CHARLESTOWN, Mass. – Artifacts that haven’t seen the light of day in 251 years are being discovered at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts – just in time for the nation’s 250th birthday.
This project is one of the first archaeological digs at the site of the battle fought on June 17, 1775.
The crew wants to learn more about the earthen construction, known as a redoubt, which is a military fortress built by hand overnight before the battle begins.
“We know the walls were up here, but no one has been able to pinpoint exactly where they are after all these years,” said Project Archaeologist for the City of Boston, Lauryn Sharp. “Even when the monument was built, there was no evidence that there was any real doubt, so this is the first time that we have added this information back to the story.”
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The City of Boston Archeology Program and American Veterans Archaeological Recovery are leading the dig. (Kailey Schuyler)
Through the excavation, workers hope to find more clues about the Battle of Bunker Hill, known as one of the bloodiest days of the Revolutionary War. When they wanted to doubt it, archaeologists found artifacts from 251 years ago.
“We found two English guns, a French flint, and then two musket balls that are associated with being British,” said Joel Bohy, a historian and cultural expert. “This project has been very successful and we are learning new things about war that we did not know before.”
Bohy was examining a musket ball archaeologists found in one of the two trenches.
Material Culture Specialist, Joel Bohy, displays a musket ball found in the excavation. (Kailey Schuyler)
“I haven’t measured the weight yet, but it may have been taken from a provincial gun. So we have equipment used on both sides, it seems, all found in the same canal,” said Bohy. “You can see it hit the ground at medium speed, but it also has what’s called a sprue, and it’s more sticky than a normal sprue and that could be the way it was shaped.”
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Archaeologists found flints and musket balls from the Battle of Bunker Hill. (Kailey Schuyler)
The City of Boston Archeology Program and American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) are leading the dig. AVAR helps veterans transition into professional archeology careers. The non-profit organization focuses on battlefields and conflict zones, in America and abroad.
“Being a veteran, having just served, gives you more emotional understanding of the actual experience and what conflict is like and combat is like taking orders,” said Dr. Stephen Humphreys, CEO of American Veterans Archaeological Recovery.
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Humphreys said the operation was an important operation from a military and historical perspective.
“But what archeology does can give you more insight into the real experience of those common soldiers on the ground. And of course, that’s what my team already knows from serving,” said Humphreys. “And so these many people, so many people who fought in this war, there is nothing left for them but a musket ball or a gun or a button.”
Excavators with AVAR are digging in one of two trenches on the project. (Kailey Schuyler)
Staff said that while artifacts are fun and exciting to find, it’s important to remember that real families are touched by history at Bunker Hill.
“251 years ago, next week, there were a lot of men who fought and died here and there. So as we are happy with this discovery, we must remember the human side of this,” said Bohy.
Artifacts found during the excavation will be tested in a lab and eventually added to a digital database.
“We think we know a lot about history, and we read books and stuff like that, but when we dig down like this and we can see where the walls of doubt were, we find things that come out of the hole, it makes history three-dimensional,” said Bohy.
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The city of Boston was originally scheduled to finish the job after two weeks, but it was extended. As for AVAR, some of this group headed abroad.
“We are very excited to take some of these veterans and some of our staff to Sicily to work on a bomb from World War II to see if we can provide a solution to other family members,” Humphreys said. “This is part of our larger line of conflict zones that we hope will bring closure to families and inform more Americans about our military history.”
