Overview
- City officials announced on Thursday, July 2, 2026, that existing analyses do not prove the skeleton found beneath St Peter and Paul Church is Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan.
- The find was first reported in March when human bones were uncovered under the church nave and attracted wide attention because d'Artagnan died at the 1673 siege of Maastricht.
- Investigators say the probe was compromised by an unauthorised early excavation by retired archaeologist Wim Dijkman, who removed and improperly stored bones and did not prepare standard archaeological documentation, causing irreversible loss of context.
- Scientific work to date gave an age range for the man of about 44–66 years and produced mixed signals: a French coin and a metal fragment near the ribs were recovered while isotopic results suggest a fish-rich diet not typical of Gascony, and the bones could not be independently dated.
- Authorities and researchers have called for further multidisciplinary study, including ancient DNA testing, improved archaeological recording and historical research, because limited and possibly contaminated samples now determine what can be learned and whether a firm identification is possible.