North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics
Abstract/Summary:
Project Name: Last Stand Hill horse cemetery;
Reference: Scott, Douglas D. (2002). Archeological Investigations of the "Horse Cemetery" Site, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
DeVore Steven L. (2002). Search for the Horse Burial Pit: Conductivity and Magnetic Gradient Investigations at Last Stand Hill, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Submitted to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Crow Agency, Montana.
Nickel, Robert K. (2001). A Ground-Penetrating Radar Search for a Horse Burial Pit Associated with the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Submitted to the Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
In February 2002, the Midwest Archeological Center (MWAC) staff and consultant conducted geophysical investigations in an area suspected of containing the remains of the calvary horses killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876. Originally, the horse burial pit was uncovered during the 1941 trenching operation for an overflow pipe for a water tank. The Superintendent of the monument reported the discovery of the pit and its remains to his superiors in the National Park Service and to the Army. He suspected that the feature might contain the remains of as many as 50 horses. With the construction of the Indian Memorial north of the 7th Calvary Monument on Last Stand Hill, plans called for the construction of an access sidewalk from the present parking lot around the slope of the ridge out to the Indian Memorial. Although the development of a pedestrian trail should not threaten the archeological feature, ambiguity about the exact nature of this feature, its location, and whether or not it had been excavated in the 1940s prompted the park Superintendent to request an assessment by the Midwest Archeological Center. Under the direction of Dr. Douglas Scott (MWAC), Steven DeVore (MWAC), and Robert Nickel (consultant) used three geophysical instruments to search for the horse burial pit. A magnetic gradient survey, a conductivity survey, and a ground-penetrating radar survey were conducted along the edge of the road opposite the parking lot and 7th Calvary Memorial. Geophysical anomalies identified during the survey appear to relate to the 20th century park use and visitation of the area. Subsequent excavations in the summer of 2002 indicated that the horse burial pit was located just outside of the north side of the present geophysical investigations.