The Archaeology of Mass Crimes

This book explores the material traces of mass crimes committed by Nazi Germans in Gdansk Pomerania, Poland, during the Second World War, offering a unique archaeological perspective on these atrocities and their enduring impact on social memory.

This book is the first example of using an archaeological approach to study the material traces of mass crimes in Gdansk Pomerania and the social memory of these tragic events. The work is based on several years of intensive desk and field research, which led to the discovery of the remains of about 1,000 victims and the recovery of thousands of pieces of material evidence of the crimes. The applied research methodology and data analysis used within the book are informed by dozens of ethnographic interviews, participant observations and the analysis of several thousand historical documents. The monograph highlights the achievements of Polish archaeology of the contemporary past and introduces a new framework for perceiving and examining mass crimes from the Second World War. The active, inclusive, social and cultural value of archaeology in the context of investigation of mass crimes is part of the theoretical and practical framework of the book.

Providing a comprehensive resource for anyone seeking to explore the intersection of archaeology, history, and the legacy of mass crimes, this book is intended for students and researchers of archaeology, history, cultural anthropology and forensic anthropology interested in mass crimes, mass graves, the Second World War, and the materiality and social memory of historical atrocities.