Ground Penetrating Radar

Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
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Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery – Geophysical Survey

Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery
Geophysical Survey Report
AGA Report #2024-04

Prepared for:
Nesta Anderson, PhD
Legacy Cultural Resources
Prepared by: Chester P. Walker, Ph.D. & Aundrea S. Thompson, MSc
Archaeo-Geophysical Associates, LLC
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery - Geophysical Survey Area
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery – Geophysical Survey Area
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery - Geophysical Survey Results
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery – Geophysical Survey Results
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery - Possible Unmarked Burials
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery – Possible Unmarked Burials
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery- LIDAR
Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery- LIDAR
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Magnetometer Study of Wyatt Chapel

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Magnetometer Study of Historic Wyatt Chapel

On March 31, 2024, archaeologists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson returned to the campus of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) to complete their geophysical examinations of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.

 

 

This project is funded through the Summerlee Foundation.

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Dr. Chet Walker came back to the cemetery following a massive storm that left several trees broken near the entrance to the cemetery.

Broken Trees in the Cemetery

Dr. Chet Walker came back to the cemetery following a massive storm that left several trees broken near the entrance to the cemetery.
The top of this tree was broken off and laying on the ground

The Bottom of the Tree

The top of this tree was broken off and laying on the ground
Despite the storm damage, Dr. Walker managed to complete his magnetometer study of the cemetery.

Storm Damage

Despite the storm damage, Dr. Walker managed to complete his magnetometer study of the cemetery.
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The archaeologists

In the spring of 2006, Dr. Walker founded Archaeo-Geophysical Associates, LLC, an archaeological consulting firm specializing in geophysical prospection. Since that time, he has collected geophysical data on over 150 archaeological sites, now totaling much more than 1,539 Acres of Gradiometer, 115 Acres of Ground-Penetrating Radar, and 484 Acres of Electromagnetic Induction Meter.

Aundrea Thompson studied at the University of Wyoming, and she has worked as a forensic archaeologist on numerous projects in the past ten years. For more on one project, in which she located the remains of a World War II soldier and brought his remains back to the US for burial, please click HERE

DPPP logo
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DPPP logo
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Hauling their geophysical prospection equipment in a large pick-up truck around the country, Aundrea and Chet spent almost a week on campus conducting the cemetery surveys.

Not only did they push the ground-penetrating radar over the entire five acre field to determine the size of the burial ground, but they also used a drone to scan a 120 square mile area with LIDAR. Moreover, they pulled a magnetometer across the five-acre field to compile additional data.

Bishop Pendleton is a descendant of one of the individuals buried in the cemetery. He visited his ancestral burial ground during the magnetometer study.

Descendant Communities

Bishop Pendleton is a descendant of one of the individuals buried in the cemetery. He visited his ancestral burial ground during the magnetometer study.
Rev. Pendleton shared some information about his ancestry with us at the cemetery. We plan to conduct interviews with him and several other descendants as the next stage of the project.

Bishop Walter Pendleton

Rev. Pendleton shared some information about his ancestry with us at the cemetery. We plan to conduct interviews with him and several other descendants as the next stage of the project.
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The cemetery

The burial ground is associated with and named after an African American church founded in the 1890s by Reverend George W. Wyatt, a one-time school teacher and politician who represented Waller and Fort Bend Counties in the state legislature in the 1880s. Based on slave schedules, Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery might contain hundreds of graves of enslaved people, formerly enslaved people, and their descendants. It sits on the former slave labor plantation of Jared E. Kirby, who, in 1860, owned more enslaved people (159) than any other planter in Austin County. No one made a formal record of these burials, however, and the historic burial ground, which is located behind University Village Phase III, was over time abandoned, especially after 1961, with the establishment of nearby Prairie View Memorial Gardens. Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery contains only a handful of marked graves, but it holds forever close the remains of three United States military veterans. 

THE WYATT CHAPEL CEMETERY PROJECT
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Magnetic Gradiometer

Chet pulls a large magnetic gradiometer behind him. It’s a passive instrument that measures changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.
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Chet and Aundrea have a large magnetic gradiometer, a passive instrument that measures changes in the Earth's magnetic field.

