Archaeologists to dig in search of skeletons at Waterloo battlefield

The fate of those killed in the notoriously bloody Battle of Waterloo has long been the subject of macabre speculation. Now, a team of archaeologists will seek to provide some answers by digging at the site where it took place in Belgium.

About 20,000 men died in the June 1815 battle that took place in the province of Walloon Brabant. In 2022, an excavation at the site of a former field hospital at Mont-Saint-Jean farm discovered horses that had been put down, buried alongside a human skeleton.

The “rare” discovery was the second complete human skeleton ever excavated on the Belgian battlefield. The amputated limbs of wounded men and the skeletons of three horses were also found at the site.

The veteran support charity Waterloo Uncovered will carry out a targeted excavation in September to uncover the full extent of the burial pit in an attempt to establish what happened to the dead.

Historical evidence suggests that many skeletons were dug up and ground down to be used as fertiliser and in the production of sugar. The discovery of skeletons on the battlefield was described as “a highly unusual and historically significant occurrence” by archaeologists.

The project’s archaeological director, Prof Tony Pollard of the University of Glasgow, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting site – the presence of amputated limbs, a complete human burial and remains of euthanised horses in one trench make the site at Mont-Saint-Jean truly unique.

“Finding horses, which had been put out of their misery by shots to the head, and humans buried alongside each other, especially with the care and separation evident in this trench, is extremely rare.”

From 3 to 13 September, an international team of military veterans, serving personnel, archaeologists and volunteers will continue work at Mont-Saint-Jean.

Previous excavations by the charity at the site uncovered evidence that has developed understanding of the battle: from an unrecorded attack on the hospital to physical evidence of how the French nearly tipped the battle in their favour in the gardens of Hougoumont.

Waterloo Uncovered’s chief executive officer, Abigail Boyle, said: “Waterloo Uncovered supports veterans with their recovery and transition into civilian life.

“On site, veterans and serving beneficiaries will learn key transferable archaeological skills, which will provide pathways into education, employment or simply enable them to enjoy archaeology as a hobby.

“Even professional archaeologists rarely get to work on a site of this calibre – it’s really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”