Donate
Waterloo Uncovered
Donate

2020

"
  2. 2020
  3. Page 3

External Support

[et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="efda5c68-b09f-416a-8040-8b49b4ac693a" background_color="#A51261" background_enable_image="off" custom_padding="150px||1px||false|false" hover_enabled="0" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" pac_dcm_carousel_specific_module_num="0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="8dea5759-788e-46f7-9e78-f368b11c5cac" text_font="|800|||||||" text_orientation="center" global_colors_info="{}"]EXTERNAL SUPPORT In addition to Waterloo Uncovered, there are plenty of organisations that provide support to Veterans and Serving Military Personnel.[/et_pb_text][et_pb_icon font_icon=""||divi||400" icon_width="40px" url="#Explore" _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_icon][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_row _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" pac_dcm_carousel_specific_module_num="0" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.27.4" _module_preset="default" global_colors_info="{}"]IMMEDIATE SUPPORT If you require urgent and immediate support, you can contact Samaritans on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org ENGLAND Veterans and their families in England can be referred to specialist NHS Op Courage services by their GP. WALES In Wales, you can reach out to Veteran Therapists in each Local Health Board through Veteran Wales. SCOTLAND Veterans in Scotland can access veteran-led mental health and welfare support through Veterans First Point, part of NHS Scotland. NORTHERN IRELAND The Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Office links individual veterans, veterans’ groups, statutory and non-statutory bodies, and charities supporting Veterans in Northern Ireland. UK-WIDE Anyone in the UK or overseas can also contact the Veterans’ Gateway helpline on 0808 802 1212, or visit the website for advice and signposting to further support, including for families and the bereaved. Their website contains both a large list of charities who can help, and a self help tool for information and advice on a range of subjects including housing, finances and mental wellbeing. OTHER ORGANISATIONS A number of UK charities provide support for serving personnel, veterans, and their families. We have listed a few below. If you can't find what you're looking for or you have any other queries, email us at info@waterloouncovered.com and we will try our best to point you in the ...
Activity Report 2018

Activity Report 2018

This Activity and Impact Report covers our 2018 excavations at Hougoumont, and our public engagement activities including our World Record setting wargame re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo, the Great Game. It also details our international collaborations, education and outreach activities, fundraising events and the positive impact the programme has had on our veteran participants.
Unearthing Structures at Hougoumont

Unearthing Structures at Hougoumont

2018 Excavation Find out what we discovered when we unearthed the remains of a building (and bones) at Hougoumont, in a summary of our 2018 excavation.

Day 0: It’s Great to Be Back!

It feels as if the Belgian sun could not wait to see us return, either. On the one hand this is great: we could not have wished for better weather to visit the Château d'Hougoumont, eat pizza in, and cruise around the fields next to La Butte de Lion (see picture). On the other hand, we can foresee that the ground will be dried out and hard. This will make it harder to dig into. Not that this will stop us, in any case. On y va! [caption id="attachment_3275" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A warm welcome at the foot of the Butte de Lion[/caption]   At the end of this diary, you will find a wonderful column by one of our team members, Peter Ginn.   [caption id="attachment_3277" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] La Butte de Lion[/caption] With 'slight' disapproval, Professor Tony Pollard tells us that the hill carrying the statue of the lion must be filled with all kinds of archaeological finds. In order to build it, the previous battlefields around it were scraped down and the land lowered significantly. This happened before anyone could pick out the musket balls, buttons, and anything else that the mount might still hold. [caption id="attachment_3278" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Professor Tony Pollard[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3279" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Revisiting one of the three trees still surviving from the Battle of Waterloo, filled with antique musket balls.[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3280" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Professor Tony Pollard standing in one of the ditches near the Château d'Hougoumont. Previous excavations showed that British and Prussian soldiers cleared their muskets here.[/caption]   Column from our Team: Peter Ginn For Want of a Nail: Getting There This ...

