Jamie Brandon, archaeologist who led student excavations at Pea Ridge, is remembered for outreach, mentoring

Jamie Brandon at Pea Ridge in 2017 (University of Arkansas)

I was saddened to read about the recent passing of Dr. Jamie Chad Brandon, who was of invaluable assistance to the Picket in our coverage of ongoing archaeological investigations at Pea Ridge National Military Park.

Brandon, 47, was a professor and station archaeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey, which has sent staffers and employees to work with the National Park Service on excavations at the site of the 1862 Civil War battle. He died on Christmas Eve after a battle with cancer.

According to his obituary, Jamie’s three decades of experience covered many topics, including Caddoan cultures in Arkansas, ethnicity and race relations. He also focused on land use through time and historical memory in the pre-industrial South.

I last communicated with Brandon in April. Over nearly three years, I would check in with he and other survey staffers doing work at Pea Ridge. Among the subjects we discussed were digs at a hamlet that endured combat and a study of artifacts and whether they could show the locations of artillery positions. Brandon also did research connected with Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, site of a December 1862 Civil War battle.

One of his colleagues, Carl Drexler, posted on social media that “no single person in archaeology has been a greater mentor, friend, and colleague."

A University of Arkansas article Thursday said: "In addition to producing an impressive record of scholarly research, Brandon is remembered for his unparalleled devotion to outreach activities to the general public about archeological discoveries and their relationship to understanding modern society. He was also a popular teacher and mentored a host of students through internships, theses and dissertation projects."

The Picket extends condolences to Brandon’s wife, Lydia Rees, and other survivors.