Blinn Anthropology Students Uncover Artifacts At World War II Prisoner-Of-War Camp

Blinn anthropology students struck gold on a recent trip to a 500-acre World War II prisoner-of-war historical site.

It wasn’t gold exactly—aluminum, rather—but the clink of trowels striking objects beneath the earth had students elated.

“All of a sudden I heard yelling and screaming and whooping,” said Dr. Michelle Raisor, Social Sciences professor. “I knew they had either found something, or it was a snake.”

Students discovered several aluminum canteens, a mess kit and a dime from 1916 during the class’s recent visit to Camp Hearne, where more than 4,800 German, Italian and Japanese prisoners of war put on plays, built sculptures and played sports to pass the time from 1942 until the camp closed in 1946.

More than 75 students made the 25-mile trek to Hearne to experience first-hand what they had studied in the classroom.

“We want the students to have the taste of a dig,” Raisor said. “They get to see the context of how it’s done. It’s an exciting learning experience.”

Raisor and fellow professor Dr. Dawn Marshall facilitate the archeological dig at Camp Hearne once a semester, weather permitting.

On several digs, students weren’t able to find much more than rusted nails due to the highly disturbed area in which they were digging. Raisor ensured this semester would be different by partnering with museum volunteer Albert Patty, who used his metal detector prior to the dig to identify areas that might yield discoveries.

“I am so excited that we were able to give something to the museum other than rusty nails,” Raisor said. “The students loved it and didn’t want to leave. It was wonderful watching them figure out how to wash and categorize the artifacts and feel like real archeologists.”

Registration is currently open for Blinn’s Winter minimester and Spring semester. The Winter minimester runs Dec. 19-23 and Jan. 5-15, and registration is available through Dec. 18. Registration for the 16-week Spring semester is open through Jan. 19, with classes beginning Dec. 20. For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.