Archaeology at the Custer Battle Program

On Saturday, June 13, at Museum at the Bighorns, Dr. Richard Allan Fox presented a program titled, Custer’s Last Battle; A Historical Archaeology View.

Dr. Fox specializes in historical archaeology and the prehistory of the Great Plains. The program on Saturday was about his historical archaeology view of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Using innovative and standard archaeological techniques, combined with historical documents and Indian eyewitness accounts.

Carrie Ida Edinger, Museum Director, introduced the featured speaker.

Fox said that he wanted to re-think the history of the last stand. He went into some of the background of the currently accepted history of the last stand.

Fox added that the massacre happened just days before the 100^th anniversary of the United States, and it shocked the citizens that such a thing could happen.

He also went into popular culture, and some of the movies that were made about the battle. He talked about the climate of the times, and the fact that Libby Custer kept her husband’s story alive.

Fox went into the archaeology of the battle, and the stories that it could tell. Bullets and cartridges are usually peculiar to a specific type of firearms, so they knew which firearms were used in the battle.

In this way, using metal detectors, they could see which rifle was used on what part of the battle field. In many places on the battlefield, there were several cartridges that from the same rifle that were in different places on the battle field, and in some cases the men grouped together.

He also used quotes from several of the Native American warriors who were at the battle, illustrating the disintegration of the soldier’s lines.

This program has been generously supported by Security State Bank Wyoming.

Upcoming in July there will be an exhibit of All-American Indian Days. All programs are open to the public.