It's been a heated debate for months-whether or not a proposed new Wal-Mart would be built on top of possible unmarked graves in Florence.
A team of archeologists have spent the week in the Shoals digging around for proof.
The areas in question lie beyond the wall of the cemetery in a rectangular shape.
"In effort to be absolutely certain, the Alabama Historical Commission asked the engineers for the project to bring in archeologists to test the rectangular areas North of both cemeteries," said Robert Muse, the Florence Planning Commission's assistant director.
All week, the team from the University of Alabama has been looking for any evidence of human remains, but so far, they haven't found anything.
"They spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the servant cemetery area, nothing was found," said Muse. "Now they're about to wind up the dig North of General Coffee's cemetery. So far, nothing has been found in that area either."
The team has been scraping 6 to 10 inches at a time in trenches that go anywhere from a foot to 6 feet deep.
Muse said that whether the development proposal goes through or not, this process has been positive for the cemeteries which have been isolated for years.
"They will have delineated boundaries of both cemeteries adequately surveyed, graves located and ultimately the Florence Historical Board and the Florence Cemetery Committee will be involved with the Alabama Historical Commission to maintain these like they should be maintained," said Muse.
Muse said that the project has to go through two more phases before receiving final approval. If everything goes through, he expects clearing to begin sometime in September.
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