Archaeology Of War Research Articles

Digging deeper is always rewarding. Policy instruments, challenges and recent research on conflict archaeology, WWI and WWII in Flanders

In 2017, the government of Flanders decided to award yearly grants for synthesising research on archaeological data produced via development-led archaeology in Flanders (Belgium). At present, no less than 34 archaeological projects have been financially supported this way. Three of those projects deal with the archaeology of modern conflicts. The project 'Conflict archaeology of the Second World War in Flanders' will be discussed in more detail. World War II archaeology is a very young discipline in Flanders, although the enormous expertise in conflict archaeology of World War I caused a turnaround in recent years. Putting all the archaeological information together, it turned out that traces of WWII were already being investigated at 172 sites, far more than expected. Some are targeted excavations on large sites, but mostly they are small traces that came to light by chance. This picture is contrasted with knowledge gained in recent years from historical research and from remote sensing sources. The Centre for Historical and Archaeological Aerial Photography or CHAL (Province of West Flanders, In Flanders Fields Museum, Ghent University) plays an important role here. Over 43,000 historical aerial photographs taken during both World Wars provide a unique overview of the war landscape in Belgium and offer enormous archaeological potential today. A combination of analysis of the digital elevation model Flanders for the above-ground preservation of war traces and the archaeological information from excavations give us an unseen landscape insight.

The Power of Collaborative Public Scholarship

Work conducted by the Colorado Coalfield War Archaeology Project and Ludlow Centennial Commemoration Commission offers a longitudinal example of the power of collaborative public scholarship. After defining collaborative public archaeology, the article discusses issues around identifying descendant communities and other stakeholders, building and maintaining relationships, and the political nature of public archaeology and stewardship. While the collaborative experiences described here were unique, the lessons are widely applicable. The goal in sharing these lessons is to illustrate the importance of maintaining relationships with descendant communities after the completion of a project and exemplify the wide impact of well-designed collaborative public archaeology.

남해안지역의 청동기문화와 정치체 형성과정

In the Southern coastal region of the Korean Peninsula, bronze ware was mainly used from the Bronze Age to the early Iron Age-Three Kingdoms Period. The Lute-shaped bronze dagger culture of the Bronze Age have been identified 45 objects in 27 sites. According to the lead isotope analysis results of the bronze ware of the Lute-Shaped Bronze Age on southern coast region, it is estimated that most of them used raw materials from the zone 3(Chungcheong·Jeolla·norhtwest Gyeongsangbuk-do) of southern Korean Peninsula. Also, many bronze ware of slender bronze dagger culture during the early Iron Age used raw materials from the zone 2(southeastern Gangwon-do). From this results, it is thought that bronze ware from the Bronze Age-early Iron Age were made using raw materials from South Korea in the South. During the Proto-Three Kingdoms, not only the bronze ware of the Slender bronze dagger culture but also the Chinese and Japanese archipelago bronze ware were confirmed. In either case, most of the bronze raw materials are from China, so it is considered that bronze raw materials and products were imported together from China. The process of forming political establishments in the southern coast can be examined based on the research of war anthropology and war archaeology. Equal tribal societies and military societies with hierarchies are different in terms of weaponry, due to different types and patterns of warfare. Based on this, Lute-shaped bronze age culture in the Bronze Age shows the appearance of a tribal society, but there is a possibility that a commandership accompanied by coercion was formed in the Yeosu Peninsula. The appearance of Slender bronze dagger culture in early Iron Age, in turn gave rise to a weapon combination consisting of projectile weapons, hilt weapons and pole weapons. This combination appeared throughout the whole region and continued into the Proto-Three Kingdoms. Therefore, it is believed that statelets began to be formed as it entered the military general society from this time.

Chronology and the evidence for war in the ancient Maya kingdom of Piedras Negras

Through a case study of the Classic period (A.D. 350–900) kingdom of Piedras Negras, this paper addresses a number of debates in the archaeology of war among the ancient Maya. These findings have broader comparative use in ongoing attempts to understand war in the precolonial Americas, including the frequency of war, its role in processes of polity formation and collapse, the involvement of non-elites in combat, and the cause and effect of captive-taking. This paper provides the first synthesis of a number of datasets pertaining to war and violence in the region of Piedras Negras while presenting new settlement data gleaned from recent lidar survey of the area. Focus is especially on tracing the material, iconographic, and epigraphic evidence for war in diachronic perspective. Material evidence includes the spatial distribution of settlement, presence of fortifications, weaponry, and human skeletal remains demonstrating evidence of traumatic injury. Additional data are drawn from epigraphy and iconography. As with all archaeological contexts, there are crucial gaps in the record. Nevertheless, by combining these datasets it is possible to reconstruct a history of warfare within this precolonial indigenous polity of the first millennium.

