The remains of the musketeer d'Artagnan have likely been found beneath a church in the Netherlands
This is according to the BBC.
Yos Valke, a deacon at the local church, took part in the excavation and helped to uncover the skeleton. He is 99% certain that the remains found belong to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d’Artagnan — one of King Louis XIV’s closest associates. The remains were found beneath the spot where the church altar once stood.
D’Artagnan was mortally wounded during the siege of Maastricht in 1673, but his name later became widely known thanks to Alexandre Dumas’s books, in which he is portrayed as one of the three musketeers.
Archaeologists found not only the skeleton, but also the bullet that likely caused his death, as well as a coin from 1660, confirming his connection to the holy bishop who conducted services for the Sun King.
What the researchers say
The involvement of archaeologist Wim Deikman, who also took part in the excavations, confirms that the find is of immense importance to his career. He noted that whilst it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, he has high hopes for further research, particularly genetic testing, which should confirm the identity and sex of the skeleton found.
Further research
DNA analysis is currently being carried out in Germany, and some bones have also been sent for examination to the city of Deventer to determine the age and origin of the remains.
Historical context
D'Artagnan was likely buried not far from where he died, as the French army decided to bury him on the spot, given that it was summer and the troops were stationed near a church in the Volder area.
The discovery of the remains marks another important step in the search for historical truth regarding the fate of both real and fictional heroes of that era.
It is worth recalling that American actor and director Sean Penn visited Ukrainian troops on the front line during his latest visit to Ukraine. In particular, he visited a combat unit of the 157th Mechanised Brigade in Sloviansk and also spoke with soldiers from the 3rd Special Operations Brigade ‘Spartan’.