Magnetic Gradiometer

Chet and Aundrea have a large magnetic gradiometer, a passive instrument that measures changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.
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Chet and Aundrea completed the data collection with the magnetometer. Now that all the data is collected, they will analyze the data from the GPR, LIDAR, and magnetometer and submit their findings to Dr. Nesta Anderson, of Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc., who will meet with Dr. Moore and Pamela Morgan, of the Wyatt Chapel Descendants Committee, to compare the results to the findings from the pedestrian survey. 

DPPP logo

Digital PV Panther Project
John B. Coleman Library
Room 111
Prairie View, Texas 77446

Email: digitalpvpantherproject@gmail.com

Phone: 936-261-3512

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CEMETERY PROJECT
We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

The Headstone of Milo Wilson

We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

Malachi McMahon GPR
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Finding Unmarked Graves at PVAMU

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Finding Unmarked Graves at PVAMU

 

 

On March 12 and 13, 2024, Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc. invited ground penetrating radar specialists Dr. Chet Walker and Aundrea Thompson to visit the campus of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) and conduct several geophysical examinations of the historic burial ground of Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery.

 

 

This project is funded through the Summerlee Foundation.

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LIDAR DRONE 001
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Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker met with project director and PVAMU Assistant Professor of History DeWayne Moore to learn more about the grant from the Summerlee Foundation.

Aundrea Thompson, Dr. Chet Walker, and Dr. DeWayne Moore

Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker met with project director and PVAMU Assistant Professor of History DeWayne Moore to learn more about the grant from the Summerlee Foundation.
Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker

The archeologists

Aundrea Thompson & Dr. Chet Walker
Dr. Moore's son, Noah, surveys the cemetery with students workers on the Digital PV Panther Project--Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, and Jaylynn Brantley

Student Engagement

Dr. Moore’s son, Noah, surveys the cemetery with students workers on the Digital PV Panther Project–Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, and Jaylynn Brantley
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The archaeologists

In the spring of 2006, Dr. Walker founded Archaeo-Geophysical Associates, LLC, an archaeological consulting firm specializing in geophysical prospection. Since that time, he has collected geophysical data on over 150 archaeological sites, now totaling much more than 1,539 Acres of Gradiometer, 115 Acres of Ground-Penetrating Radar, and 484 Acres of Electromagnetic Induction Meter.

Aundrea Thompson studied at the University of Wyoming, and she has worked as a forensic archaeologist on numerous projects in the past ten years. For more on one project, in which she located the remains of a World War II soldier and brought his remains back to the US for burial, please click HERE

Aundrea Thompson's Graduate Work
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DPPP logo
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LIDAR DRONE 001
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Hauling their geophysical prospection equipment in a large pick-up truck from Palestine, Texas, where they had been working at another archaeological site, Aundrea and Chet planned to spend two days on campus before driving to Magnolia, Texas to collaborate with the Houston Archaeological Society on a dig site.

At PVAMU, Chet and Aundrea planned to run the ground-penetrating radar over the entire five acre field to determine the size of the burial ground. In addition, they intended to scan the field with an electromagnetic induction meter as well as LIDAR [or Light Detection and Ranging], which is attached to a large drone and scans an estimated 120 acre area.

Chet Walker Locates Remains in Alabama
In this image, you can see how running the GPR looks on the grass. Making an imprint similar to that of a lawn mower, Chet and Aundrea covered the entire field, hoping to determine the size of the burial ground.

Ground Penetrating Radar

In this image, you can see how running the GPR looks on the grass. Making an imprint similar to that of a lawn mower, Chet and Aundrea covered the entire field, hoping to determine the size of the burial ground.
By scanning the entire field, the teams intends to use the data from GPR to corroborate data obtained during the pedestrian survey in October 2023. We hope to determine the locations of graves and the size of the burial ground.

Scanning the Entire Field

By scanning the entire field, the teams intends to use the data from GPR to corroborate data obtained during the pedestrian survey in October 2023. We hope to determine the locations of graves and the size of the burial ground.
LIDAR DRONE 001

The cemetery

The burial ground is associated with and named after an African American church founded in the 1890s by Reverend George W. Wyatt, a one-time school teacher and politician who represented Waller and Fort Bend Counties in the state legislature in the 1880s. Based on slave schedules, Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery might contain hundreds of graves of enslaved people, formerly enslaved people, and their descendants. It sits on the former slave labor plantation of Jared E. Kirby, who, in 1860, owned more enslaved people (159) than any other planter in Austin County. No one made a formal record of these burials, however, and the historic burial ground, which is located behind University Village Phase III, was over time abandoned, especially after 1961, with the establishment of nearby Prairie View Memorial Gardens. Wyatt Chapel Community Cemetery contains only a handful of marked graves, but it holds forever close the remains of three United States military veterans. 

