DAPHNE, Ala. — Disturbed soil has minds racing. University of South Alabama archaeologists and utility staff found evidence of one ground disturbance at D’Olive Cemetery at Village Point Preserve Park on Friday. It’s not clear if the ground holds an unmarked grave since the ground penetrating radar can only detect less compacted earth — not what resides underneath.

Workers arrived at the scene last week as part of search effort to determine if the remains of slaves and transients were present.

A ground penetrating radar sends a signal about 50 feet into the earth and reflections bounce back if there’s been a disturbance, according to James Irby, a USA electrical engineer with experience using the machine.

The lawn-mower shaped device, though mostly used to find underground utilities, has unearthed mysteries outside the construction and maintenance realm.

“I’ve been to several cemeteries and had pretty good luck (finding soil disturbances),” he said.

In this case, experts said the experiment was a success.

“We think we can identify one unmarked grave between two marked graves,” Bonnie Gums, a University of South Alabama archaeologist, said. “The current graves are one foot apart, which is unusual.

“Also, there were … several graves that were inconclusive.”

Mysteries continued to unfold during Friday’s exploration. Researchers found that current grave markers were about one foot beside graves.

“Some slabs were probably put there a long time after the graves (were dug) because they’re not directly over graves,” Al Guarisco, chairman of Village Point Foundation, said.

Gums said the area of suspected slave graves couldn’t be tested due to ground vegetation, but that her team will return after that area has been cleared.

“We’ll do a systematic survey of that area,” she said.

The team knows to look for slave graves because military loan records indicate that soldiers borrowed items from the D’Olive family during the War of 1812 and the War Between the States, according to Guarisco. The records show two slaves listed as taken for military service, he said. Guarisco cited historical traditions and mortality rates to show the probability of unmarked graves at the site.

Gums said she hopes future exploration will prove their existence, though not their identity.

“If unmarked graves are found, we’ll never know who they are — which is the mystery,” she said.

Solid findings would ensure the cemetery’s rightful place in history — and its survival.

“It will help in making sure the cemetery is preserved forever, to prevent any construction or destruction,” Gums said.