The Archaeology of Cultural Genocide: A Forensic Turn in Holocaust Studies?

Whilst historians have discussed cultural genocide during the Holocaust, the subject has received less attention from forensic investigators and archaeologists. This is in spite of the fact that cultural genocide directly relates to material remains, the built environment and heritage. It is also in spite of the fact that in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of forensic and archaeological investigations at Holocaust sites. This paper provides a timely assessment of approaches to the investigation of cultural genocide and an examination of the potential for a “forensic turn” in this topic. It will demonstrate how investigating sites of cultural genocide offers the opportunity to enhance knowledge of crimes perpetrated during the Holocaust and recover evidence of societies who, as a direct result of both physical and cultural genocide, were diminished, eradicated and/or forgotten

Advances in the Use of Technology within European Jewish Cemeteries

Last fall Vilnius hosted an international conference on cemetery research. Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls, conference participant and Associate Professor of Forensic Archaeology and Genocide Investigation at Staffordshire University, United Kingdom, agreed to share her knowledge with our readers

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’ (Hobsbawn 1994), due to the large number of cases of genocide and human rights abuses during ‘conflict time’ (Baille 2012). In some countries, systematic methodologies have been developed in order to locate the bodies of missing persons, resulting in the successful identification and re-internment 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

‘Earth Conceal Not My Blood’: Forensic and Archaeological Approaches to Locating Human Remains of Holocaust Victims.

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

Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions

Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions aims to move archaeological research concerning the Holocaust forward through a discussion of the variety of the political, social, ethical and religious issues that surround investigations of this period and by considering how to address them. It considers the various reasons why archaeological investigations may take place and what issues will be brought to bear when fieldwork is suggested. It presents an interdisciplinary methodology in order to demonstrate how archaeology can (uniquely) contribute to the history of this period. Case examples are used throughout the book in order to contextualise prevalent themes and a variety of geographically and typologically diverse sites throughout Europe are discussed. This book challenges many of the widely held perceptions concerning the Holocaust, including the idea that it was solely an Eastern European phenomena centred on Auschwitz and the belief that other sites connected to it were largely destroyed or are well-known. The typologically , temporally and spatial diverse body of physical evidence pertaining to this period is presented and future possibilities for investigation of it are discussed. Finally, the volume concludes by discussing issues relating to the “re-presentation” of the Holocaust and the impact of this on commemoration, heritage management and education. This discussion is a timely one as we enter an age without survivors and questions are raised about how to educate future generations about these events in their absence

The Heart of Terror: A Forensic and Archaeological Assessment of the Old Gas Chambers at Treblinka

At the extermination camp at Treblinka in Poland, the Nazis murdered between 900,000 to one million people. When they abandoned the camp in 1943, they tried to hide the traces of their crimes. This resulted in the popular perception that the camp had been destroyed and no systematic attempt was made to locate the evidence of the crimes or to find the graves of the victims. However, this paper will outline how historical and archaeological research has demonstrated that a considerable amount of evidence from the camp does survive. The results of search for the first (old) gas chambers at Treblinka will be outlined and it will be demonstrated how, through the use of a range of interdisciplinary state-of-the-art techniques, a more accurate picture of the camp is emerging. The implications of this work for enhancing education, commemorative and visitor experiences will also be discussed

Holocaust Archaeology: Archaeological Approaches to Landscapes of Nazi Genocide and Persecution

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

Tormented Alderney: archaeological investigations of the Nazi labour and concentration camp of Sylt.

Following the evacuation of Alderney, a network of labour and SS concentration camps were built on British soil to house foreign labourers. Despite government-led investigations in 1945, knowledge concerning the history and architecture of these camps remained limited. This article reports on the findings of forensic archaeological investigations which sought to accurately map Sylt labour and concentration camp the for the first time using non-invasive methods and 3D reconstructive techniques. It also demonstrates how these findings have provided the opportunity – alongside historical sources – to examine the relationships between architecture, the landscape and the experiences of those housed there

Finding Treblinka: Artists Respond

“Finding Treblinka: Artists Respond” features the work of six artists who have responded to the archaeological findings at Treblinka extermination and labour camps. This exhibition represents an innovative collaboration between artists and archaeologists who have sought to find alternative ways to present scientific and historical information to a wider audience. It accompanied "Finding Treblinka: An Exhibition of Forensic Archaeological Research" at the Museum of Struggle and Martyrdom in Treblinka from August 2015 until March 2016