WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Archaeologists in Virginia have discovered what are believed to be the remains of a Revolutionary War military barracks, including chimney bricks and musket balls cut from soldiers’ teeth.
The site is on the property of Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum that tells the story of the capital of the British colony of Virginia in the 18th century.
Maps and documents from the period reference a barracks built between 1776 and 1777 for the Continental Army as it fought the British, the museum said in a statement this week. The structure was designed to accommodate up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses.
The American Revolution began in 1775. The barracks are believed to have been destroyed in 1781 by troops from the army of British General Lord Charles Cornwallis. His forces were on their way to Crucial Battle of Yorktown, where the British suffered heavy losses and surrendered. The war officially ended in 1783.
Archaeological evidence of continental barracks in Virginia is rare, according to Colonial Williamsburg. This location is particularly valuable because it was only used as a barracks. Furthermore, a significant portion of the land remained largely intact.
The site was discovered during an archaeological excavation necessary prior to the construction of a proposed regional sports complex. Its planned area has since been changed to preserve the barracks site of about 3 to 4 acres (1.2 to 1.6 hectares).
An initial excavation last summer revealed chimney bases and uncovered a military buckle and lead musket balls. Soldiers chewed the balls because of their sweet taste.
Only a small percentage of the site has been excavated. The museum tells the story of Colonial Williamsburg through interpreters and more than 400 restored or reconstructed buildings. The company plans to use the site to tell the story of Williamsburg’s military involvement in the American Revolution and the daily lives of soldiers.
