Caroline Sturdy Colls

Holocaust archaeology : archaeological approaches to landscapes of Nazi genocide and persecution

AbstractDebate concerning the events of the Holocaust is well embedded in the historical discourse and, thus, clearly defined narratives of this period exist. However, in most European countries the Holocaust has only recently begun to be considered in terms of its surviving archaeological remains and landscapes, and the majority of known sites are still ill-defined and only partially understood from both spatial structural points of view. Additionally, thousands of sites across Europe remain unmarked, whilst the locations of others have been forgotten altogether. Such a situation has arisen as a result of a number of political, social, ethical, and religious factors which, coupled with the scale of the crimes, has often inhibited systematic search. This paper details the subsequent development and application of a non-invasive archaeological methodology aimed at rectifying this situation and presents a case for the establishment of Holocaust archaeology as a sub-discipline of conflict studies. In particu...Abstract Debate concerning the events of the Holocaust is well embedded in the historical discourse and, thus, clearly defined narratives of this period exist. However, in most European countries the Holocaust has only recently begun to be considered in terms of its surviving archaeological remains and landscapes, and the majority of known sites are still ill-defined and only partially understood from both spatial structural points of view. Additionally, thousands of sites across Europe remain unmarked, whilst the locations of others have been forgotten altogether. Such a situation has arisen as a result of a number of political, social, ethical, and religious factors which, coupled with the scale of the crimes, has often inhibited systematic search. This paper details the subsequent development and application of a non-invasive archaeological methodology aimed at rectifying this situation and presents a case for the establishment of Holocaust archaeology as a sub-discipline of conflict studies. In particular, the importance of moving away from the notion that the presence of historical sources precludes the need for the collection of physical evidence is stressed, and the humanitarian, scientific, academic, and commemorative value of exploring this period is considered.

Reconstructing a Painful Past: A Non-Invasive Approach to Reconstructing Lager Norderney in Alderney, the Channel Islands

Visual technology represents a powerful tool that can invoke a sense of place in a virtual world and bring the results of archaeological surveys into public consciousness. Such techniques are particularly useful when excavation is impractical or not permitted. This chapter outlines the results of the investigations on the site of the former labour camp of Lager Norderney in the Channel Islands. In the past, opinions concerning the site have revolved around the perception that it was destroyed. Archaeological survey has demonstrated that this is not the case and the presentation of these findings through digital means has offered new insights into their form, function and surviving extent without ground disturbance. By employing a methodology that addresses all of the physical and cultural layers associated with this painful period of history, it has been possible to generate resources that mitigate against some of the issues surrounding the investigation of the site.

Taboo and sensitive heritage: labour camps, burials and the role of activism in the Channel Islands.

This work was supported by both the British Academy [grant number SG142541] and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research (for the fieldwork in Jersey) and Staffordshire University (for the fieldwork in Alderney).

Uncovering a Painful Past: Archaeology and the Holocaust

Abstract Places connected to the Holocaust, and the physical evidence that lies within them, survive as reminders of the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis. Both the treatment of these sites and attitudes towards them have varied considerably in the years since the Second World War. In recent years, a number of archaeological investigations have been instigated by curators at Holocaust sites in a direct attempt to enhance visitor experiences and education programmes. Archaeologists have initiated investigations at other forgotten and dilapidated sites in an attempt to raise awareness of these places. This paper will discuss two case study sites where archaeological investigations have been undertaken and where attempts have been made to inform conservation, heritage management, and education strategies. It will highlight the various challenges that may arise in the course of developing dissemination tools and discuss strategies that have been adopted to account for them. Specifically it will focus on how archaeologists can present novel means by which to locate, record, and re-present the physical evidence of the Holocaust and how they can tell the stories of difficult heritage sites even when traditional forms of memorialization/muzealization is not wanted or practical.AbstractPlaces connected to the Holocaust, and the physical evidence that lies within them, survive as reminders of the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis. Both the treatment of these sites and attitudes towards them have varied considerably in the years since the Second World War. In recent years, a number of archaeological investigations have been instigated by curators at Holocaust sites in a direct attempt to enhance visitor experiences and education programmes. Archaeologists have initiated investigations at other forgotten and dilapidated sites in an attempt to raise awareness of these places. This paper will discuss two case study sites where archaeological investigations have been undertaken and where attempts have been made to inform conservation, heritage management, and education strategies. It will highlight the various challenges that may arise in the course of developing dissemination tools and discuss strategies that have been adopted to account for them. Specifically it will focus on how arch...

