Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Human Systems Research
Hembrillo Battlefield

Karl Laumbach surveys the Hembrillo Battlefield on WSMR from a limestone Apache breastwork. Victorio Peak is in the center background.

Over the course of 10 years, archaeologists conducted a metal-detecting reconnaissance of over 900 acres of rugged terrain. The topography of the battlefield was mapped by Jim Wakeman of Las Cruces using the global positioning system (GPS). Over 800 cartridges were collected and their locations marked on the ground with numbered aluminum tags.

Doug Scott, an archaeologist for the National Park Service, volunteered to perform a firing pin/extractor mark analysis on the cartridges. This police style forensic analysis told us which cartridges were fired from the same weapon and what type of weapon it was (e.g. Sharps, 1866 Springfield, Remington, etc.) Doug's analysis revealed that the 800 cartridges had been fired from 147 different rifles and carbines and 39 separate pistols.

The archaeological and historical documentation of this battlefield was a dream project, one that only comes once in a lifetime. To find the remains of a battle of this magnitude relatively intact is rare. But it was the immeasurable support from so many in so many ways that brought this projection to fruition.

A dedicated group of some 59 volunteers helped locate and document the artifacts. Modern surveying and mapping techniques facilitated by the Global Positioning System and implemented by the hard work of Jim Wakeman and his associates allowed each artifact to be mapped within 10 cm of its location. Historical research from Bob Hart, Charles Kenner, Allen Radbourne, and Karl Laumbach provided a revisionist historical context from which to view the battle.

When Doug Scott's forensic analysis of cartridges was applied to the map and the data entered into a Geographic Information System (GIS), the battlefield study became positively dynamic as cartridges from a particular weapon could be tracked across the 900-acre battlefield on a computer screen.

Bob Burton, White Sands Missile Range Archaeologist, had the good judgment and persistence to make this project a reality for all to enjoy. It was fun to investigate this event. However, battles are rarely enjoyed by the participants and the history and circumstances surrounding the battle are sobering and bear reflection today.

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