Day 1: Breaking New Ground; and How to be an Archaeologist

The day starts off with a short debriefing. We are warned of the massive-but-noiseless cows that may suddenly appear and are easily startled. After some questionnaires we are split up into our groups for the next two weeks. We rotate to discover the six essential steps of the archaeological process. At the end of this diary, you will find these steps summed up nicely in 'How to do Archaeology'! [caption id="attachment_3300" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A sole monument in the backyard of the Château d'Hougoumont, dedicated to the French soldiers. In the background: La Butte de Lion[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3301" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The team is all geared up and ready to go![/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3302" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Communications officer Mike Greenwood looks pleased after making his first bad pun of the day[/caption] After learning more about the archaeological process, we get to feel like archaeologists. The big digger is brought in and new ditches are made in the infamous killing field, as well as in the area where the pond was believed to be. The latter will provide a brand new digging site that, due to the boggy nature of the ground, just might yield some interesting results, as the water preserves the objects better. How to do archaeology in 6 easy(ish) steps Breaking new ground: how do you get such a diverse and mostly inexperienced team to deliver the best results possible? For the uninitiated, interested and eager, Day One began with a crash course into archaeology: [caption id="attachment_3303" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Alistair Douglas demonstrates how Pythagoras's 3-4-5 formula can help with manually creating a perfect square[/caption] Step 1 Pythagoras with a trowel ...

Day 2: Coins, Buttons and Promises

Whereas we felt so welcomed by the sun two days ago, today was a different story: the skies are grey and the temperature has dropped significantly. Anyone who has forgotten to bring their amazing Waterloo Uncovered-hoodie regrets their grave mistake.  Sadly, no rain as of yet. Though the ground did not have a chance to soften with rain, it did provide us with some of the first great finds of this year. In the next paragraph, two of these finds recovered by Malcolm Iliffe will be highlighted. We are starting to find more ammunition in all kinds of states, antique coins, and even a small crucifix. [caption id="attachment_3327" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Excavations at the Garden Wall[/caption] Check out the video of our first day here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4BSflTJ4wQ [caption id="attachment_3328" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Plenty of musket balls to be found in the Killing Zone[/caption] For now, trenches have been dug in the new car park near the Southern Gate and inside the Northern Gate. The Killing Zone has been opened up again as well. No attacks from the cows thus far. Inside the garden, some new trenches might reveal clues about the original garden walls (the current wall is a later reconstruction). [caption id="attachment_3330" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Big expectations ask for big diggers at the Killing Zone[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3331" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Veterans spotting their next artefact[/caption]   Malcolm's Finds Two remarkable finds of today were a stud from a piece of French kit, and a French coin from 1750. They were found by Malcolm Iliffe, a veteran of the Coldstream Guards. He served in Northern Ireland and Cyprus.  Interestingly, the Coldstream Guards were also present here ...
WU People: Keanie Trick

WU People: Keanie Trick

[caption id="attachment_3387" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Keanie Trick[/caption] Keanie Trick (23) is an aircraft technician from Devon, UK. This year's her second time on the dig. Keanie (named after actor Keanu Reeves) dreamed of a life serving in the army since she was 6 years old. At the age of 16 she enrolled and became an aircraft technician. Recently, she has come down with a hip and back injury and will soon be medically discharged. In spite of this, her smile is definitely one of the brightest on site. Last year, she was active digging. This year, Keanie will be helping the project from a different archaeological angle. Waterloo Uncovered has awakened Keanie's amibitions in archaeology: "I was already interested in archaeology, but through the project I've made so many contacts in the archaeology business. I've had the opportunity to get such good experience that now I am looking at courses that can turn my hobby potentially into a career."  Her mission this year is to collect antique photographs of Château Hougoumont and recreate a modern version of the same image. These two pictures can then be compared to see how Hougoumont has developed throughout the years. "It's nice to come here and meet new people," Keanie says. "Some might need support, so it's great if you can make them happy - this whole project just brings so many people together." In some ways, Keanie feels the project has changed her life. "I used to be so shy - and look at me now. In the future, I would like to help people to get over their mental or physical injury." From ...

