Wars and battles have always been part of the human experience. The proof of this statement resounds in the archaeological and historical literature. Battles scenes are inscribed on rock or metal or clay in nearly every period of every culture known to us today. The great and small battles of history and prehistory live with us today; and so battlefield sites make interesting places to visit and learn about.

1. Ludlow Coal Massacre

In April 1914, the Colorado National Guard opened fire on a tent city of striking minors and their families, killing 25 people. The outcome of the Ludlow Coal Massacre led to the reformation of labor practices in the country; and so the site is #1 on our list of battle sites to visit.More »

2. Towton Battlefield, Yorkshire, England

The bloodiest battle ever fought in England was part of the War of the Roses, on Palm Sunday, in the year 1461. Carried on between the Yorkist King Edward IV, and the Duke of Somerset, fighting on the Lancaster side for Henry VI and Queen Margaret, Towton is reputed to have killed between 20,000 and 28,000 people.More »

3. Antietam Battlefield, Maryland USA

The turning point of the American Civil War was the bloodbath of Antietam. There were 23,000 casualties; and the impact of such a toll on the American president was to discard the concept of settling with the upstart southern states and create the Emancipation Proclamation. Number 3 on battle fields to visit? Antietam, Maryland.More »

4. Culloden Battlefield, Inverness, Scotland

April 16th, 1746; 3 miles southeast of Inverness, Scotland. The Jacobites, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, are finally defeated on the bloody battlefield, number 4 on our all-time greatest battlefields: Culloden.More »

5. Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana USA

The first intensive battlefield archaeology studies were conducted between 1985 and 1989, by Richard Fox, Douglas Scott and Melissa Connor who investigated the dry hills of southeastern Montana for cartridge cases, bullets, army equipment, clothing fragments and skeletal remains: all that was left of George Armstrong Custer and his doomed 7th calvary.More »