Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)
Definition
Ammunition, shells, grenades, or bombs that were deployed but did not detonate, remaining live in the ground decades or centuries after the conflict. UXO is a primary safety hazard at all conflict excavations and must be identified and cleared before safe work can proceed.
- Definition
- Deployed but undetonated ammunition, shells, grenades or bombs
- Persistence
- Can remain live for decades to centuries
- Risk
- Primary safety hazard at conflict-site excavations
- Procedure
- Identification and clearance required before excavation proceeds
Common questions
Who is responsible for clearing UXO before a forensic archaeology team can start work?+
Specialist explosive ordnance disposal teams, not the archaeologists, must survey and clear the site first, and excavation only proceeds once that clearance is confirmed and often re-checked as digging progresses.
Why does UXO risk persist so long after a conflict ends?+
Many munitions fail to detonate on impact due to fuse malfunction or unfavourable ground conditions, and buried metal casings can remain structurally intact and chemically stable for very long periods, so age alone does not make them safe.
Related terms
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