American Battlefield Trust Joins Nonprofit to Offer Veterans 'Conflict Archaeology Field School' at Camden

(Camden, South Carolina) - The American Battlefield Trust is collaborating with the Historic Camden Foundation to bring veteran-led nonprofit American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) to an unexplored section of Revolutionary War battlefield and colonial settlement for an innovative “conflict archaeology field school” that will advance our understanding of the past and aid current-day veterans’ reintegration to civilian society. 

AVAR uses rehabilitation archaeology to support veterans who are experiencing service-related physical or mental health disabilities, positioning them alongside professional archaeologists on research projects that may lead to discoveries that help better interpret the battles and warriors of centuries past. The Trust has supported a number of AVAR projects to date, but this will be the first time it welcomes the group to land it has directly protected or makes use of the field school format for training in the subject. The session in Camden will run for approximately four weeks, beginning in late January.  

“The Trust has long been proud to support AVAR’s important mission, which demonstrates multiple ways in which preserved battlefields remain impactful: as a means for us to deepen our understanding of the past through tangible exploration and as a venue for the betterment of the mental and physical wellbeing of veterans,” said organization President David Duncan. “Bringing AVAR to Trust-protected land for the first time, instead of helping support their work alongside the National Park Service, as we have done previously, is especially fulfilling.” 

While all excavations are research-focused, field schools offer a more formal training program. The innovative non-profit partnership behind this field school, focused specifically on protecting battlefields, presents a unique transitional opportunity for veterans.  The Camden field school will impart the technical skills that will allow veterans to carry out professional fieldwork but will also leverage AVAR’s extensive experience to provide bespoke training on adapting from the military to the archaeological work environment.  Furthermore, while high costs of field schools often present a barrier to entry, this partnership is absorbing the cost for veterans participating in the field school at Camden. 

“The military has a long history of contributing to the field of archaeology and we have found that work on battlefields, where our veterans can find a profound connection to the subject matter on hallowed ground, is particularly meaningful to our participants,” said AVAR CEO Stephen Humphreys. “We are so grateful that our long and fruitful relationship with the Trust will now bring us to Camden for this first-of-its kind program.”   

The project’s announcement this week comes in conjunction with the meeting of the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission, preparing for the upcoming 250th anniversary, in Camden. Organizers have the opportunity to scout the project area and meet community allies positioned to support the effort.    

The two-part archaeological exploration will take place on the Camden Battlefield, including on portions of a 294-acre property preserved by the Trust as part of its Liberty Trail initiative alongside the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, as well as another location within Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, one of South Carolina’s largest heritage tourism attractions. By utilizing two sites with different attributes — one urban excavation and one field survey — participants will cultivate a wider array of functional skills.   

“We are thrilled to welcome AVAR to Camden to help deepen our understanding of these unique historic resources and to show these wonderful veterans the hospitality of our community,” said Cary Briggs, executive director the Historic Camden Foundation. “This is a collaboration that showcases the unique attributes of our outdoor classroom.”  

In addition to AVAR staff, the field school will be supported by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). Under its auspices, work has previously been done on portions of the battlefield, but the field school areas, by virtue of their more recent preservation, have not yet been explored. Researchers believe that Camden’s long lack of attention as a major Patriot loss has kept the Trust-owned property relatively untouched by relic hunters, making it an ideal opportunity to engage in archaeological research.  

“Archaeology is a tangible way to interact with the past and it’s inspiring to see AVAR’s participants feel a profound connection to the soldiers of past centuries who fought on this land,” said Steve Smith of SCIAA. “The passion and insight these graduates will bring to our field cannot be overstated.” 

The Battle of Camden was a brutal defeat for the Americans early in the impactful Southern Campaigns of the Revolution. After capturing Charleston in May 1780, British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis established a garrison at Camden to control the South Carolina backcountry. A Continental army under General Horatio Gates came south in response and the armies made contact north of Camden early on August 16. A flawed battle array pitted Gates’s inexperienced Virginia militia against regiments of veteran British regulars, who launched a devastating bayonet assault. Their flight also carried the North Carolina militia, but Continental Regulars from Maryland and Delaware withstood the onslaught until nearly surrounded. As was typical following a Revolutionary War battle, many of the dead were buried near where they fell. Last year, after erosion threatened to expose them, 12 sets of such remains were reinterred in modern Camden cemeteries.  

During past expeditions, AVAR has directed three fieldwork sessions to identify the 1813 Battle of Medina site in Texas (2022-2023), as well as six Defense Department POW/MIA Accounting Agency projects in England and Sicily aimed at recovering the remains of missing WWII-service members. On multiple occasions and often with Trust support, they have worked at National Park Service sites like Saratoga National Historical Park (2019, 2021), Jumonville Glen at Fort Necessity National Battlefield (2023), Glendale at Richmond National Battlefields Park (2023) and Minute Man National Historical Park (2024).  AVAR veteran teams also carry out a range of professional archaeological fieldwork, much of it on conflict sites.   

About the American Battlefield Trust:  From a grassroots organization started by historians 30 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into one of the most successful private heritage land preservation organizations in the nation. The Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, representing more than 160 sites in 25 states. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of history as a means to fully understand our rights and responsibilities as Americans.  Learn more at www.battlefields.org.  

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