Archaeologists in Maastricht, Netherlands, have discovered a skeleton that could belong to Charles de Batz-Castelmore, the 17th-century Gascon nobleman better known as d'Artagnan, who inspired Alexandre Dumas's hero in The Three Musketeers. The remains were found during repairs at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the Wolder district.
Deacon Jos Valke reported the discovery to retired archaeologist Wim Dijkman, who has spent 28 years searching for the musketeer's grave. Valke noted several clues: the skeleton was buried under the altar in consecrated ground, a French coin from the period was present, and a bullet was found at chest level, matching historical accounts of d'Artagnan's death.
The real d'Artagnan died from a musket shot to the throat during the siege of Maastricht in 1673. The skeleton has been moved to an archaeological institute in Deventer, and a DNA sample taken on 13 March is being analysed in Munich. Results will be compared with DNA from descendants of d'Artagnan's father.
Dijkman expressed cautious optimism, stating: 'I'm always very cautious, I'm a scientist.' He added that the investigation has become a top-level effort, with analyses underway both domestically and abroad to confirm the identity.
D'Artagnan achieved posthumous fame after Dumas published The Three Musketeers in 1844, inspired by an earlier memoir. The character has been portrayed in numerous film and television adaptations, and even as a cartoon dog in the 1980s series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds.
