America's Hidden Battlefields Protecting the Archeological Story
Archeological evidence is fragile
Antietam Battlefield, Sharpsburg, Maryland, on the morning of September 17, 1862.Archeological evidence on battlefields is fragile and is easily damaged or destroyed. Bulldozers grading fields, relic-hunters digging for treasure, and even well-meaning battlefield visitors walking in restricted areas can cause damage to the hidden battlefield and thus lessen our ability to learn more about the battle.
Day's end left more than 23,000 men killed, wounded, or missing.Without meaning to do harm, many visitors feel the need to collect artifacts from the historic battlefields they visit. They pick up objects from the ground in order to own a little bit of history. They may not realize that our ability to learn more about the battle from these artifacts also depends upon knowing precisely where on the battlefield the artifacts were discovered. So, taking souvenirs for one’s own may be tempting, but it is wrong and is, in many cases, against the law. Even a planned archeological excavation unavoidably removes this crucial physical evidence from the scene.
Systematic archeological survey at Piper Farm reveals important information about the Battle of Antietam.As a result, archeologists write detailed notes, draw accurate maps, take numerous photographs, and create extensive catalogs of recovered artifacts as they conduct their excavations – all to preserve the evidence and allow us to discover its full meaning.
Today, archeologists rely increasingly on noninvasive, remote-sensing technologies to locate archeological resources in the field. Ground-penetrating radar, proton magnetometers, soil-resistivity meters, and other similar instruments measure variations in subsurface deposits to indicate man-made features and objects. This modern technology allows archeologists to make much more careful, efficient, and strategic decisions about when and where excavation is necessary.
Protecting Archeological Evidence
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