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Commission archaeologist reports dozens of potential unmarked burials after ground‑penetrating‑radar surveys
Summary
Mark Balbas reported results from ground‑penetrating‑radar surveys at Saint Mary's (Pleasant Mills) and the AME Cemetery (Tabernacle), noting 23 potential unmarked burials at Saint Mary's and 1,782 plotted data points from the AME survey that identified multiple likely graves; Whitespaugh Village work is in progress.
Mark Balbas, the Pinelands Commission archaeologist, briefed the Policy and Implementation Committee on ground‑penetrating‑radar (GPR) surveys the commission has conducted at historic cemeteries and other sites.
Balbas opened the presentation by describing GPR technology and its archaeological uses, explaining how electromagnetic pulses create reflections and characteristic "hyperbola" signatures that help identify subsurface features without excavation. "I'm Mark Balbas. I'm the archaeologist for the commission," he told the committee.
Saint Mary's (Pleasant…
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