The continuous effort to excavate and exhume at Oaklawn Cemetery as part of Tulsa's initiative to uncover truths about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has yielded new discoveries. This week's update revealed that eighty-three graves, previously unknown to city officials, have been located during the fifth excavation. As of today, a total of eight individuals have been exhumed this season, a sober reminder of a dark chapter in America's past.
In the most recent development, two individuals were exhumed, adding to the six previously unearthed. Of these eight, one notably bore evidence of a gunshot wound, according to a release on the City of Tulsa's website. The other remains are undergoing meticulous examination at an on-site osteology lab to better understand the circumstances surrounding their deaths and potentially their identities. The work is painstaking, each bone a potential key unlocking stories long buried underneath Tulsa's soil.
Detailed information about the excavation's progress and the scientific efforts involved in the painstaking study of the remains can be gleaned from a video featuring State Archaeologist Dr. Kary Stackelbeck. This valuable resource has been made accessible for public viewing to ensure transparency and provide insights into this crucial archaeological work.
