Community Archaeology at Amache, CO's Japanese American Confinement Camp

The forced removal and subsequent incarceration of over 120,000 people of American of Japanese descent during World War II is a pivotal incident in world history.  The sites of this confinement are significant resources for both research about and re-engagement with this critical, yet shadowed experience.  Since 2008, Dr. Bonnie Clark has led collaborative archaeological investigations at the site of Amache, Colorado’s War Relocation Authority confinement facility.  In this talk Clark will discuss the ongoing project, highlighting insights about the camp’s cultural landscape and the strategies of a confined people to reknit community and reclaim humanity.

Dr. Bonnie J. Clark began her career as a professional archaeologist and now serves as a Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Denver (DU), as well as a Curator for Archaeology of the DU Museum of Anthropology. She is the author or editor of numerous publications including Finding Solace in the Soil: An Archaeology of Gardens and Gardeners at Amache and On the Edge of Purgatory: An Archaeology of Place in Hispanic Colorado. Dr. Clark currently co-leads the Amache Community Archaeology Project, a collaboration committed to researching, preserving, and interpreting the physical history of Amache, Colorado’s WWII-era Japanese American internment camp. That work has been highlighted in numerous venues including Archaeology and American Archaeology magazines. In 2011, Dr. Clark’s work was recognized by her peers with the University of Denver’s Teacher/Scholar of the Year award, and in 2022, she was the recipient of a commendation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.

This event is not sponsored by Denver Public Library. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The Denver Society of the Archaeological Institute of America