The use of photography to contextualize archaeological finds from the Holocaust

Summary

Studying the Holocaust from an archaeological perspective is a relatively new line of investigation, yet it is very important as many of these camps were hidden by the Nazis to conceal incriminating evidence. There may be knowledge of them, perhaps a few documents or survivors, but what happens when they die? What evidence will we have left concerning their resources, activities, or life conditions? The work done by archaeologists that study the material culture can help put the pieces together and reconstruct the life of these people. The goal of this presentation is to use documentary records, focusing on photography, to contextualize archaeological finds in order to better understand the life conditions of the people who were confined in these camps. Which of the surviving artifacts can evidence their way of life? Archaeology can bring new information concerning the items that were commonly used, what for, and under which circumstances.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016   •
• Current Multidisciplinary Research Approaches in Historical Archaeology

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 719