UWEC CERCA 2025

During the Holocaust from the 15-17 of December 1941, ~2,749 Jewish women and children were massacred behind a foredune along the coastline of Šķēde, Latvia. The execution trench has not been located, despite numerous photos of the killings. The research aims to identify the location of the trench using shallow, non-invasive subsurface imaging tools to respect Jewish Halacha burial laws, avoiding disruption of the deceased. Based on earlier research including current and past aerial imagery, witness testimonies, and historical photos of the killings, a 15x30m (NW-SE) GPR grid was laid down within the foredune. Using a Sensors & Software pulseEKKO Pro GPR system, lines were collected every 0.25m with 500MHz antennae and a step size of 0.02m, which allowed subsurface depths of ~4m (0.10m/ns velocity). The subsurface reflections dip at a 30-34° angle, with erosional truncation occurring at ~17-21m and extending ~3.1m below the surface; these dipping layers are interpreted as a probable trench ~5m wide throughout the grid. Based on witness testimonies, the trench is hypothesized to be ~100m long (S-N). The findings have been shared with the local Jewish community for memorialization, and the research provides a framework for identifying unmarked graves worldwide.