An Historical Archaeological Investigation of the Indianola Prisoner of War Camp

Summary

Second World War military operations resulted in the capture of thousands of prisoners of war and the creation of internment facilities by both the Axis and the Allies. Archaeologists have begun to examine these facilities around the world. The United States government established a POW program with numerous camps all over the country to house these prisoners. This paper provides the results of historical archaeological research at the Indianola prisoner of war camp in southwestern Nebraska. The investigation included archival research and archaeological fieldwork with metal detector survey and test excavation. This paper discusses the effectiveness of various methodological approaches to the study of internment and POW camps. Preliminary results indicate that prisoner areas were strictly policed and that camps were salvaged and reused after the war.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bring the Boys Back Home: War, Conflict, and Commemoration   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 387