The investigation into the potential burial site of Charles de Batz de Castelmore d'Artagnan, the historical figure who inspired Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers," has been significantly hampered by an excavation blunder. Officials in Maastricht, Netherlands, reported that archaeological work conducted before the official excavation in March resulted in an irreversible loss of crucial evidence.
Remains were initially discovered in February near the altar of St. Peter and Paul Church after the church floor collapsed, creating a hole that led archaeologists to a burial site. Contemporary documents indicate that d'Artagnan, who died during a siege near Maastricht on June 25, 1673, was buried on consecrated ground nearby, making the discovery particularly promising.
However, the Municipality of Maastricht announced on July 2 that the preliminary excavation work was not carried out according to standard archaeological procedures. This lack of documentation means a significant amount of archaeological information has been lost. When the official excavation began on March 13, only about 50% of the skeleton remained in its original position, and approximately one-third of the skull was missing.
"The situation is highly complex because, during the initial excavation work, various bones were collected without documentation," the municipality stated in a news release. The retired archaeologist who led the initial excavation, Wim Dijkman, was arrested in May after reportedly refusing to surrender the bones to authorities, according to NL Times.
Initial isotope analysis of the remains indicated that 27% to 30% of the individual's diet consisted of fish. Researchers noted this finding is inconsistent with the likely diet of d'Artagnan, though they also acknowledged that the availability of fish in 17th-century Paris and Lille, and the consumption of salted fish inland, makes it unclear if such a diet was uncommon for musketeers. Officials stressed that this dietary information does not definitively rule out the possibility that the skeleton belongs to d'Artagnan, but it makes the identification less likely based on current data.