Is this a mass grave?

[Monuir]

Hi! As I told you before I am moving to Moldova for 1 year and will try to see if there is any possibilitys t do some digging.

I have been in contact with a person from Norway who has a grandfather that fought for the germans, he died in a big battle in Moldova, close to the romanian border.

He gave me some coordinates where he tells me he want's me to look for hes grandfathers remains as he was reported KIA but never buried.

Anyway... It is kinda weird.... He gave me some coordinates, and very cloe to those coordinates there is a place there with what looks like a big cross over it??? What is this? A mass grave? Do you know if they used to make big crosses like this over mass graves?

Needless to say, if it is a grave I will not dig in that area at all..

Dan

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[Jerry B]

Hard to tell what it is from this picture, but a giant X marks the spot is highly unlikely IMHO, more likely to be field boundaries or similar.

[DioMac]

I agree with Bond, Monuir, probably more likely to be field (farming) boundaries. Be very careful when you do your digging, as I'm sure you will. Men's bones lie there.

I would consider investigating the tree line. On aerial photography it can often indicate human activity. From personal experience, look for areas that are easy to dig, and think like an infantryman - where would you dig if you had to bury bodies quickly?

Das

[don_kihotis7]

Interesting. I too don't think its a mass grave but on the other hand i have no idea what it could be.
I wish you luck with the digging.

[Ben Evans]

If they had postions there I would imagine they would have been on the high ground to give them better fields of fire or reverse slope positions if they had mortar pits so they would be behind the high ground, best have a look when you get there. I doubt the giant cross is a burial marker, probabaly old field boundries like the rest have said

[harry211]

They look a bit too beefy to be field boundries IMHO. Could just be natural features emerging due to errosion or maybe some old fortification using the natural topography, as the line running SW-NE seems to continue after the dissecting ridge and then turns through 90% which doesn't look natural, although very difficult to gauge the scale of things. An interesting one to check out if you have the opportunity.

[Monuir]

Will definetly go there in May and do some recon! Also have coordinates for another place, a forest surrounded by 4 villages. My friend's father found german weapons there on the surface 10 years ago! And they have never seen people there or any holes, so hopefully there should be something good there under the ground...

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[Paul D]

What are the laws for metal detecting in Moldova ?

[Monuir]

You are allowed to digg if you have a Official Archaeologist license from the Government, also I guess permission from ground owner is needed..? I am not sure of the last part.