Musket Balls From 'Shot Heard Round the World' Found In MA

CONCORD, MA — National Park Service archeologists working at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord made the discovery of a lifetime recently when they stumbled across five musket balls fired during "The Shot Heard Around the World" in 1775.

The team were conducting compliance activities in preparation for the park's Great American Outdoors project when they found the balls, officials say. Analysis indicates they were fired by colonial militia members at British forces during the North Bridge fight, "marking a moment when provincial militia leaders ordered members to fire upon their own government’s soldiers for the first time," according to officials.

"These musket balls can be considered collectively as 'The Shot Heard Round the World,'" Minute Man Park Ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss said.

The event was given the nickname by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his 1837 Concord Hymn because it further escalated the conflict between colonial rebels and British forces until it reached a fever pitch.

On April 19, 1775, roughly 800 British soldiers marched from Boston to Concord to destroy military supplies that colonial rebels had gathered, the National Park Service said.

"The musket balls were found in an area where, according to contemporary accounts, British soldiers formed up to resist the river crossing," according to the National Park Service. "Further analysis of the musket balls indicates that each one was fired from the opposite side of the river and not dropped during the process of reloading."

Fuoss says it's "incredible that they have survived this long," and that it's "incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world almost 250 years ago."

"It is also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history," Fuoss added.

Visitors can view the musket balls and learn more about "The Shot Heard Round the World" at Minute Man NHP on Saturday, during the park’s Archeology Day events at North Bridge Visitor Center at 174 Liberty Street in Concord.

• 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Members of the public can view the musket balls on display at the North Bridge Visitor Center. Visitors can talk to park curators about the musket balls and the science behind preserving them.
• 2:30 p.m. — “North Bridge Battle Walk”: Visitors can join park rangers for an interactive walking tour tracing the footsteps and the archaeology of those who fought at the North Bridge on April 19, 1775.