Papers by Madeleine M Hale
Oklahoma Archeological Survey Research Series 19, 2024
Beginning in 1942, the U.S. Navy constructed and operated four facilities in and around Norman, O... more Beginning in 1942, the U.S. Navy constructed and operated four facilities in and around Norman, Oklahoma in Cleveland County. South Base contained two of these facilities: a U.S. Naval Hospital and the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC). The NATTC consisted of over 150 buildings and was installed to house and train over 15,000 enlisted men and women in almost all aspects of aircraft repair. The NATTC was under Navy control during World War II (1942–1946) and again during and after the Korean War (1952–1959). The facility had immense impact on the society, economy, and environment of Norman and had relevance for the broader nation through the training of tens of thousands of people. Between and after the wars, the University of Oklahoma held possession of most of the facilities and used them for university business (including for offices, dorms, classrooms, storage, and the physical plant). Today, only a few buildings remain standing, the remainder have been demolished.
Funded by the Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (OK/SHPO) (Project No. 23-402), this project used non-invasive landscape archaeology techniques to identify and provide information on any remaining archaeological material at the NATTC. Historic maps, aerial photographs, and recently acquired LiDAR elevation data were examined to identify features of interest. High-precision real-time-kinetic GPS devices were used to record feature locations in the field. Three kinds of shallow geophysics were used for survey: gradiometry, ground penetrating radar, and soil resistivity. A total of 17 acres was selected for possible survey, and approximately 10 acres were tested using all methods.
The survey provided two significant results. Although there are no buildings remaining in the project area, there are remnant elements of NATTC infrastructure visible on the surface. These include utilities, paved walkways, gravel driveways, fire hydrants, and soil marks associated with foundations. Secondly, all known buildings within the project area were identified by at least one, and often more, of the different geophysical techniques. The survey demonstrates that there are archaeological remains of the NATTC present within the project area. Moreover, similarly preserved locations across South Base (in which the NATTC was located) are likely to contain archaeological remains dating to this important era and later.
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Papers by Madeleine M Hale
Funded by the Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (OK/SHPO) (Project No. 23-402), this project used non-invasive landscape archaeology techniques to identify and provide information on any remaining archaeological material at the NATTC. Historic maps, aerial photographs, and recently acquired LiDAR elevation data were examined to identify features of interest. High-precision real-time-kinetic GPS devices were used to record feature locations in the field. Three kinds of shallow geophysics were used for survey: gradiometry, ground penetrating radar, and soil resistivity. A total of 17 acres was selected for possible survey, and approximately 10 acres were tested using all methods.
The survey provided two significant results. Although there are no buildings remaining in the project area, there are remnant elements of NATTC infrastructure visible on the surface. These include utilities, paved walkways, gravel driveways, fire hydrants, and soil marks associated with foundations. Secondly, all known buildings within the project area were identified by at least one, and often more, of the different geophysical techniques. The survey demonstrates that there are archaeological remains of the NATTC present within the project area. Moreover, similarly preserved locations across South Base (in which the NATTC was located) are likely to contain archaeological remains dating to this important era and later.
Funded by the Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (OK/SHPO) (Project No. 23-402), this project used non-invasive landscape archaeology techniques to identify and provide information on any remaining archaeological material at the NATTC. Historic maps, aerial photographs, and recently acquired LiDAR elevation data were examined to identify features of interest. High-precision real-time-kinetic GPS devices were used to record feature locations in the field. Three kinds of shallow geophysics were used for survey: gradiometry, ground penetrating radar, and soil resistivity. A total of 17 acres was selected for possible survey, and approximately 10 acres were tested using all methods.
The survey provided two significant results. Although there are no buildings remaining in the project area, there are remnant elements of NATTC infrastructure visible on the surface. These include utilities, paved walkways, gravel driveways, fire hydrants, and soil marks associated with foundations. Secondly, all known buildings within the project area were identified by at least one, and often more, of the different geophysical techniques. The survey demonstrates that there are archaeological remains of the NATTC present within the project area. Moreover, similarly preserved locations across South Base (in which the NATTC was located) are likely to contain archaeological remains dating to this important era and later.