Key facts
- Archaeologists have discovered musket balls and other artifacts from the Battle of Bunker Hill.
- The findings include evidence of an earthen fort hastily constructed by American patriots.
- The dig took place in Boston's Charlestown section, near the Bunker Hill Monument.
- The artifacts found date back to the battle on June 17, 1775.
- The discovery confirms the location and shape of fortifications previously only known from historical maps.
Archaeologists have unearthed significant artifacts, including musket balls and remnants of a hastily constructed earthen fort, at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston's Charlestown section. The discoveries were made near the Bunker Hill Monument, where generations have picnicked and played.
Led by city of Boston archaeologist Joe Bagley, the team utilized ground-penetrating radar to identify potential locations for the fort. The first trench dug revealed definitive signs of a ditch created hours before the battle on June 17, 1775, a pivotal engagement of the American Revolution.
Among the findings are musket balls, parts of a musket, gun flints, teacups, tobacco pipes, sleeve buttons, and a wig curler, likely left by British troops who occupied the area after the battle. While nearly 150 combatants died in the battle, no human remains have been found, though a forensic archaeologist was present.
Scholars often cite the Battle of Bunker Hill as the war's first significant battle, where colonial rebels attempted to slow advancing British forces. Although the rebels retreated, the British sustained over 1,000 casualties, galvanizing the colonies against British rule. The battle took place on Breed's Hill, a smaller ridge near the intended fortification on Bunker Hill.
The dig confirmed the accuracy of a map drawn by Henry Pelham two months after the battle, which depicted a square redoubt on Breed's Hill. Previous digs in the 1990s had found some evidence of ditches and battle-related items, but this excavation provided a clearer picture of the fortifications.
The archaeological dig concluded on Wednesday, coinciding with a church service and procession to the Bunker Hill Monument for a remembrance ceremony.