“Your Mysterious Instruments”: American Devices and Imperial Designs in Cold War Archaeology

ABSTRACT This paper tracks a world of instruments and global designs in a new era of archaeology, spearheaded by Froelich Rainey in his role as Director of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Post-WWII scientific development, industrial-military-academic partnerships, and American adventurism were all brought together through Rainey’s archaeological expeditions. During the 1960s, Penn’s field projects were strategically positioned across the globe, with many trialing a novel technique or different device: Rainey launched a prototype submarine off the Turkish coast, magnetometers and sonic devices across Italy, resistivity in Mexico, and infrared aerial cameras over the Mediterranean. Archaeological innovation was tied to, and developed directly out of, US nuclear ambition and the leveraging of ‘peaceful’ atomic research, and American Cold War collaborations that united science, exploration, and culture for mutual benefit. Here we underscore the connectivities between diverse actors and activities, nuclear science, tech companies, private foundations, and philanthropists, coupled with the military and intelligence community.

Recent Research on the Archaeology of War and Violence

The mid-1990s through the first decade of the new millennium marked an increase in publications pertaining to war and violence in the ancient past. This review considers how scholars of the past decade have responded to that work. The emerging consensus is that war and violence were endemic to all societies studied by archaeologists, and yet the frequency, intensity, causes, and consequences of violence were highly variable for reasons that defy simplistic explanation. The general trend has been toward archaeologies of war and violence that focus on understanding the nuances of particular places and historical moments. Nevertheless, archaeologists continue to grapple with grand narratives of war, such as the proposition that violence has decreased from ancient to modern times and the role of war and violence in state formation and collapse. Recent research also draws attention to a more expansive definition of violence.

Decolonizing Ludlow: A Study in Participatory Archaeology

Anthropology and museum scholarship has benefited from using decolonizing methodologies. Professionals practicing a decolonizing methodology have recognized their historic roles in creating and perpetuating imperialist epistemologies and have actively worked to disengage from this practice and shift their approaches. However, archaeologists in industrial contexts have not generally engaged in research methodologies that utilize a decolonizing approach, even when the historical contexts suggest these methodologies may be appropriate. This paper illustrates the value in utilizing decolonizing methodologies in appropriate industrial contexts by focusing on the work of the Colorado Coalfield War Archaeology Project and the Ludlow Centennial Commemoration Commission.

The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields, by David R. Starbuck and The Archaeology of French and Indian War Frontier Forts, by Lawrence E. Babits and Stephanie Gandulla, eds.

<i>The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields</i>, by David R. Starbuck and <i>The Archaeology of French and Indian War Frontier Forts</i>, by Lawrence E. Babits and Stephanie Gandulla, eds.

The archaeology of World War II karst defences in the Pacific

ABSTRACT During World War II, the Japanese military, using either their own or civilian labour, excavated tunnels into the limestone of many Pacific islands and modified natural caves for use as command posts, hospitals, combat positions, storage, and shelter. Civilians also used caves to shelter themselves during the war. This article introduces the archaeology of WWII caves and tunnels referred to collectively as ‘karst defences.’ While karst defences exist across the Pacific, little is known about these sites both historically and archaeologically. Based on a study in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and analysis of karst defence construction and function, this article demonstrates that karst defence use extends beyond what has been described in historical accounts. The authors find that the sites in Saipan were used by three different groups of people and identifies distinct Japanese military and civilian sites and evidence of post-war use by the United States.

The archaeology of world war I tanks in the Ypres Salient (Belgium): A non‐invasive approach

AbstractIn the past decade, the research of archaeological remains from World War I has become mainstream. This article uses non‐destructive techniques to investigate the possible material remains of tank warfare in Belgium. During World War I, tanks were used for the first time as a ‘land battleship’ in order to break through the stalemate in the trenches. During the Battle of Messines and the Third Battle of Ypres (1917), tanks were used in Belgium to assist a large‐scale Allied offensive. The offensive was a complete failure and besides the terrible human cost, many of the tanks became derelict in so‐called ‘tank cemeteries’. This article combines historical information, contemporary historical aerial photographs and state‐of‐the‐art geophysical soil sensing to assess the distribution, density and possible material remains of the tank war. Aerial photo‐interpretation and geographic information system (GIS)‐mapping sheds new light on the location of 97 tank wrecks in the Ypres Salient. Two sites were selected for further geophysical research. By using electromagnetic induction, it was possible to identify the remains of five tanks as geophysical anomalies, which corresponds to a debris field spread. In this article, both non‐invasive and non‐destructive techniques will demonstrate the significant potential for investigating cases on a landscape scale without any intense interference of the highly disturbed topsoil.

Artifacts, Contested Histories, and Other Archaeological Hotspots

As a contemporary act, historical archaeology must interweave past and present. This happens in a wide variety of locales, including field sites, classrooms, laboratories, and public venues. At every node of practice the charged fields of prior knowledge and archaeological expertise intersect and sometimes clash. This article explores such hotspots as they relate to the archaeology of World War II, drawing on the author’s experience leading a community-engaged research project at Amache, the site of a Japanese American internment camp during the war. Such research provides the opportunity to collaborate, not just with descendants, but also with survivors, people who once lived at the site under study. Such situations energize historical archaeology, but also destabilize the discipline, calling into question some of the archaeologist’s most basic tools, including terminology. Thoughtful contemporary engagements, however, can create new opportunities to expand conceptual frameworks.

