RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Human skeletal remains possibly belonging to Revolutionary War soldiers have been discovered in the basement of an 18th-century house being renovated in Connecticut, according to a published report.
The Connecticut Office of State Archaeology was notified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner about skeletal remains found under the Ridgefield home on Dec. 2, The Ridgefield Press reported Wednesday.
Subsequent excavations by state archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni yielded two more skeletons.
All three were “robust adult men lying in an east-west orientation in ground that appears to be haphazardly dug,” Bellantoni said.
Their bone size indicates they were probably militiamen, he said. One of the other reasons Bellantoni and his team believe the bones belong to Revolutionary War soldiers is that they found five buttons at the spot. No weapons have been found.
The town is the site of the Battle of Ridgefield in April 1777.
If confirmed, the discovery would be the first time that Revolutionary War-era soldiers from the field of battle have been recovered in Connecticut, he said.
The original house was built around 1790, according to Sharon Dunphy, president of the the Ridgefield Historical Society.
There have been several additions made to the home over the years, one of which was built over the burial site.
Bellantoni told the Press the femur bones show that they clearly walked a lot and and carried a lot of weight like cannons or other artillery. Bellantoni cautioned that there's compelling evidence, but no direct evidence yet that these were Revolutionary War soldiers. He says their teeth are in pretty good shape and that’s important for DNA forensics. They may be able to figure out their diet, which could determine who's side they were on.
The homeowner called the Ridgefield Police Department during the basement renovation and police notified the medical examiner’s office after it was determined the bones were more than 50 years old. Bellantoni will use this dig to apply for a National Parks Service “battlefield grant” to potentially survey the historic area of the Battle of Ridgefield.
