Student Contributions in the Archaeology of Buffalo Soldiers

 

Figure 1: Slab-lined oven box, originally created by the Apache (Source: National Park Service)

The ability to explore one’s history is a privilege, and Howard University, an Historically Black College and University, and Haskell University, an American Indian University, students were provided that opportunity in the early 2000s.  Through a cooperative project cosponsored by the National Park Service (NPS) students from both universities, as well as Mescalero Apache high school students, volunteers, and NPS staff undertook a historical and archaeological investigation in the Guadalupe Mountains, which run along the Texas-New Mexico border.  Their goal was to better understand what occurred at the Pine Springs Camp, a site that had been occupied by Buffalo Soldiers and Apache groups fighting during the Apache Wars that occurred in the late 19^th century.  This blog post will provide a brief overview of the role of the Buffalo Soldiers in the US military and during the Apache Wars, the history and discoveries made at the Pine Springs Camp site, and the impacts of this project on Howard University students.

 

In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln, abolishing slavery and freeing enslaved Blacks across America.  This resulted in a series of social changes that particularly impacted Blacks.  With their newfound freedom many immediately moved on to secure new opportunities available to them, but for those who were already fighting in or had fought in the Civil War the choice was easy: continuing serving in the United States military.  Many reenlisted and joined the newly formed African American units: the 9^th, 10^th, 24^th, and 25^th Calvary Units.  These units were stationed throughout the American Southwest for the specific purpose of monitoring, patrolling, and safeguarding the territories for White settlers, miners, businesspeople, and others.  This meant that thousands of American Indians who had either been previously resettled or who claimed these lands as their original homelands were going to be forcibly relocated.  Frustrated and fed up many took to fighting to preserve their homelands and cultures, igniting what later became known as the Apache Wars.  This conflict lasted 25 years, and at the forefront of the American military’s campaign was the African American Calvary Units, who were dubbed the Buffalo Soldiers.  The Buffalo Soldiers’ impact during the war is well known and highly awarded as they earned 23 medals of honor for their efforts during this conflict.

 

While their efforts are recorded historically there is a lot yet unknown about the specifics of the battles and ways of life of both the Buffalo Soldiers and the Apache who fought in the conflict.  A series of archaeological investigations have been conducted.  In the 1970s a group of field school students under the supervision of the Texas Archaeological Society surveyed an area in Guadalupe Mountains, identifying several features and artifacts at the Pine Springs Camp site.  Their initial investigations identified a small area that was later reexamined in 1997 and 1998 by NPS Staffer Charles Haecker, who reaffirmed the original survey results and located additional artifacts.  Neither investigation, however, was complete since they were both surveys. 

 

In the early 2000s the NPS launched a collaborative program, the Warriors Project. between Howard University and Haskell University to further the investigations of the site and incorporate African American and American Indian students to come together to discuss their mutually shared histories.  Students at both universities initially undertook historical research to better understand the intricacies of the site and the Apache Wars conflict.  Upon completion of this research Howard University students completed a two-week field school experience in which they resurveyed and mapped the site.  Their hard work identified that the initial site boundaries were inaccurate.  The site was actually 60 acres in size, and there were several features, including camp site fires, remnants of tent slabs, a wagon road, and more, that demonstrated occupation and use by Buffalo Soldiers and American Indian fighters.

 

Over the next couple of years Howard University students were joined by Mescalero Apache high school students, volunteers, and NPS staff as they excavated parts of the site.  They discovered many artifacts that provided important insights into what life was like in the Pine Spring Camp.  They discovered that the Buffalo Soldiers relied on food rations but also hunted and fished, as evidenced by repurposed horseshoe nails turned into fish hooks and animal bones demonstrating butchery marks.  They also imbibed in alcoholic beverages based on the bottles left behind.  The Buffalo Soldiers set up camps under naturally heated underground water channels, enabling them to better survive the cold desert nights.  They constructed bridges and roads to allow for better travel of wagons.  They also built temporary structures that housed the commanding officers, a blacksmith workshop, and a small makeshift hospital.  There was also evidence of what life was like for the Apache Indians, too.  They repurposed several modern items into new products (e.g., glass bottles into scrapers and metal cans into cone jingles); there was evidence of wickiup rings, which are foundation stones for temporary structures; and either reused or built new slab ovens for baking food (Figure 1).

 

Overall, the project was deemed a success for Howard University students.  Several Howard University students went on to produce a variety of presentations and publications about what they learned from their excavations and associated research and analysis.  Many of these students went on to graduate school and have since landed prestigious positions in both the public and private sectors.  One Howard University communications student involved in the project produced a documentary film on the project and history of the site, which received awards and is now shown at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Visitors Center.  Ultimately, the most important aspects of this collaborative project were the cross-cultural exchanges of knowledge and traditions among the students and volunteers.  They learned about the Apache cultures, their Indigenous languages, and all shared histories and learned from each other.  These lessons enriched the experiences for all involved, as well as provided more information about the histories of the Buffalo Soldiers and the Apache.

 

Similar opportunities as experienced by the Howard University and Haskell University students are available at Lincoln University (MO).  Students interested in pursuing anthropological research projects need only speak with Dr. Boston to learn about the opportunities available to them. 

 

Bibliography

King, Eleanor. "Archaeology and the Warriors Project: Exploring a Buffalo Soldier Campsite in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas." Harmon, David. People, Places, and Parks: Proceedings of the 2005 George Wright Society Conference on Parks, Protected Areas, and Cultural Sites. Hancock, MI: The George Wright Society, 2005. 475-481. Print.

King, Eleanor M. "Buffalo Soldiers, Apaches, and Cultural Heritage Education." Heritage Management (2008): 219-241. Print.

King, Eleanor. "The Archeology of Buffalo Soldiers and Apaches in the Southwest." 8 August 2018. National Park Service. Electronic. 15 December 2021.