Participants in the summer 2024 WWII Forensic Archaeology Field School (ANTH 321/521)
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is again offering a WWII Forensic Archaeology Field School through a programmatic agreement with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine. We will be excavating a B-17 bomber site near Buchen (Odenwald), Germany, for six weeks in summer 2025.
Join Us!
Summer 2025 Session:
June 15–July 26, 2025
Students must attend all six weeks of field school.
Grab your passport and join us for an amazing archaeological experience in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany! IUP is proud to contribute to the recovery of missing US service members lost during WWII. Our goal is to survey and excavate the site towards the recovery of archaeological and forensically probative evidence that can lead to the identification of previously unaccounted-for service members. As new evidence is uncovered, the team will (re)evaluate results and identify the most likely areas to recover probative evidence.
You’ll participate in all aspects of the excavation, receiving training in forensic archaeology and geophysical survey methods. This year’s investigations will include close-interval pedestrian, ground penetrating radar, and metal detection surveys. Students will also excavate units, clean and identify wreckage fragments, and complete standard documentation. Students are exposed to traditional and high-tech techniques with the goal of preparing them for cultural resource management, forensic, and academic careers.
ANTH 321/521 Forensic Archaeological Field School (6 credits)
Participants will sign up for the ANTH 321/521 course. Visiting (non-IUP) students will be assisted in the registration process. The course is the formal vehicle for participating in the field school. It includes an introduction to forensic archaeological survey, excavation, and processing techniques. We work five days per week and students typically have options to explore Germany on their days off. This does NOT meet IUP’s requirement for a North American archaeological field school.
Costs
Students must enroll in the six-credit ANTH 321/521 course to participate. Assistance will be provided for visiting (non-IUP) students. Tuition and fees are variable depending on undergraduate or graduate level and in-state and out-of-state residency. Costs can be estimated using the IUP Summer Tuition page.
Roundtrip airfare to/from Germany is not included in tuition. Students will need to purchase their own airline tickets for arrival on a specific date and time to be set in the future. Housing (single room) and a meal stipend are included in the program. Students will be transported to/from the designated airport to the hotel in Buchen, to/from the excavation site each day, and on any group excursions using rented passenger vans.
Students are recommended to check with the Office of International Education at IUP or their home institution, as well as professional archaeology and forensic archaeology societies or conferences, for travel scholarship opportunities.
Faculty
Andrea Palmiotto, RPA, D-ABFA, is a forensic anthropologist and zooarchaeologist who has excavated and analyzed thousands of skeletal remains from diverse contexts, including conflict-related sites, archaeological shell midden, and more. Her forensic anthropology research interests include commingled skeletal remains, application of field recovery methods, skeletal trauma, and cognitive bias. For more information, see Prof. Palmiotto’s faculty page.
William Chadwick, RPA, PG, is a co-investigator for the Forensic Archaeology Field School who applies geophysical, geomorphic, and archaeological experience, knowledge, and methods to understand the landscapes, context, and site taphonomy of bomber aircraft crash sites from WWII. These examinations and insights provide information to create hypotheses about the optimal locations and methods to be used in the recovery of individuals who are still missing in action from these crash sites. For more information, see Prof. Chadwick’s faculty page.
Previous WWII Recovery Efforts by IUP
In August 2024, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of the remains of First Lieutenant Wylie W. Leverett, missing from World War II. IUP contributed to recovery work at this site between 2022 and 2024.
In 2021, IUP assisted with the recovery of a B-24 in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen).
Research and Related Products
Technical Reports
2025: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick. Search and Recovery Report CS24-0294, an Aircraft Crash Site (DE-0xxxx) Correlated with MACR xxxxx, Municipality of Buchen (Odenwald), Neckar-Odenwald District Baden-Württemberg State, Federal Republic of Germany. Report Prepared for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
2024: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick. Search and Recovery Report CS23-0268, an Aircraft Crash Site (DE-0xxxx) Correlated with MACR xxxxx, Municipality of Buchen (Odenwald), Neckar-Odenwald District Baden-Württemberg State, Federal Republic of Germany. Report Prepared for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
2023: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick. Interim Search and Recovery Report CS22-0231, a B-17G Aircraft Crash Site (DE-0xxxx) Possibly Associated with MACR xxxxx Naturpark Neckartal-Odenwald, Neckar-Odenwald District Baden-Württemberg State, Federal Republic of Germany. Report Prepared for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
2022: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick. Interim Search and Recovery Report CS21-0247, a B-24H Crash Site (DE-00xxxx) Possibly Associated with WWII-0xxxx-M, Vicinity of Bokelberge Village, Gifhorn District, Niedersachsen State, Federal Republic of Germany (F.R.G). Report Prepared for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
Publications
2024: Chadwick, William and Andrea Palmiotto, Geophysical Methods Reveal Aviation Impacturbation and Inform Forensic Archaeological Recovery of Historic Aircraft Crash Sites, Archaeological Prospection, Volume 31, Issue 1, January/March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1935
Presentations
2025: Palmiotto Integrating Forensic Archaeology and Historic Battlefield Protocols at Historic Conflict-Related Aircraft Crashscapes: A WWII B-17 Case Study, 77th Annual AAFS Scientific Conference, Baltimore, Maryland.
2024: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick, The Importance of Collaboration: Reflections from WWII Forensic Archaeology Field Schools, 89th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana.
2024: Palmiotto, Andrea, William Chadwick, Nate Coughlin, and Cassidy Tech, An Archaeological and Humanitarian Experience in Germany, IUP Office of International Education Study Abroad Fair, Keynote Presentation.
2024: Chadwick, William, Andrea Palmiotto, and Parker Chadwick, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Survey of WWII American Aircraft Impact Craters, 2024 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, Oakland, California.
2023: Palmiotto, Andrea and William Chadwick, Terrestrial Field Case Geophysics, Forensic Archaeology, and Student Opportunities: Lessons from a Partner Field School. Invited Speaker to HJF/DPAA Partner Symposium, Portland, Oregon.
