Ben Powers

On October 7, 1777, British and German troops, part of a larger expedition commanded by General John Burgoyne invading New York from Canada, embarked on a scouting and foraging expedition in the vicinity of farmland known as Barber’s Wheatfield. An American Army under General Horatio Gates engaged and defeated this force, ultimately leading Burgoyne to capitulate and surrender his army. This victory, known as the Battle of Bemis Heights, or the 2nd Battle of Saratoga, led to French recognition of the newly established United States of America. In the fall of 2021, a team of researchers, archaeologists, and military veterans assembled at Saratoga National Historic Park under the auspices of the National Park Service, and in collaboration with American Veterans Archaeological Recovery. The group conducted metal detection and excavations to determine whether the detritus of battle could reveal secrets about how the American troops maneuvered, where the British and Germans made their stand, where the bulk of the fighting occurred, and what concentration of force resulted in the British retreat. Building on an understanding of the more extensive outlines of the fighting, previous fieldwork, and input from the National Park Service, the team identified a previously un-excavated battlefield section and performed a detailed three-work survey of the site, revealing a material record of how the fighting unfolded. The project combined the strengths of trained archaeologists with those of American military veterans, who brought a strong work ethic, teamwork, and an understanding of terrain to the effort, resulting in an excellent piece of battlefield archaeology.

[Broadcast on October 2, 2025; recorded earlier.]