Archeologists Begin Next Excavation Process At Oaklawn Cemetery

Archeologists are back out at Oaklawn Cemetery in search of graves possibly connected to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

This excavation comes after the city of Tulas identified the first victim in the years-long search at the cemetery.

Mayor G.T. Bynum says identifying C.L. Daniels remains proves archeologists are looking for the right things and will help this search move at a quicker pace. Bynum says this gives him hope for what's to come in the search for more victims.

"It's not some historical curiosity, it's a very human investigation, and everybody who has been involved in this is relating to these victims as our neighbors," he said.

State archeologist Dr. Kary Stackelbeck says this search will fully encompass the southwestern corner of the cemetery, and they will fill in the gaps between the last two larger excavation blocks.

Stackelbeck says there are graves they are interested in exhuming going right up to a 30-year-old tree inside the cemetery, and it needed to be removed.

While exhuming graves near the stump is complicated and will be a slower process, it's important they do it.

"Everything is pointing in the direction of, we need to look under that tree; we may find no graves there at all; it may be devoid of graves, but we don't know that for certain," she said.

Mayor Bynum says what they are learning after each excavation helps narrow in on searches in the future.

"Every Tulsan should be able to relate to this as our neighbors, whether they lived 100 years ago or yesterday when our neighbors get murdered, we are going to do everything we can for them and their families," he said.

Stackelbeck says crews will spend this week setting up and reorienting themselves with the area before beginning hand excavation next week.