Airborne Laser Scanning and 20th Century Military Heritage in the Woodlands

Abstract

This paper discusses recent advancements in the context of modern conflict archaeology in the woodlands. One aspect of this development of archaeological research is a broad use and application of airborne laser scanning (ALS). Material remains of a forced labour camp and munitions depot in the forests around Gutowiec (Poland) known as Guttowitz 35 are used as a case study. After approaching prisoners’ memories concerning the site, the results of ALS combined with the outcomes of fieldwalking at the site are presented. This article tries to back up the following thesis: due to applications of non-invasive methods (e.g. ALS, fieldwalking), archaeology is able to offer a deeper understanding and contextualization of such sites as Guttowiec 35: a fresh insight into the materiality of conflict landscapes from the recent past in the woodlands.