Archaeological dig at site of Battle of Waterloo to find remains of 20,000 men

An archaeological dig at the site of the Battle of Waterloo will take place in a bid to find out what happened to the remains of 20,000 men.

The conflict happened in June 1815, in the province of Walloon Braban, Belgium , and in 2022 an excavation at the site of a former field hospital at Mont-Saint-Jean farm discovered horses which had been executed, buried alongside a human skeleton.

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

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.

Professor Tony Pollard of the University of Glasgow , and the project’s archaeological director, 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 September 3 to 13, 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 Waterloo; 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.”

Anthony Martin, who runs a brewery, brasserie and museum at Mont-Saint-Jean farm, said, “Since we rescued the abandoned site of the Allied Field hospital in 2014, we have placed the farm’s fascinating heritage at the heart of everything we do.

“We are delighted to welcome Waterloo Uncovered back to Mont-Saint-Jean so that they can uncover even more of the site’s history while supporting modern-day veterans.”

The British army was led by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who was also a Conservative prime minister.