Forty years after the Falklands War, St Peter’s College Research Fellow Dr Timothy Clack is co-leading a unique effort to survey the battlefields alongside veterans of the British Army.
The Falklands War Mapping Project is a joint enterprise of Oxford University and Glasgow University, the charity Waterloo Uncovered and the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust.
Pebble Island airstrip today. Been trying to get here for 5 years and have been close twice! FIGAS pilots are really skilful, Pebble Island a real gem, and the island's owners great. More mapping done for the Falklands War Mapping Project @Mapping1982 - what an experience!! pic.twitter.com/VawOqBnqVh
— Tim Clack (@AnthroClack) April 11, 2022
The team comprises a group of academics and two British Army veterans, united by a joint aim to both academically survey the battlefields and to help veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) come to terms with their experiences.
‘We have been using archaeology to inform veteran wellbeing,’ said Dr Clack.
He further highlighted, ‘the two veterans, Jim and John, who fought as Scots Guards in the Battle of Mount Tumbledown as young men, have been extraordinarily brave in returning to their battlefield and become a central part of the team.’
Both veterans, who have suffered from PTSD linked to the events of 1982, have told members of the team and the veteran wellbeing officer that they have found the experience positive and helpful.
Clack noted, ‘[the Falklands War Mapping Project] has helped them make sense of their battle and the role of others in it. In fact, one of the veterans had wanted to return to the Falklands for decades but had felt unable. He now says he wants to return with his family.’
Dr Clack has been interviewed by BBC Oxford about the project. You can read the story here.
Dr Timothy Clack
- Chingiz Gutseriev Associate Professor in Archaeology and Anthropology
- Director of Studies in Archaeology and Anthropology
- Tutor for Visiting Students