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yesterday

Archaeologists Confirm Bunker Hill Redoubt and Recover Battle Artifacts

The excavation validates a long‑debated map detail and opens fresh study of objects that document fighting and postbattle occupation

Joe Bagley, the City of Boston Archeologist, left, chats with visitor Owen MacDonald, of Los Angeles, who was visiting Boston with his father John, during an archaeological dig at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Joe Bagley, right, the City of Boston Archeologist, talks with with Sarah Kiley Schoff, a forensic anthropologist, during an archaeological dig at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Calla Ruff, an intern from Carleton College, sifts dirt removed from an archaeological dig at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Calla Ruff, an intern from Carleton College, holds a musket ball that was removed from an archaeological dig at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Overview

  • City of Boston archaeologists led by Joe Bagley located a defensive ditch that matches Henry Pelham’s square redoubt during excavations shown to the public on the June 17, 2026 anniversary.
  • Ground‑penetrating radar guided targeted trenching that revealed the ditch and structural features described on Pelham’s 1775 map.
  • Excavators have recovered musket balls, musket parts and British‑associated items such as tea cups, pipes, sleeve buttons and a wig curler, with specialists saying some musket balls show markings consistent with having been fired.
  • No human remains have been found so far, and a forensic archaeologist is on site to identify any bones if they appear during the ongoing dig.
  • The fieldwork has coincided with a court order that kept three National Park Service interpretive quotes on display, highlighting how new finds and legal fights are shaping public memory and future study of the site.