| Archaeologists uncover century-old trenches used to train World War I soldiers at Duntroon in Canberra |
Archaeologists in Canberra have discovered the remains of 100-year-old training trenches built by Australian soldiers preparing to fight in World War I.
They were dug in 1916 so officers could test out the latest in trench warfare strategies before leading troops on the western front.
Now this piece of Anzac history is slowly being unearthed for posterity.
Located at what is now the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, about 15 minutes from Parliament House in Canberra's south, the site for the dig was pinpointed using historic aerial photos.
There are records at the Australian War Memorial proving these test trenches were built.
World War One trench at Jerrabomberra Wetlands
But ANU archaeologist Tim Denham said it was quite a lot of hard work to find out exactly where they were.
"We did ground penetrating radar and magnetronomy and resistivity and all those things," he said.
With help from experts at the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology, the site is now yielding its story in the form of an elaborate system of tunnels.
In 1916, the military college at Duntroon was home to the school of trench warfare.
The field where the trenches were dug was close by and allowed several hectares for the military to trial various types of trenches.
The trenches were modelled on what was called the Island Traverse System, considered the best at the time and dug by soldiers from the Canberra region who volunteered during the Men from Snowy River recruiting march.
"This area is where they trained people to train others, who then built the system in the field," Mr Denham said.
"It was like a training centre if you like."
It is understood to be the only trench warfare training site left in Australia.
It's a sobering thought ... they were probably optimistic'
With the help of the ACT Parks and Conservation Service and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Management Committee, archaeology students under the instruction of Mr Denham are slowly sifting their way through every single bit of soil that has come out the trenches.
"We're doing incredible things like finding the old walls of the trenches that we've dug ... we're learning a lot about defining things. It's been a good experience," archaeology student Elaine Lin said.
When the ABC visited on Friday, only the top layers of soil had been examined.
But a few small treasures had already been found.
"We've found a few shotgun cartridges," archaeology student Juliet Myer said.
"We're not sure if they're from the time, or afterwards ... but not too much else."
Once the trenches have been fully excavated, the hope is that the public will be able to come and experience just how cold and damp it feels to be inside one.
"It's a sobering thought ... when people were here they were probably optimistic about the new trench designs and how they'd go in the field," Mr Denham said.
"And of course now we know what a terrible time it was for all those who went and unfortunately a lot of people didn't come back."
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