Archaeology of the War of 1812

Archaeology of the War of 1812

Are We Still Illyrians?

This paper examines the changing attitudes of young Albanian archaeologists to Albania’s archaeological heritage. As Cold War archaeologists retire and are replaced by a generation trained after the fall of communism, this paper asks how their different world perspective will influence the future direction of archaeology. Particular issues that are addressed are the perceived role of the Illyrians in national identity and the willingness of young archaeologists to embrace new types of heritage sites, such as industrial and Cold War archaeology. Examples of the latter are very prominent in the Albanian landscape, but their interpretation and incorporation into the national narrative are still contentious issues for many.

Archaeology of the War of 1812

Archaeology of the War of 1812

Relics of the Great War

From `archaeologists in the trenches to modern-day enthusiasts of the rich engineering heritage, First World War archaeology keeps uncovering more and more hidden secrets.

Book Review: Archaeology of the War of 1812, ed. by Michael T. Lucas and Julie M. Schablitsky

Archaeology of the War of 1812, ed. By Michael T. Lucas and Julie M. Schablitsky, 2014, Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek, CA, 337 pp., 15 chapters with bibliographies, 52 figures, 10 tables, index, $79.00 (cloth).

Arqueología de campos de batalla en Latinoamérica: apenas un comienzo

The following work aims at the recent development in a particular area of knowledge that receives several names: “conflict archaeology,” “violence archaeology” and “war archaeology” among others. The terms used by the area (conflict, violence, war) shall be reviewed and discussed. On the other hand, one of the topics comprised by those definitions will be specifically emphasized: “battlefield archaeology” in Latin America. As opposed to the Anglo-European world, archaeological research in this matter is still very limited. Cases can be reduced to a total of six in the battlefields of the entire region. Most of the research reviewed was conducted during the last decade (especially during the last five years). Case studies were reported in these countries: Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay. The aforementioned cases will be critically described.

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF WAR AND THE 5TH C. ‘INVASIONS’

This paper examines the extent to which warfare is particularly characteristic of the 5th c. and whether the typical scholarly focus on barbarian invasion in this period is justified by the evidence. It then examines the ways in which archaeological and literary evidence do and do not shed light on one another in the context of 5th c. warfare, taking a series of specific examples, including the re-occupation of high places in northern Spain, the ethnic interpretation of artefacts in Mesetan cemeteries, and the evidence of violence from Late Roman Emerita Augusta.

Arqueologia de la Guerra Civil: una aproximació des del seu ús didàctic

Des de l’any 2008 el Camp d’Aprenentatge de la Noguera, Servei Educatiu de la Generalitat de Catalunya, s’involucra en el projecte de recuperar la memòria d’un dels indrets que millor simbolitza el que va suposar la Guerra Civil a les Terres de Ponent, la posició defensiva del Merengue a Camarasa. Per desenvolupar aquesta tasca es va comptar amb la col·laboració de l’Associació d’Estudiosos del Front del Segre, que impulsa la localització i recuperació d’espais de memòria a la zona del cap de pont de Balaguer i jornades i exposicions amb l’objectiu de difondre i reflexionar sobre els llocs i els fets de la contesa bèl·lica. Vincular l’alumnat de 4t d’ESO i batxillerat als escenaris i moments cabdals de la història local a partir d’una sèrie de propostes didàctiques dissenyades per ser portades a la pràctica en els mateixos espais arqueològics, ha estat la contribució del Camp d’Aprenentatge de la Noguera a la feina realitzada. L’objectiu, potenciar l’empatia històrica, l’acció ciutadana, la capacitat crítica i desenvolupar la consciència històrica, tot posant en valor el patrimoni proper.El curs 2009-2010 es va portar a terme una activitat compartida entre centres escolars, l’Escola L’Àlber (Albesa) i la ZER del Montsec (Àger, Avellanes-Santa Linya, Gerb, Os de Balaguer i Tartareu), coordinats pel Camp d’Aprenentatge de la Noguera, en la qual l’alumnat de cicle mitjà i cicle superior d’un dels centres participants, convertits en grups d’experts, presentaven a l’alumnat de l’altre centre elements del patrimoni històric de l’entorn proper: la Vil·la Romana del Romeral (Albesa) i la Via Romana d’Àger. La proposta es va desenvolupar en el marc del Projecte l’Escola Adopta un Monument, que té com a objectiu primordial fer partícips els nens i les nenes del reconeixement, la divulgació i la protecció d’elements del seu patrimoni històric.

From the battlefield to the labour camp: archaeology of civil war and dictatorship in Spain

The author explores responses to political violence through the materiality of three aspects of the Civil War in Spain: military lines in the battle for Madrid, a concentration camp in Extremadura and a remote settlement of forced labourers and their families. He shows how archaeology's revelations reflect, qualify and enrich the story of human survival under the pall cast by a dictatorship. Sharing the inquiry with the public of today also revealed some of the disquieting mechanisms by which history is composed and how archaeology can be used to deconstruct it.