Battlespace: Battlefield Archaeological Applications of Modern Strategic Training Models

Summary

As conflict archaeologists have developed techniques for documenting where and how battles took place, battlefield research has moved from documentation and description of past warfare to behavioral and experience assessment of those who were involved. To understand the actions of combatants, archaeologists need conceptual tools that can explain the physical record of conflict. Battlespace is a conceptual tool that has the potential to aid in that explanation. As presented in modern military training literature, battlespace is a descriptive term that refers to the environment and landscape conditions that must be understood to successfully apply combat power to complete a military mission. As a conceptual means of dealing with conflict, battlespace may help archaeologists appreciate the diverse factors that have shaped past conflict situations. The archaeological battlespace model is applied to two conflict sites in western Nebraska to illustrate the model’s utility to conflict investigation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digging With The National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program - New Battlefield Research To Start The Next 100 Years   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 127