Nearly 280 years after the Battle of Culloden marked the end of the Jacobite uprising, archaeologists are returning to the site to explore a previously unexcavated area that may hold new clues about the infamous clash.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS), in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, has initiated a week-long investigation just north of the memorial cairn near Inverness. This area, once covered by commercial forestry, is now scrubland used for cattle grazing—and it’s believed to be where Jacobite forces advanced on the government army’s front line.
Led by NTS head of archaeology Derek Alexander and Professor Tony Pollard, the excavation will involve digging trenches and test pits, metal detecting, and soil scraping with a small tracked excavator. The goal is to uncover both metallic and non-metallic artifacts that could shed light on troop movements, battle formations, and personal stories from the battlefield.
“This part of the battlefield is in front of the government front line, where Monro’s Regiment and the Royal Scots Fusiliers would have exchanged musket fire with the advancing Jacobite line,” said an NTS spokesperson.
The dig is being conducted with deep respect for the site’s solemn history as a designated war grave. Previous discoveries at Culloden have included grapeshot, musket balls, and a broken shoe buckle believed to belong to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, a clan chief injured during the battle.
The Battle of Culloden, fought on April 16, 1746, was the last pitched battle on British soil. It ended in a devastating defeat for Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite forces, with around 1,500 Jacobites killed.
This new excavation hopes to deepen our understanding of the battle’s final moments and the lives of those who fought there.
Source: MSN News
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