THE WYATT CHAPEL CEMETERY PROJECT
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Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)

LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
Chet and Aundrea have several drones that can carry up to 22 pounds of equipment.

Drone with LIDAR

Chet and Aundrea have several drones that can carry up to 22 pounds of equipment.

Pre-Set Navigation

With pre-set navigational controls, the drone flies back and forth in straight lines, capturing data about the contours of the earth over a 120 square mile area.
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Chet and Aundrea completed the data collection using ground penetrating radar for the entire five acre field, and they obtained LIDAR data using the drone, but they plan to return later in March 2024 to complete data collection with the magnetometer. Once all the data is collected, they will analyze their findings independently and objectively, and they will submit their findings to Dr. Nesta Anderson, of Legacy Cultural Resources, Inc., who will meet with Dr. Moore and Pamela Morgan, of the Wyatt Chapel Descendants Committee, to compare the results to the findings from the pedestrian survey. 

DPPP logo

Digital PV Panther Project
John B. Coleman Library
Room 111
Prairie View, Texas 77446

Email: digitalpvpantherproject@gmail.com

Phone: 936-261-3512

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CEMETERY PROJECT
We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

The Headstone of Milo Wilson

We cleaned the headstone of veteran Milo Wilson with D2 biological solution in October 2023, and it looks amazing in 2024.

Stay tuned for the next installment!

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Wyatt Chapel after GPR
MIlo Wilson Headstone after D2
Noah & Aundrea Walking Wyatt
Noah at Wyatt
Caleb Brookins working on his computer
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Caleb Brookins: A Rewarding Experience

Caleb Brookins working on the Digital PV Panther Project - Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
Caleb Brookins working on the Digital PV Panther Project – Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022

Lucrative Work

When I first applied for the position of archival assistant on the Digital PV Panther Project, my goal was to generate an income stream while attending college. I had some available time in my schedule during the fall semester of 2022, and I wanted to fill it in a constructive manner. Prairie View A&M University sits in rural Waller County, Texas, and students do not have a multitude of work opportunities. Thus, I visited the website for student jobs, and I was excited about seeing a job that paid more than any other on campus.

Rewarding Experience

Little did I know the monumental impact the experience would have on my mindset moving forward. Indeed, I will always cherish my experience working on the Digital PV Panther Project.

Caleb Brookins - Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
Caleb Brookins – Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
(L to R) Caleb Brookins, Hannah Harden, Lindsay Boknight, and Noah Jackson - Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
(L to R) Caleb Brookins, Hannah Harden, Lindsay Boknight, and Noah Jackson – Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022

Learning Experience

So many students do not know about the rich history of Prairie View A&M University, and I was certainly one of them when I started working on the Digital PV Panther Project in August 2022. Over the course of six months working in the archives, I not only learned about the history of slavery at Alta Vista, the plantation once owned by Jared Ellison Kirby, but I had the opportunity to process and digitize manuscript collections that former professors and administrators had donated to the university.

Serious Impact 

It is amazing that I had the opportunity to preserve important documents in the university archives. Indeed, the importance of the work being done through the Digital PV Panther Project is the preservation of our history. There are countless boxes full of photos, documents, and audiotapes that convey stories about Prairie View. The digitization of this media will not only allow scholars and students to gain a better understanding of our history, but it will also enhance access to long-unexamined resources. This makes my contributions to the project stand the test of time.

Caleb Brookins - Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
Caleb Brookins – Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022

Ground Penetrating Radar

Caleb also helped document and map Prairie View Memorial Gardens, the cemetery to the north of campus that contains the graves of former PVAMU professors and administrators.

View the Cemetery Map

Forward Movement

Even though I am a Psychology major, this public history project captured my sincere interest, which demonstrates the impact that historic preservation at PVAMU can have on other students in the future. Though I must take advantage of new opportunities, I am proud to have spent the fall 2022 semester preventing the erasure of our history, and I am eternally grateful and honored to have had the opportunity.

Read Caleb's Previous Blog on the PV19
(L to R) Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, Caleb Brookins, and Kalayah Jammer during a photoshoot - Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022
(L to R) Noah Jackson, Zynitra Durham, Caleb Brookins, and Kalayah Jammer during a photoshoot – Photo © T. DeWayne Moore 2022