Beth Timmins is a news correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe battlefields of the Falkland Islands have been surveyed by archaeologists.
In the 1982 war, there were a number of Argentine defensive positions that were documented.
The team has mapped the fortifications.
Personal items and equipment have been recovered to try to understand what happened.
These objects include cooking stands made from fencing wire, cut up oil drums to build shelters, and bomb fragments.
There were pairs of shoes hidden in rock crevices in some of the Argentines' temporary fortifications.
The project co-director and Oxford University archaeologist Dr Tim Clack said that the footwear was inappropriate for the weather and terrain of the Falklands.
Image source, Beth TimminsHe said that studying the memories of veterans along with historical sources and the archaeological remains would give a unique and enhanced understanding of events.
The project is a partnership between Oxford University, Glasgow University, Waterloo Uncovered and the National Trust.
British army veterans and an artist are just some of the people who have gotten involved.
The project was designed to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder come to terms with their experiences.
Image source, FWMP There was a place where the war ended. The Argentine force surrendered when the British captured the heights above Port Stanley.
The high ground in front of the capital was where the Argentines had been for two and a half months prior to this final engagement.
The archaeological team found a lot of metal, including fence wire and railway track, sleeping bags, blankets, and entrenching tools that spoke to the shift from a nomadic lifestyle to a fighting lifestyle.
Image source, FWMPThe survey proved that the positions taken up by the Argentine 5th Marine Battalion were more extensive than previously thought.
He said that the survey made it clear that events on other battlefields had an effect on the Argentine defence of Tumbledown.
Prof Tony Pollard from Glasgow said that there is still a lot of material out there and that it has stories to tell.
He said the team was able to plot the footsteps of those who fought across that incredibly rugged terrain because of the archaeological evidence.
Image source, FWMPA detailed drone survey of a number of areas of the battlefield was undertaken by the team.
Three-dimensional models of a number of structures are being created.
Dr Stuart Eve said that this would allow it to "simulate the different fields of fire" and record the conditions of the campaign.
Dr Eve said that the models and the surveyed data act as a digital archive of the condition of the battlefield and the remains.
The harsh climate of the Falklands has taken its toll. It doesn't help.
There was evidence of illegally excavated Argentine Bunker.
We won't know what was found and taken by those that took it upon themselves to dig on the battlefield without permission.
Image source, FWMP War vets have never done an archaeological survey of their own battlefield.
It was John's first visit to the Falklands since he fought in the battle for Tumbledown.
He said that being part of the project and facing a few demons has been a life-changing experience.
It has been very hard and enjoyable, just like the four seasons in one day in the Falklands.
Jim had been to the islands four times before the fieldwork. The project helped him get through the journey.
He said that the project gave him a bigger picture of what happened in the area.
Image source, FWMPLieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Rod Eldridge from Waterloo Uncovered assisted the project in his capacity as a mental health professional and said the archaeological work helped support the veterans' new and updated appraisals of what happened during the battle for Tumbledown Mr Eldridge said that the new thoughts and feelings came from this.
Exposure to the battle during the trip reduced levels of anxiety.
Meeting the Islanders who are so grateful for their sacrifice meant that the war had not been forgotten.
Prof Pollard said that the insights the veterans provided created a unique intersection of physical remains, landscape and memory whichbrought the past into the present.
Prof Pollard said that a cylinder of rubber, no bigger than the end of a pen, was the connection between a Milan missile and its guide wire.
Image source, Douglas Farthing Teaching sessions combining archaeology and art in the community's museum and schools were led by the project's artist.
He said painting from the landscape and working with the team created a powerful connection.
In the future, the first-hand perspectives of islanders who were involved in the war will be used in the project.
She said that all of this adds a richness to field archaeology.
Mr Farthing said that the servicemen and women who defended these freedoms should be proud of what he sees today.
Image source, Beth Timmins
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