Finding Sand Creek: History, Archeology, and the 1864 Massacre Site

by Jerome A. Greene, Douglas D. Scott, Christine Whitacre (Foreword)

The 1864 Sand Creek Massacre is one of the most disturbing and controversial events in American history. While its historical significance is undisputed, the exact location of the massacre has been less clear. Because the site is sacred ground for Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, the question of its location is more than academic; it is intensely personal and spiritual. In 1998 the National Park Service, under congressional direction, began a research program to verify the location of the Sand Creek site. The team consisted of tribal members, Park Service staff and volunteers, and local landowners. In Finding Sand Creek , the project’s leading historian, Jerome A. Greene, and its leading archeologist, Douglas D. Scott, tell the story of how this dedicated group of people used a variety of methods to pinpoint the site. Drawing on oral histories, written records, and archeological fieldwork, Greene and Scott present a wealth of evidence to verify their conclusions. Greene and Scott’s team study led to legislation in the year 2000 that established the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.

Genres: History, Archaeology, Native American History, Nonfiction

242 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors do an able job of presenting the investigative aspects of archeology in an engaging way. Recommend for readers interested in the Indian Wars, battlefield archeology, and Colorado history.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over fifteen years ago, I visited the site of the Sand Creek massacre in Colorado. I have never forgotten the day or the feelings I had while walking on what is sacred ground to the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. This book details the efforts to make the site an official one on the U.S. historic register--along with photos and information about what was found there archaeologically. It was intriguing to find out that my hike that day put me very close to where the experts say the village was located when Chivington's troops rode into camp to do their dirty work. Most interesting.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really read a scholarly book about archaeology, geomorphology, or soil analysis, so this was a first. And while this book feels more like an expanded project report, I'm pleased that I read it. Having read nearly every history book I know of dealing with Sand Creek, it was actually quite nice to get a scientific viewpoint on the site, and the efforts to uncover more about this tragic event.

[Lorr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but at time trying - I am not an archaeologist but have always been fascinated by this massacre - and low and behold as I am doing genealogy research on my family - that we have an ancestor that was a participant.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some of us this is a terrible event in the history of the west.
This book presents that search for the Massacre Site in a meaningful way.