Day 3: War Letters and the Lost Pond

Today, we have been working hard to make it back home in time for the match (in case you ask: England are playing Croatia in the Semi Final of the Football World Cup). New trenches were dug, others were deepened, and in the chapel our team did their best to bring soldier's accounts of the battle back to life in Reading to Remember. [caption id="attachment_3369" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Well-deserved break time after a morning's hard work[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3370" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] One of today's finds, a small silver clothing stud from about the 17th or 18th century[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3371" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Founding member Charlie Foinette inspecting one of the finds[/caption] The Pond - possibly? Outside the Northern Gate, a new trench was dug in search of what we suspected to be a pond. On early maps of Château Hougoumont, two ponds were recorded - although last year's excavations showed that the first pond was not there. This has raised suspicions that the 'ponds' might just have been places with overflowing groundwater. An afternoon’s work with a digger, scraping back layers of topsoil, has revealed a deep layer of modern rubbish -bottles, plastic, ironwork and pottery -the sort of thing that might well get thrown into an available muddy hole in the ground. The excavation has also revealed a layer of dark silty soil consistent with the mud of a pond. So it looks like we have, indeed, established the location of one of the ponds marked on the ancient map. Further careful excavation over the next few days will explore whether evidence of the battle also ended up in the silt. Tomorrow, ...
WU People: Max Marwick

WU People: Max Marwick

[caption id="attachment_3344" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Max Marwick with his new trowel[/caption]   Max Marwick (22) is a student of history at Sussex University, Brighton. After the summer, he’ll start the second year of his bachelor’s degree. This year is Max’s first time on an excavation site. He feels this experience has added to his understanding of history. Whereas he usually studies from books, Max now has the opportunity to actually get down in the dirt and test historical facts against the archaeological evidence. He was doing a Summer School course with the University of Utrecht in Middelburg –“Battlefield Uncovered -when he heard that someone had dropped out of the dig: he did not hesitate to sign up and expand his horizons. “I am learning stuff you cannot just learn by history books - it gives me a whole new understanding”, Max explains whilst sitting next to a fresh spoil heap. “The dig allows me to see if this is something I might want to do later.” Thus far, metal detecting has been his favourite task and he has already recovered multiple musket balls. “That’s the best thing I’ve done so far.” Looking ahead, Max explains that it’s difficult to predict what we’ll find this year. What is certain is that Waterloo Uncovered has made him connect with people he otherwise wouldn’t have talked to. “Between the students and the veterans, it was a bit difficult at first. I don’t want to ask a question people don’t want to answer.” Alongside him in the trench are serving Coldstream Guardsman Silvain Robert-Malbete and Coldstream Guard veteran Malcolm Iliffe. Other than his own grandfathers, ...
WU People: Sylvain Robert-Malbete

WU People: Sylvain Robert-Malbete

[caption id="attachment_3396" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sylvain Robert-Malbete, learning about Hougoumont[/caption] Sylvain Robert-Malbete (23) is a Coldstream Guardsman from London. He is learning more about metal detecting and Napoleonic history while excavating in the Car Park. Back in England, Sylvain is part of the Coldstream Guards’ First Battalion. His right arm is covered in a Harry Potter-themed tattoo sleeve. He tells me that his House is Slytherin, though he identifies mostly with Ronald Weasley. Sylvain has a lot of humour, and managed to smile and sing even after his team lost yesterday’s match. With fellow members of the team, Sylvain eagerly digs on. “I want to find musket balls, cannon balls, bits of clothes… Finding a rifle would be amazing.” He is looking forwards to Saturday, when another member of his battalion will join us. “The team is great – everyone is getting along.” What makes Waterloo Uncovered even more interesting to Sylvain is his connection to the Coldstream Guards battalions that fought here in the Battle of Waterloo. He would love to dig up anything belonging to one of his service comrades at the time of Waterloo. “That could have been me, 200 years ago,” he states with a sudden serious look on his face. “In a way, the past that we are digging up here is part of a story that I and my mates still live every day at work. Overall, for me, the best find I can imagine would be a Coldstream cap star (badge).”

