Remote sensing, 3D mapping help find answers in Tulsa
February 07, 2025
Alex Badillo talks to Esri¡¯s ArcNews about how archaeologists used remote sensing and 3D mapping to investigate a 1921 massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Nearly two dozen Â鶹´«Ã½ archaeologists, including Alex Badillo, are helping investigate one of the nation¡¯s darkest moments using remote sensing and advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. In 1921, a mob attacked Tulsa¡¯s thriving African American neighborhood of Greenwood, known as Black Wall Street, destroying 1,000 homes and businesses. An estimated 30 to 300 people died. How many died is a mystery because the victims and their identities are still largely unknown. The records that do exist suggest some victims were buried in a segregated area of Oaklawn Cemetery known as Section 20.
Archaeologists spent the summer of 2024 excavating Section 20. Badillo, the project team¡¯s digital archaeologist, is building a geographically accurate 3D model of Section 20 to help the investigation. Badillo tells Esri¡¯s ArcNews that the digital processes used in the project are a ¡°novel, modern framework for archaeology.¡± The GIS publication tells the story of investigating Section 20 with innovative mapping technology.