Archaeologists Unearth Death Camp's Gas Chambers

Archaeologists Unearth Death Camp's Gas Chambers

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Archaeology

Many times, the archaeology stories we bring you are about people and places that are centuries or millennia old. But this story is only decades old, though just as tied to the Jewish people. In Poland, archaeologists have unearthed the gas chambers of the Sobibor extermination camp where hundreds of thousands were murdered from 1942 to 1943. But, this article at Yediot Achronot says that the Nazi's horrific instruments of death were not all that was discovered during the dig:

Yad Vashem announced this week that it discovered the exact location of the gas chambers at the Sobibor extermination camp in Poland, thanks to the tireless work of archaeologists at the site.
Yoram Haimi, one of the archaeologists, said "this is a tremendous achievement for me and my research team."
The dig has been supervised and supported by Yad Vashem's center for international research on the Holocaust, the German-Polish foundation, and the museum at Majdanek. Over the years, archaeologists have unearthed thousands of personal items: rings, lockets, earrings, jewelry, perfume bottles, medicine bottles, and utensils.
Dr. David Silberklang, a senior historian and editor at Yad Vashem Studies, said the new finding was important for Holocaust research. "The discovery of the exact location of the gas chambers is one of the most important finds in Shoah research." research.
He explained: "Not a single shard remained of the Jews who worked near the gas chambers, and thus these findings are all that is left of the murdered. Essentially, this is a small window into their daily suffering."
Dr. Silberklang stressed the importance of the latest discovery. "This is the first time that we can better understand the mechanism for murder at the camp, and what the Jews endured until their murder."
"Additionally, the exact size of the gas chambers will allow us to understand their capacity and then we can have a more accurate estimate of the number murdered in the camp. These findings complement what we have learned from the survivors who escaped the camp during the revolt," he added.
Haimi said that exposing the chambers was a significant success. "After almost eight years of digging at Sobibor this is a great achievement for me and the research team, we finally reached our goal – identifying the exact location of the gas chambers. We were surprised by the size of the structure and the condition of the chambers' walls."
Haimi, whose relatives were murdered in the camp, added: "The most emotional moment was when we found, near the gas chambers, a wedding ring inscribed with a Hebrew wedding vow.