The Battlefield Archaeology of King Philip’s (1675-1676) Wars: New Perspectives on Indigenous Leadership, Alliance Building, Strategies, and Sactics

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "In Times of War and Conflict: An Exploration of New Sites, Methodologies, and Interpretations at Sites of Conflict in the New England Region.", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Battlefield Archaeology is concerned with the causes of conflict, sites where conflict took place, the archaeology of the event, and interpreting conflicts in a wider cultural and historical framework. The Battle of Great Falls / Wissantinnewag-Peskeompskut took place on May 19, 1676, in upper Connecticut Valley. The battle was one of the most significant in King Philip’s War as it led to the dissolution of the Native Coalition and marked the beginning of the end of the war three months later. Approximately six miles and 300 acres of the battlefield have been surveyed and over 1,500 battle related artifacts. Document research and battlefield surveys have provided considerable insight into Coalition strategies and tactics during the battle and throughout the war.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• In Times of War and Conflict: An Exploration of New Sites, Methodologies, and Interpretations at Sites of Conflict in the New England Region.

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow