I would love to hear from others working in the old antebellum cotton belt in the U.S. about cemeteries on big plantations. 

Up to this point I've been working mainly with graveyards within the boundaries of former towns or villages, but am now turning my attention to some nearby plantations, and am repeatedly finding that logging, farming and/or road crews have "relocated" gravestones into ravines, separating them from their original graves.  After much thought, I toying with the idea of trying to help these relatively intact grave markers find their way back to their graves -- especially after reading some wills with heartfelt instructions about the construction and care of these same burial places).   

So, I am wondering if anyone on  HISTARC can recommend some literature  that contains discussions of a predictive model that speaks about the relationship of the family cemetery relative to the "Big House."

  Because of the task at hand I'm talking here mainly about the plantation owner's family burial ground  but I would also like to hear if there is some predictability in the location of the burials of enslaved inhabitants of these plantations)
 
Any incidental knowledge based on experience would also be appreciated.  Mostly, I am wondering if there a consistent relationship between the two (mansion and burial ground), or not?   

I know there are survey archaeologists out there in the South that that have noticed a pattern, and am hoping you will answer my question. 

Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
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