A new phase of excavation began Monday at Oaklawn Cemetery as experts and city officials continue efforts to locate victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
The work marks the fifth round of digging since the search began in 2020, part of the City of Tulsa’s long-term effort to identify and honor those who were killed when a white mob attacked the Greenwood District more than a century ago.
Expanding the search area
Archaeologists and forensic teams are opening two new sections near the western fence line of the cemetery.
The latest phase follows a recommendation from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, which called for more work after previous findings revealed inconsistencies between physical evidence and official death records from 1921.
Evidence uncovered so far
To date, experts have recovered the remains of six confirmed gunshot victims, five of whom suffered multiple gunshot wounds…