Dr. Nathaniel Kitchel embarks on archaeological research voyage in Antarctica

Dr. Nathaniel Kitchel, assistant professor in the Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historical Preservation Program, departed for Antarctica Jan. 30. He joined Dr. Jesse Casana of the Department of Anthropology at Dartmouth College (project lead) and Dr. Jeffrey Kerby, senior research associate at the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute, on a research voyage to the South Shetland Islands that runs through March 4.

There, Kitchel, Casana and Kerby will undertake the first large-scale archaeological survey of the South Shetlands, with the aim of expanding our understanding of the human history of this remote and challenging area.

“The human history of Antarctica has been told almost exclusively through historic records and explorers’ accounts,” Kitchel said as he sailed out of the Beagle Channel. “Archaeological research anywhere on Antarctica, even the warmest locations, is in its infancy with only a handful of other archaeologists ever having worked there.”

Antarctica was the last continent discovered by humans and the only land mass of its size without an Indigenous population. While the official discovery of Antarctica took place in the early 19th century (1819 for the South Shetland Islands and 1820 for the mainland), some have suggested earlier landings by Indigenous South Americans, Dutch and Spanish explorers, and North and South American sealers. These reports have been consistently dismissed due to the lack of historic records or material evidence of these early arrivals.

View leaving Puerto Williams entering Beagle Channel

The lack of evidence of human arrivals in Antarctica before 1819 has often been seen as proof that none occurred. However, little archaeological research has been done to confirm this, leaving the possibility of earlier arrivals open.

In the first-ever archaeological survey of this region, Kitchel, Casana and Kerby will employ state-of-the-art UAV (drone), geophysical and 3D modeling methods as well as walking surveys to document historic sites on the islands and identify locales that might hold evidence of human activities predating 1819. The work will be foundational to future archaeological research in this harsh region, helping to document and preserve its fragile history in the face of climate change and increasing human activity and perhaps reveal previously unrecorded facets of human history.

“It is thrilling to be part of an expedition to such a uniquely challenging location and even more so since there is a real chance to make discoveries that could alter our understanding of the human history of the continent,” Kitchel said. “While it’s nerve-wracking to face the notoriously harsh Southern Ocean, the excitement of discovery makes it worthwhile. I can’t wait to return to Salve to share my experiences on this trip, both in terms of the archaeology and that of rounding Cape Horn and crossing the Drake Passage in a small sailboat.”

Kitchel will report on the expedition as it progresses through the cultural and historic preservation program’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.