Revolution-Era Artifacts Uncovered in Boston Ahead of US 250th Anniversary

Researchers in Boston have uncovered a trove of revolution-era artifacts just in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Archaeologists were digging near the Bunker Hill monument in Boston when they found musket balls, gun flints, and evidence of a Revolutionary War-era fortification. The excavation at the site is part of an effort to learn more about an earthen fortification, or redoubt, that was used by colonists during the battle. Colonial troops likely built the redoubt overnight just before the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. "Many maps [of the redoubt] have been drawn, but they all disagree with each other. So, we're really hoping to lock in exactly where it was located. And if we can, figure out exactly what it looked like, that's an added bonus," Joe Bagley, Boston's City Archaeologist, told CBS News. The Battle of Bunker Hill was considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The British troops occupying Boston ultimately forced the colonists holding Breed Hill — where most of the fighting took place — into retreat, but lost more than 1,000 men in the process. The pyrrhic victory for the British helped to unify the colonies behind the cause of the revolution and showed that the colonial troops could hold their own against professional soldiers, according to historians. The dig is being undertaken by Boston's archaeology program and a team of veterans working with the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery organization. The AVAR organization is based in Pennsylvania and helps veterans transition back into civilian life and assists them with jobs in archaeology. In addition to finding the artifacts, the team at the site have discovered a fragment of a Victorian doll, a key, and a 400-year-old stone tool they believe likely belonged to the Massachusett Tribe. Bagley said of the current crop of discoveries that the gun flint was the find that gave him "chills." "This is a gun spall, or a gun flint, that was used in a musket. This is from the Battle of Bunker Hill. So, this would have actually been here during the battle," Bagley said. "This one gave me chills when it came out." Joel Bohy, a battlefield archaeologist who specializes in weapons from the American Revolution, told Fox News that artifacts found during the dig will give people the chance to hold "a piece of the battle in their hand." "In a way, it makes the history more dimensional when you look at these objects from the battle itself," he told the outlet. Volunteers working with Bagley's archaeological team will have the chance to examine and handle these artifacts up close, though getting on one of his crews is apparently a feat in and of itself. During a recent interview with MassLive, Bagley said that anytime he calls for volunteers, the spots fill up in less than a minute. “Less than a minute, they’re just gone,” he told the outlet. His digs only happen a few times a year, and since they focus on Boston — one of the most historically significant cities in the nation's history — get snapped up fast. The current dig will continue for another two weeks — just long enough to include the Fourth of July.