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Mentorship Unearthed: UAF Student and Professor Co-Author Archaeology Article Honoring WWII Black Soldiers

Sarah Manriquez, CLA Public Information Office
October 20, 2025
cla-pio@alaska.edu

When anthropology PhD student MoHagani Magnetek and Dr. Justin Cramb started the �ֻ�ֱ�� Highway Archaeological Project, they didn’t expect their work together would soon reach a national audience. But this fall, their co-authored article was published in the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) Newsletter, spotlighting a powerful story buried beneath �ֻ�ֱ��’s frozen soil — and a mentorship that’s reshaping what collaborative research looks like in the North.

The article focuses on the �ֻ�ֱ�� Highway Archaeological Project, a UAF-led effort to excavate a WWII winter campsite of the U.S. Army’s segregated 97th Engineer General Service Regiment, located near the Robertson River Bridge. These soldiers, many of them African American men from the South, built one of North America’s greatest wartime engineering feats under brutal Arctic conditions.

“The camp is significant as one of the best-preserved military construction sites from the WWII era,” Cramb said. “It provides a unique window into the difficult lives of southern, African American soldiers as they faced environmental and social challenges in a novel landscape. Some of these soldiers had never seen snow — let alone temperatures as low as 70 below.”

For Magnetek, who served as lead author, the publication marks her first archaeological article in more than 20 years and a major step toward her thesis research. Her contributions extend far beyond writing: she conducted most of the project’s archival research, uncovering military records and personal stories that bring humanity to a history too often overlooked.

Cramb said Magnetek’s interdisciplinary strengths as a writer, historian, and community leader made the collaboration especially rewarding.

“MoHagani brings many strengths to the table,” he said. “She is an excellent writer and historian as well as an archaeologist. She truly set the bar for what our students can achieve.”

The SHA Newsletter publication comes ahead of the 2026 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, where UAF students will present five co-authored research posters — most of them developed through the �ֻ�ֱ�� Highway project.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 field season will mark the second and final year of excavation at the Robertson River site before shifting to artifact analysis and new research locations. Cramb hopes the project’s next phase will continue to create opportunities for students to explore �ֻ�ֱ��’s layered histories — from Indigenous sites to Gold Rush towns and WWII encampments.

“It’s an exciting time to be a UAF anthropology student,” he said. “Our faculty are expanding into new areas, including forensic anthropology, while continuing to mentor students who are shaping the future of the field.”

For Cramb, the true reward is seeing students like Magnetek thrive.

“MoHagani is inspiring,” he said. “She continually surprises me with her strength, resilience, and generosity in sharing her knowledge and spirit with others.”