As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, archaeologists are unearthing new secrets about the Revolutionary War. The Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the earliest military engagements of the war, is still revealing new discoveries. Archaeologists have found a redoubt, a dirt fort built by colonial soldiers, and various artifacts, including munitions.

Uncovering the Past

In Charlestown, Massachusetts, just outside downtown Boston, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775. The British decisively defeated American forces and seized the Charlestown Peninsula after a retreat. Lauryn Sharp, project archaeologist for the City of Boston, said, ‘We know that the fortification was up here, but nobody has been able to identify where specifically.’ The discovery of the redoubt and other artifacts is shedding new light on the country’s founding.

At the Camden Battlefield in Camden, South Carolina, American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) excavated the site last year. AVAR founder Stephen Humphreys said, ‘We’re using intensive metal detector surveys to plot exactly where the different forces were during the battle.’ The battle was a devastating loss for the colonies, and Humphreys noted that it’s an extremely significant battle for the South and the North.

Other Discoveries

In 2024, archaeologists unearthed remnants of the battle that ushered in the ‘shot heard round the world’ at Minute Man National Historical Park, the site of the Battle of Concord and Lexington. Five musket balls believed to have been fired by colonial militia members were uncovered near an area where British soldiers formed. Park ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss said, ‘It is also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history.’

Archaeologists have also found remnants of soldiers’ barracks at Colonial Williamsburg, which were likely built between 1776 and 1777. The barracks could accommodate 2,000 soldiers and up to 100 horses and were destroyed by British troops who were on their way to Yorktown in 1781.

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