Historic Camden Foundation and American Veterans Archaeological Recovery Help Veterans at Innovative Conflict Archaeology Field School

CAMDEN, S.C., Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Historic Camden Foundation and American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) today announced the launch of the 2026 AVAR Conflict Archaeology Field School in Camden, South Carolina. Now in its second year, this program invites participants to an unexplored section of a Revolutionary War battlefield and colonial settlement to advance an understanding of the past and train veterans for employment in the heritage sector. Additionally, this year's school will offer eight free lectures for community members. 

"When you put veterans in the field, their professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to adapt to all environmental conditions equate to solid archaeological work," commented Stacey Ferguson, deputy director, Historic Camden Foundation, and AVAR program participant. "Last year's project furthered our understanding of how the Battle of Camden played out."

AVAR uses "rehabilitation archaeology" to support veterans' transition into paid employment or careers in archaeology. While the program supports disability, it focuses on ability, and there is no location that better showcases the abilities of veterans than American battlefields. The session in Camden will run for approximately four weeks, beginning in mid-February. Veterans who complete the program will be eligible for employment through AVAR at sites across the United States.

This non-profit partnership presents a unique transitional opportunity for veterans. The Camden field school will impart the technical skills that will allow veterans to carry out professional fieldwork and will also leverage AVAR's extensive experience to provide unique training on adapting from the military to the archaeological work environment. The 2026 iteration builds upon a successful session last winter underwritten by the American Battlefield Trust, which is again providing a grant toward the project.

The two-part archaeological exploration will take place on the Camden Battlefield and the site of the original colonial town. By utilizing two sites with different attributes — one urban excavation and one field survey — participants will cultivate a wider array of functional skills.

"The military has a long history of contributing to the field of archaeology, and we have found that work on battlefields, where our veterans can find a profound connection to the subject matter on hallowed ground, is particularly meaningful to our participants," said AVAR CEO Stephen Humphreys.

Humphreys and seven other experts will serve as guest lecturers in community programs throughout February and March. "Last year we were overwhelmed with the community support for this program," Ferguson noted. "Our lecture series is our way to share this work with community members."

The Battle of Camden was a brutal defeat for the Americans early in the Southern Campaigns of the Revolution. After capturing Charleston in May 1780, British General Cornwallis established a garrison at Camden to control the South Carolina backcountry. General Horatio Gates' Continental army came south in response, and the armies made contact north of Camden on August 16. Their flight also carried the North Carolina militia, but Continental Regulars from Maryland and Delaware withstood the onslaught until nearly surrounded. Many of the dead were buried near where they fell. In 2023, after erosion threatened to expose them, thirteen sets of remains were reinterred in Camden's Quaker Cemetery.

During past expeditions, AVAR has directed four fieldwork sessions to identify the 1813 Battle of Medina site in Texas, as well as seven Defense Department POW/MIA Accounting Agency projects in England and Sicily aimed at recovering the remains of missing WWII-service members. AVAR veteran teams also carry out a range of professional archaeological fieldwork, much of it on conflict sites.

Contact:
Jen Howard
[email protected]
843.709.4192

SOURCE Historic Camden Foundation