Day 4: An Extraordinary Coincidence and the Renovation Excavation

We are starting to understand what happened inside the Northern Gate. Unfortunately, sometimes we are getting a better picture of what happened in that place around 2015 – not 1815. Tomorrow, we will dig to a deeper layer. One of our team members did find an ‘antique’ medicine bottle from the early 20th century, which read ‘external use only’. [caption id="attachment_3408" align="aligncenter" width="682"] The rarely photographed supervisor James Earley, hard at work[/caption] The Northern Gate or the "Renovation Excavation" [caption id="attachment_3410" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Archaeologist Phil Harding giving directions at the Northern Gate[/caption] Under supervision of archaeologists Phil Harding, Eva Collignon, and Emily Glass, the teams are making great progress in the trenches inside the Northern Gate. According to Phil, we are starting to find the foundations and rubble of a barn that burnt down during the Battle. It was demolished shortly afterwards, when the farmers found the building too unstable to continue its use. Phil says that the dimensions of the wall show us that the barn might be bigger than originally thought and was likely to look very similar to the barn now standing opposite the trenches. During the first excavations, it became clear that the area inside the Northern Gate was used as a dumping ground for the rubble produced by the renovations of Château d'Hougoumont circa 2015. The builders most likely spread the rubble and covered them in a layer of woodchips, upon which has now grown a grassy field. Emily tells us that if it hadn’t been for our excavations, we probably would not have known that some of the rubble of the renovations had ended ...
WU People: Hans Droppert

WU People: Hans Droppert

[caption id="attachment_3394" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Hans Droppert, hard at work cleaning a musket ball[/caption] Hans Droppert (63) is a veteran of the Dutch Royal Navy Reserve from Heinkenszand (NL). He has been cleaning and organising finds fresh out of the trenches.  Hans plans on sharing some of the stories of his fellow veterans in Dutch classrooms. These experiences are part of his project ‘Veteran in the Classroom’ (Veteraan in de Klas) which spreads awareness of the military and veterans amongst younger children. During his career, Hans used to act as liason between the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy. These communications ensured smooth sailing, both for civilians and military men. At Waterloo Uncovered, Hans has met many brothers and sisters in arms with varied backgrounds. He finds it useful to “just listen to them” and take their story home, where they might offer some solace and recognition to fellow veterans. Additionally, by participating he feeds his longstanding interest in the Napoleonic era (including the painting of miniature soldiers!). Talking, laughing and working together helps to promote "the community feeling that can be so important to veterans”. “Waterloo Uncovered offers me a different way to learn,” Hans explains. “I get to look at the excavations through a lens of my knowledge of Napoleon, the university Summer School that I followed, and the Leiden history courses I took.” Walking around the excavation site, he can exchange stories with just about everyone he meets. “I’m having fun, actually – that might sound strange for such a serious project,” he says. “But laughing together is also very important for veterans, and I take a lot of ...

Dig Diary 5: Finding the Foundation and Getting Creative

It's Friday Finds Day! Check our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts to see the highlights of this week. We've had success at the Garden Wall excavations - read the full story below! Joining us on site are two artists and an author.  They are walking around, soaking up information from the dig, and our team has been joining them. Last but not least: don't forget to come to our first OPEN DAY tomorrow. It's going to be very exciting! [caption id="attachment_3437" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Busy photographing the remains of the barn at the Northern Gate[/caption] Under the Garden Wall Enclosing what was once a luxurious and green garden stands a wall that has witnessed less peaceful events. This week, a trench was dug to find the wall's original foundations. And with success! The right wall facing the Killing Zone saw the intensity of the battle surging around it throughout the day. In the past two centuries, it has been knocked down and rebuilt at least twice. In spite of this, its original foundations remain. Excavations will resume soon on the other side of the wall, after which we hope to find out the width of the original wall. [caption id="attachment_3439" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Archaeologist Alistair Douglas teaching his team about the Garden Wall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3440" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Veteran Paula (also known as "Tiggs") at the Garden Wall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3441" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Garden Wall, where you can see the original foundations[/caption] Thus far, we have removed the top soil and dug down 76 centimeters. This uncovered 26 centimeters of the original wall, resting on top of 50 centimeters of foundations. In the image, you can see the ...
WU People: Sebastiaan Loche

