Determination of Grave Locations with High Resolution Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) in War Cemeteries: Sample Study of Biga (Çanakkale) War Graves

Year 2018, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 85 - 89, 21.12.2018

Cahit Çağlar Yalçıner , Yunus Can Kurban

https://doi.org/10.17678/beuscitech.457745

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The
most important turning point in Turkish history of the Çanakkale War, known in
English as the Dardanelles Campaign, the Battle of Gallipoli, or the Battle of
Çanakkale, involves many omissions in terms of historical records due to the
situation facing the country at the time and the threats from both internal and
external enemies. Though there is very valuable information like notes and maps
left by officers in the Ottoman army (Col. Şevki Paşa etc.), due to the intense
severity of the war much important information has not been transferred
directly to the present day. Most probably, one of the areas with greatest
omissions is the location of war grave sites (martyr’s cemeteries). The main
reason for this is considered to be the excessive number of fallen soldiers or
martyrs and the extreme loss of life in a very short period.

In
spite of these negative aspects, the locations of many war grave sites have
been determined by detailed research by historians and the use of maps drawn
during wartime. However, in these cemetery areas, approximate locations were
defined for war graves and in line with this, areas were fenced off as war
cemeteries. Using the same logic, an area close to the location used as Biga
War hospital during the Çanakkale War was renovated
and opened to visitors as Biga War Cemetery with gravestones in certain
locations.

The high-resolution,
non-destructive shallow geophysical method of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has
long been used with the aim of identifying structural elements that are buried
(graves, tunnels, archeological remains, etc.). In line with this, its use to
research war grave sites in areas known as war cemeteries will illuminate the
past and contribute to reorganizing war cemeteries according to war grave
locations and providing the necessary importance and respect that war cemeteries
deserve.

Keywords

Çanakkale War, Biga War Grave Site, Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)

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