Hello,

This may be of interest-- in the 19th century, the Rhode Island Historical Society organized field trips for its members.  On one occasion, they went to the Great Swamp battle site (King Phillip's War); the farmer who owned the land obligingly plowed a few furrows so that they would have a "fresh" area in which to collect artifacts.

17th century Europeans here in southern New England often vandalized Native graves; Patricia Ruberton has written an article discussing this as well as later grave robbings in Connecticut History vol 35:1.

Let me know if you'd like more information!

Charlotte Taylor
RI Historical Preservation Commission