The archaeological survey of remains from the 1982 Falklands war

Abstract

This paper provides an introduction and progress report on the first season of fieldwork carried out by the Falklands War Mapping Project. In March and April 2022, a team including two Scots Guards veterans travelled to the Falkland Islands and surveyed field fortifications and artefacts related to the Battle of Tumbledown (13–14 June 1982). The focus was on the western and southern flanks of the feature, with a notable series of Argentine dugouts recorded on the low ground at the southern base of the mountain. The first five days were spent in COVID-19 quarantine in Stanley, followed by eight days dedicated to the Tumbledown survey and site visits–a further three days were spent on Pebble Island by two of the project team. This project marks the first occasion on which the veterans of a battle have been engaged in the archaeological survey of their own battlefield.