Metal detecting and cemeteries don't mix, except for on a rare occassion with specific goals, and here's what happened to us....
A local historian found an old cemetery on the edge of an old farm field. It was accessible by foot or ATV. He researched it, spent some time with the property owner and visited the site. All of the headstones were missing ~ each and every one of them. There was information of soldiers from the War of 1812 and other wars buried there with military markers on the graves. They wanted to find these specific graves, as well as the other graves and try tro determine who was buried where.
Members of our forum were asked to go in with metal detectors to try and determine these graves. We were not comfortable with it and requested another alternative be sought. They were adamant we try to find the metal military markers, at least....
So, for the sake of the historical society, we went in. We poked and prodded the ground in the sunken areas where we thought graves were, and were able to determine where people were buried. We didn't use metal detectors across the graveyard. HOWEVER, at the request of the historians, we attepted to find metal markers in the ground where we determined headstones and such markers might be located.
We were specific in our search and had a simple goal in mind.... find those iron military markers at the area of the headstone.
The graveyard was severely oveergrown with saplings and underbrush. We managed some signals where we thought markers might be, but we only recovered nails.
We were VERY uncomfortable with detecting inside the cemetery, but since our services were requested, we secluded our searches to the headstone areas ONLY.
The town is now required by state law to go in and clear the graveyard. We will leave details of finding the markers to the town. We have no interest whatsoever of going in and detecting, but if they request us to go in again, we will do so ONLY if the headstone areas are known, and ONLY if it is a last resort to find the military markers.