Archaeologists Unearth Hundreds of Artifacts at Fort Ticonderoga, the Site of America's First Offensive Victory of the Revolutionary War

Fort Ticonderoga On July 28, 1776, some Continental Army soldiers gathered near Fort Ticonderoga at Liberty Hill to hear the text of the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the first time. Now, nearly 250 years later, archaeologists are unearthing artifacts that offer a fresh glimpse into that important period in American history.

Researchers recently excavated more than 500 artifacts at Fort Ticonderoga, which is now a historic site and living history museum. Many are thought to have been left behind by the Continental Army soldiers who were stationed there in 1776, reports Shannon Fromma for the Times Union.

Archaeologists found the objects in 2024 while excavating Liberty Hill, a strategic hilltop where Continental Army troops established a large camp during the Revolutionary War. The artifacts include pieces of firearms, mortar shell fragments, part of a cast iron kettle, the lid of a traveling inkstand known as a “penner,” a knuckle guard from a sword and numerous regimental coat buttons.