Missing Persons: An Introduction

Many people go missing each year, and their fate often remains unknown. In Europe, approximately 250,000 children are reported missing annually (Missing Person, n.d.). In the USA, 84,136 active missing person records were maintained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) on December 31, 2013 (NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics for 2013). About 35,000 individuals are reported missing in Australia on an annual basis (Australian Federal Police, n.d.).

Earth conceal not my blood

Millions of people are known to have died during the Holocaust. The remains of some have been found, but the remains of the majority have not. Only a handful of investigations have been carried out at Holocaust sites by archaeologists, the majority in the last decade but few have included the search for graves. This situation presents something of a paradox: why do corpses form a central part of Holocaust iconography and yet they remain illusive in the physical sense? Why haven’t large-scale searches for Holocaust victims been carried out? How is it possible that the remains of so many people have not been found? How might we go about finding them in the future? Through the presentation of a case study from the author’s own research, this paper will consider these questions and highlight the challenges that archaeologists will likely face should they choose to investigate Holocaust sites in the future. It will be shown how, providing these challenges are addressed, it will be possible to locate previously unmarked sites, characterize burial environments, examine human remains, and shed new light on practices of killing and body disposal.

The Investigation of Historic Missing Persons Cases: Genocide and ‘Conflict Time’ Human Rights Abuses

The twentieth century has been described as the ‘age of extremes’ (The age of extremes: The short 20th century, 1914–1991, Abacus, London, 1994) due to the large number of cases of genocide and human rights abuses during ‘conflict time’ (Memorials and ‘conflict-time’ in the contested city of Vukovar, Association of Critical Heritage Studies Inaugural Conference, University of Gothenburg, 2012). In some countries, systematic methodologies have been developed in order to locate the bodies of missing persons, resulting in the successful identification and reinternment of these remains. However, there are many cases in which the victims of genocide and human rights abuses are still missing decades and even centuries after the crimes were perpetrated. This chapter will consider: the various reasons why search and recovery programmes might not be undertaken in relation to historic genocide and human rights abuses; some of the political, social, ethical, cultural and religious issues that practitioners attempting to engage in such investigations should consider prior to formal initiation of an enquiry; and the range of interdisciplinary techniques that can now be drawn upon to locate body deposition sites.

The Role of Forensic Archaeology in Missing Persons Investigations

Forensic archaeology has emerged as a distinct discipline over the past three decades, although its value was recognized as early as the 1970s. Today, forensic archaeologists assist with domestic outdoor scenes, fire scenes, in the search and excavation of mass graves, in the recovery of remains from past wars and conflicts, and in mass fatality incidents. The application of archaeological methods to outdoor forensic scenes includes the search, location, excavation, and recovery of human remains and other kinds of forensic evidence. Forensic archaeology has been integral to the investigations of missing persons cases, and practitioners are often called upon to assist with the recovery of human remains and forensic evidence from surface-scattered scenes, clandestine graves, fire scenes, and large-scale mass disaster scenes. This chapter provides a general overview of forensic archaeological methods and also discusses innovations in the analysis of outdoor scenes and fire scenes.

Physical Evidence of the Holocaust

This chapter explores the European Holocaust landscape and the physical evidence pertaining to it. It will discuss commonly identified site typologies but it will also consider new typologies and lesser-studied evidence. The range of different evidence types are discussed from a macro to a micro scale. Ultimately, this chapter argues that Holocaust sites should not be seen as isolated entities but it should instead be acknowledged that they form part of a wider network of sites and material remains, an understanding of which has the potential to considerably increase our understanding of this period.

Archaeologies of Life, Work and Death

This chapter examines how the physical evidence of the Holocaust recorded during archaeological surveys can reveal individual and collective stories. It will be demonstrated how archaeology can confirm or challenge historical information and facilitate the creation of new narratives concerning the events of this period. Furthermore, it is shown that the sites and assemblages of physical evidence from this period can be viewed as a ‘material witness’ to the crimes that were perpetrated, as products of forced labour, as cemeteries and as symbols of genocide and prejudice. The role of archaeology in the identification of individuals is also considered.