Historical Archeology of the Arkansas CCC Camps

Archaeology is concerned with examining the material culture of past communities and using those data to consider and evaluate how cultures are organized (socially, politically, economically) and how they have evolved or changed over time. It is a sub-discipline within anthropology and much of what we know about the numerous Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camps in Arkansas come from this endeavor. Years of archaeological research have shed light on the significant amount of recreational places, landscape modifications, and former camp architecture that was constructed by camp enrollees. Historical archaeologists – a specialty within archaeology - are interested in documenting the most recent past and do this by integrating a suite of archaeological methods, historical archival research (documents, maps, and photographs), and oral narratives shared by participants or related descendant communities.

Often, people think of archaeology as the excavation of earth to recover material objects, and this is certainly a major component used in all types of archaeology. For example, the systematic excavations at two CCC constructed tourist cabins at Devil’s Den State Park in the late 1990s were the first excavations of cabins within the park. The meticulous attention to detail and systematic recovery of material objects at these two cabins provide an early twentieth-century glimpse of the outdoor tourism industry that continues to define the popular park today.

In addition to traditional excavation, there are many methods used to understand past cultural processes and to ultimately preserve or evaluate archaeological resources exposed to development projects. These methods often include the use of historic photos, aerial imagery, drawings, and maps, and the use of survey methodologies, such as systematic surface inspection, shovel testing, or terrestrial remote sensing. For example, at Lake Catherine State Park, an archaeological surface inspection and shovel test survey were conducted to evaluate potential impacts before the construction of an ADA accessible cabin. At Devil’s Den State Park, a broad landscape-scale survey was conducted in the late 1970s, which identified several historic structures related to CCC occupation. These structures were recorded and are now protected from local relic hunters. At Crowley’s Ridge State Park, electrical resistivity and ground-penetrating radar remote sensing surveys were conducted in order to compare with CCC sketch drawings of the proposed location of an eighteenth-century pioneer cemetery situated close to the park lodge. As part of the survey, several previously undocumented architectural features related to the CCC occupation where identified and recorded.

Other forms of systematic survey include the recordation of visible features, such as roads, culverts, dams, and remains of standing architecture. Standing architecture is a visible part of the archaeological record, and what most visitors see and conceptualize when they visit state parks. Historic archaeologists routinely conduct surveys to record the type (chimneys, message boards, slabs, foundation piers, etc.) and the dimension of visible features, document and photograph their current status and condition, and map their distribution across the landscape. For example, at Mt. Nebo State Park, a standing architecture survey was conducted of the remains of the stone supports and outline of the unfinished park lodge. The survey documented the condition, type of construction, and extent of the lodge that can be compared with completed lodges at other parks, such as the well-known Mather Lodge at Petit Jean State Park. Visible features can also include modifications to the natural landscape, such as etchings and carvings created by the CCC camp enrollees. At Petit Jean State Park a recent survey near the Davies Bridge identified a petroglyph cut into a boulder, which is suggested as having been carved by one of the CCC enrollees during the park development. These types of features provide insight into the more nuanced aspects of daily life on a CCC camp beyond those demonstrated in the construction of buildings, roads, dams, or bridges.