Professor participates in research at Gettysburg battlefield

Morehead State University’s Dr. Adrian Mandzy, associate professor of history, took part in a battlefield survey of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, Pa., in February. As one of the most iconic events of the pivotal battle of the American Civil War, the battle has been commemorated in popular films for over a century.

In recent years, scrub brush has grown in front of the Little Round Top, which blocks the view of this central battlefield location. Millions of tourist visit Gettysburg each year and to maintain the landscape, the National Park Service will conduct a controlled burn of the area. In order to access what damage such a controlled burn will do to the historical resources connected with the battlefield, a small group of scholars worked at the site for two days.

“This was truly a wonderful once in a life time experience,” said Dr. Mandzy.

Dr. Mandzy, who teaches European and public history, has directed similar research projects on various battlefields in the United States and Europe. In the spring of 2015, he conducted a survey at the 1864 Crater Battlefield at Petersburg, Virginia, with MSU history students. With the support of MSU’s Camden-Carroll Library, students have had an opportunity to work with the artifacts recovered from the Crater Battlefield for the past two years.

The Gettysburg research project was developed in part by Doug Scott, the father of battlefield archaeology, who is best known for his groundbreaking work at the Little Big Horn. According to Joel Dukes, Park Service archaeologist and project director, such studies “have helped improve our understanding – and in some cases have helped rewrite – what is known about those events."

For additional information about academic programs and opportunities available in the Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, International and Legal Studies, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/hpil.

Pictured above: Project Team on site at Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.