NPR

Civil War Battlefield 'Limb Pit' Reveals Work Of Combat Surgeons

Scientists have been analyzing bones first uncovered by a utility crew digging at the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia. The remains provide insights into surgery during the Civil War.
The limbs had been evenly cut (left), and researchers were able to identify bullet holes (right).

Scientists have uncovered a pit of human bones at a Civil War battlefield in Virginia. The remains are the amputated limbs of wounded Union soldiers. It's the first "limb pit" from a Civil War battlefield to be excavated, and experts say it opens a new window on what is often overlooked in Civil War history: the aftermath of battle, the agony of survivors and the trials of early combat surgeons. The bones first surfaced in 2014 when a utility crew was digging at the . The National Park Service runs the site, and fortunately it had an archaeologist and Civil War expert on hand: Brandon Bies. Bies says at first they weren't sure what they had.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR6 min readPopular Culture & Media Studies
Supreme Court Examines Whether Government Can Combat Disinformation Online
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Missouri, Louisiana and five individuals who were either banned from social media during the pandemic or whose posts, they say, were not prominently featured.
NPR7 min read
Q&A: Author of 'Bottled: How Coca-Cola Became African' on Coke's surprising history
How did the soda giant from America come to be seen as "local" in Africa? And what has the impact been on the continent for worse and for better?
NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Who Is Mohammad Mustafa, The New Prime Minister Of The Palestinian Authority?
Mustafa was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a move seen as an attempt to appease U.S. demands for reform.

Related Books & Audiobooks