What can I say? I am a history buff, I teach history, I read historical fiction and non-fiction, and I am drawn to anything historical, including archaeology. When I go on trips, I drag my loving and understanding family, who luckily love history as much as I do, on any day-trip to do with history and archaeology. A trip to the dreaded theme park is usually my way of paying back this lovely service to my children.
One of the articles that caught my attention this week was about Treblinka. The article was about the documentary that I watched on the weekend, "Treblinka: Hitler's Killer Machine". Of all the concentration camps that existed, Treblinka had the reputation of being one of the worst, thousands being killed over a 16-month period. The Nazis however, destroyed the camp in 1943, and until today, little physical evidence actually existed about the camp. Forensic archaeologist Caroline Sturdy Colls, the leader of the project excavating the site,and her team have actually found mass graves as well as physical evidence that gas chambers existed. Treblinka was actually two camps whereby Treblinka I was a forced-labour camp where prisoners had to toil all day producing product for the Nazi effort while Treblinka II was a death camp with large gas chambers (one with a capacity of 600, the other with a capacity of 5000), using carbon
Most of the digging from Colls' team is currently taking place at the labour camp, using non-invasive measures out of respect for the Jewish traditions and laws that prohibit digging up grave sites. So far, they have found three large mass graves and have found bones, ammunition, and shoes on the surface around the camp. They use non-invasive laser techniques and other sophisticated techniques (lidar surveys, surface trenches and digging) to search for evidence.
Hello! I am dropping by from the A-Z Challenge to check out your blog! I have always been fascinated by achaeology and what we find from our past (and before) that teach us more about ourselves and the world around us. This post was fascinating! I'm glad I stopped by to read it, and I hope to stop by more often during the challenge!
ReplyDeleteAmanda @ Amanda's Nose in a Book
I too am fascinated by archaeology. My mom says that's why I enjoyed digging in the dirt so much as a child. LOL
DeleteI'd never heard of Treblinka before. People are capable of unthinkable evil when they turn away from God. I love history too, my only beef is when the writers focus on the suffering and don't seek the Light that came with it. There's beauty in every story, it's just a little harder to see sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI agree. There is always something to learn from every story, it's just a little more difficult to understand exactly what that is and why so many people had to suffer.
DeleteI hadn't heard of this camp before. It amazes me that so many died. An awful time in history.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Until I started teaching the subject, I had no idea there were so many camps. It's mind-boggling sometimes and downright frightening.
DeleteI have heard of Treblinka, though it doesn't get as much attention as Auschwitz. The Holocaust shows just how evil that evil can really be.
ReplyDeleteI was always fascinated by archaeology growing up. I still am, actually.
I think part of the reason it doesn't get as much attention is that it was razed to the ground in 1943 so there isn't much left, while a large part of Auschwitz is still standing.
DeleteGreat post! I'm stopping in from the A to Z Challenge. Nice to meet you! - www.margokelly.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to meet you too. I'm off to check out your blog.
Deletelike the others, Archaeology has always interested me, it must be very difficult for all involved with this particular 'dig' (as they aren't digging but using other equipment).
ReplyDeleteYes, according to the articles I read, they had to very respectful of the Jewish traditions, which is very understandable.
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