Anthropology professor conducts ground penetrating radar at Pioneer Cemetery

Matt O'Mansky, professor of Anthropology at Youngstown State University, recently led an innovative effort to map and uncover hidden headstones using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), as his latest project with The Trumbull County Historical Society at the Old Mahoning (Pioneer) Cemetery in Warren.

Pioneer Cemetery holds the final resting places of many of the area's early settlers, with the first burial recorded in 1804. Over the years, some headstones have become weathered, shifted, or buried, obscuring the complete historical record of the cemetery. O'Mansky's efforts aimed to address this by using state-of-the-art GPR technology to accurately locate all existing headstones, including those that are currently covered and unseen.

Trumbull County Historical Society Collections & Research Manager, Savannah Moss, said, “This project is not only significant for historical preservation but also for enhancing the educational and cultural understanding of Warren's heritage. By mapping out the headstones, the Trumbull County Historical Society aims to create more detailed records and potentially discover new historical information about the early residents of the area.”

The community is invited to follow the progress of this project, which promises to shed new light on Warren's rich past. Those interested in updates and more information are encouraged to visit the Trumbull County Historical Society's website and social media channels.