Over 350 years since the passing of a famed French military figure, his remains may have been uncovered beneath the flooring of a church in the Netherlands.
Jos Valke, a deacon at a Maastricht church, assisted in the excavation and expressed near-certainty that the skeleton belongs to a trusted associate of France’s 17th-century monarch, a man known by the title Count d’Artagnan, the BBC reports.
The historical figure died during a military engagement in Maastricht in 1673 and was later celebrated in classic adventure literature as part of The Three Musketeers.
For years, speculation placed his burial site within the church, though physical proof had remained elusive until recently.
Valke explained that prior excavations beneath the floor had not taken place, but damage to some tiles prompted a decision to investigate. After uncovering a wall, the team proceeded with careful digging using brushes. An archaeologist was then brought in, and the skeleton was found in a spot where an altar once stood two centuries ago.
“We became quite silent when we found the first bone,” he said, adding that there were several pointers indicating that the skeleton belonged to the Sun King’s right-hand man.
“He was buried on sacred ground below where the altar was; we found the bullet that put an end to his life and we found a coin from 1660 in his grave, and it was from the bishop who attended Mass for the Roi Soleil.”
The archaeologist involved in the excavation struck a more cautious tone. “I’m a scientist, but my expectations are high,” Wim Dijkman told a regional broadcaster, noting that he would prefer to await DNA verification before confirming the identity.
A biological sample has been collected from the remains and is undergoing testing in Germany, while certain bones have been sent to another Dutch city for analysis to determine age, geographic origin, and sex.
“I’ve already been researching d’Artagnan’s grave for 28 years. This could be the highlight of my career,” said Dijkman.
Historical accounts suggest the individual was struck by a musket ball during the French monarch’s campaign to take Maastricht. French forces, facing midsummer conditions, opted for a local burial near their encampment close to the church in what is now the southwestern part of the city.
While the character in literature drew from this historical figure, the three musketeers were creations of fiction, though they may have drawn inspiration from members of a royal guard unit tasked with protecting the sovereign and engaging in military operations.
