Over 500 Artifacts Unearthed at Fort Ticonderoga, Site of America's First Offensive Victory

Archaeologists excavated more than 500 artifacts at Fort Ticonderoga in 2024, uncovering objects left by Continental Army soldiers from 1776 and French and Indian War troops from 1758. The finds include gun parts, mortar shell fragments, a cast iron kettle piece, a traveling inkstand lid, a sword knuckle guard, and regimental coat buttons. The dig took place on Liberty Hill, a strategic hilltop where Continental troops camped and where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud on July 28, 1776. Beth L. Hill, president and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga, called the discovery a 'tremendous honor' reinforcing the fort's role in American freedom. The artifacts are being studied and conserved for potential future exhibitions. Fort Ticonderoga is currently celebrating America's 250th anniversary with an exhibition titled 'Revolutionary Possibilities' and historic reenactments. In July, the museum will display a painted linen knapsack belonging to Connecticut soldier Benjamin Warner.