250-year-old musket balls from ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ discovered in Massachusetts park

Five musket balls were recently discovered by archaeologists at Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts and are linked to the event known as “The Shot Heard Round the World” that precipitated the American Revolutionary War in 1775, park officials said.

The 249-year-old musket balls were discovered by archaeologists conducting “compliance activities” in preparation for an event, the National Park Service said in a news release Tuesday.

Early analysis indicates that they were fired by members of the colonial militia at British forces at the Battle of North Bridge in Concord on April 19, 1775.

The North Bridge marked the moment when militia leaders fired on British forces and was later dubbed “The Shot Heard Round the World” by Ralph Waldo Emerson in the 1837 Concord hymn about the conflict.

The musket balls were found in an area where “according to contemporary accounts, British soldiers had formed up to resist the river crossing,” the statement said. Further analysis indicated that each one was fired “from the opposite bank of the river and was not released during the reloading process.”

The park protects historic structures and landscapes associated with the opening battle of the American Revolution that fateful day, including what happened at North Bridge and the colonists’ confrontations with the British.

“It’s incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world nearly 250 years ago,” said Jarrad Fuoss, Minute Man ranger and historical weapons specialist.

“These musket balls can be collectively considered ‘The Shot Heard Around the World,’ and it is incredible that they have survived for so long. It is also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history,” he added.

April 19, 1775 marked the first armed conflict of the American Revolution when members of the colonial militia, defending liberty, intercepted the British as they marched from Boston to Concord.

The fighting that day is also known as the Battles of Lexington and Concord and saw skirmishes fought over a 15-mile stretch along the Bay Road from Boston to Concord. On the British side, 73 people were killed, 174 wounded and 26 were missing after the events of April 19. On the colonial side, 49 people were killed, 41 wounded and five were missing, according to the National Park Service.