ long
Child = 2’ to 3’ wide X 4’ long
Baby = 2’ wide X 3’ long or smaller.
The above is a rough rule to help determine
the approximate age of an individual.
• Col. Snively was documented as being
brought to Black Canyon City in a gunny
sack. His grave is an approximate 24” circle.
CREMATIONS
 You
can identify cremations.
 Rods react the same X – Y pattern
 Harder to find do to size of the urn.
 Must work area very methodically.
 Ashes scattered to the wind.
 I’ve not had success.
ANIMALS
• You will get the same X – Y reaction.
• Only way to establish is the size or
exhuming.
• There is a 95% chance it is human.
• People didn’t view animals as pets in
the 1800 and early 1900’s.
• Chances are if it’s a small grave it’s a
child or baby.
ROW OF GRAVES
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Several Graves in a line - graves can be
separated by only inches.
By marking each rectangle individually –
you will be able to identify your results
and eventually the layout of the pioneer
cemetery.
Carefully identify the edge of each
grave and mark accordingly.
MALE & FEMALE IN SAME GRAVE
• A mother and male baby can be buried in
the same grave.
• It is possible to get a male and female
indication in an adult grave.
• Very slow and deliberate dowsing can
identify both mother and child.
• Some graves are double interred.
Arrestre Cemetery Near Black Rock Mine
NEALISIAMS
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Use a rule of 10 to estimate burials.
If documented population was 250 residents.
I estimate there is a cemetery/s with potentially
25 graves within a one mile radius.
As hard as it is to believe, promoters
exaggerated populations, keep this in mind.
Conversely if I find 5 graves I estimate the
population of the camp/mine/area was 50.
If there is/was a mine there are graves.
Vast majority of graves are adult male with
children second, woman third.
Always exceptions. Vulture City 90% Children.
LEGAL
Some states do not recognize dowsing.
 In that case use dowsing to identify then
contact authorities. Have them use ground
penetrating radar to confirm or deny.
 Or do a archeological dig to verify.
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Rods can also be used to:
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Find & identify a cemetery or single grave.
Stand at a point in the general area, ask if there is
a cemetery, ask the rod to cross.
If a positive response, ask the rod to take you to
the cemetery/grave. Follow the direction the rods
take you.
Identify who is in the grave? “If this grave is John
Jones open the rods, if not do nothing!” (3)
Identified 115 year old grave of 13 year old Charles Dobbie
Silver King Cemetery
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
PRACTICE – PRACTICE - PRACTICE
• At an existing cemetery so that you can
identify the person interred. (X or Y)
• Stand at the grave and ask the commands
of the name on the headstone.
• I’ve seen graves reversed between
husband and wife. So don’t get confused if
you don’t get a correct response according
to the names on the headstone.
PRACTICE
Lohr Cemetery – E. Cedar Twp.
Only evidence of this Pioneer Cemetery is the horizontal top rail of the fence
enclosure (look very close you can see it)
LOHR CEMETERY
Restoration - Before – During – After
Bob Hollatz – Steve Ham – Marlene Kershner
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Marlene Kershner – Merri Cross – Mona Cemetery
Merri Cross – Dralle boy – Marlene Kershner – Vivian Du Shane (Mona Cemetery)
Single Grave – Columbia, AZ
“C.W. North
2/14/34 Location of
His Last Claim”
L: Larry Gill – Caretaker of Columbia
Cathy Johnson, Teri Thorpe
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
530 Cemeteries - Past & Present
513 Cemeteries – Historic or Pioneer
96.8% could be defined as Pioneer
All are decaying becoming derelict
Others remain to find and/or document
Some presumed family burial sites
(Kentuck’s grave – Hanson’s graves –
Heath grave etc.)
15,010 Graves – marked and unmarked.
Thousands may remain to be found.
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project
Please Contact:
Neal Du Shane
1-970-223-3387 Phone/Fax (May-Sept)
1-970-227-3512 Cell
1-623-933-6216 Sun City (Oct-April)
n.j.dushane@comcast.net
www.apcrp.org
http://n.j.dushane.home.comcast.net
Arizona Pioneer & Cemetery
Research Project (APCRP)
Neal Du Shane
 Visit our historic web site at:

 http://www.apcrp.org
 n.j.dushane@comcast.net
 1-970-227-3512