WU People: Sebastiaan Loche

[caption id="attachment_3455" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sebastiaan Loche, featured in front of Château d'Hougoumont[/caption] WU People: Sebastiaan Loche Sebastiaan Loche (43) from Zwolle in the Netherlands, is a veteran serving in the Dutch armed forces. He is part of a growing team of Dutch veterans taking part in Waterloo Uncovered. Their involvement reflects the increasing interest in battlefield archaeology in the Netherlands, and a curiosity to find out more about the important Dutch contribution to the battle as part of the Allied forces under Wellington. He’s enjoying the opportunity to get stuck into the archaeology, but there are other ways too that Sebastiaan’s work connects with Waterloo Uncovered: Sebastiaan’s role in the Dutch military is to act as first point of contact for people experiencing PTSD. On the dig, he’s part of a team of skilled professionals gaining experience of how projects like `Waterloo Uncovered can help veterans with their recovery. One of the highlights of Waterloo Uncovered, for him, is the international environment in which the excavations take place. By the Northern Gate, he has been digging, measuring and drawing a section of building structure that was found earlier this week. In his team are team members varying in nationality, background, and age. Sebastiaan considers himself a curious person: “I like to keep an open mind and I want to learn from everybody. I have never worked with students before, and I really enjoy talking with different people about different things.” This curiosity covers all aspects of his participation in our project: “I try out as many activities as I can while talking with the veterans about their experiences of  the ...

Dig Diary Weekend: The Past Come Back to Life

Waterloo Uncovered Archaeology Weekend An important part of our work is to tell people about what we do. This year, for the first time, we held an Archaeology Open Weekend, aimed at the local community and those interested in finding out more about what we have uncovered on site. [caption id="attachment_3460" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A Coldstream Guard reenactor overlooking the excavation of Phil's trench near the North Gate[/caption] Crowds of people came to visit us at Hougoumont and were rewarded with a range of interesting and exciting activities bringing the past to life. We were honoured to receive the British ambassador of Belgium, Alison Rose, and General George Norton. They, in turn, were pleased to see such a positive and interesting bond flourishing between the Belgian and the British community. [caption id="attachment_3463" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Ambassador Alison Rose talking with some of the Veterans who came out for the weekend[/caption] The Redcoats return Hougoumont was once more filled with Redcoats in full Napoleonic Uniform as a party of Re enactors paraded for inspection. They set up camp for the weekend in the garden of the chateau, and the smoke from their camp fires added an extra feel of authenticity to the event. [caption id="attachment_3464" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The reenactors' camp[/caption] Despite the blazing heat, the men were determined to embody the spirit of two regiments that fought in the battle -the Coldstream Guards and 33rd Foot– complete with woollen and leather uniforms, and tall felt helmets. [caption id="attachment_3467" align="aligncenter" width="718"] A reenactor guarding the tent[/caption] Parties of visitors were thrilled by demonstrations of musket firing (blanks only of course!). And for one or ...

Dig Diary 6: Breaking New Ground

It’s Monday. The week has started again, and we are excited to be back digging. Today, there’s more evidence for how archaeology creates as many new questions as answers.  Keep reading to see what we’ve found!   The cover-up Some trenches have been covered over again as our work there is concluded -for now. The ‘Pond’ turned out not to be not-quite-a-pond: it may be a pit made to extract clay and building materials for the construction of the original farm. It probably filled up with water in rainy seasons. Given the night of heavy rain that preceded the battle, it was likely to have been full of water then and soldiers coming down to reinforce or resupply Hougoumont would have had to go round the obstacle. [caption id="attachment_3516" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The trench at the Pond[/caption] We did find many objects of the late 19th-early 20th century, mostly broken bottles, but little direct evidence dating from the battle -for now. The Garden Wall -interior The trench inside the Garden Wall gave us all we wanted to know, and was closed off again. Excavations continue on the other side of the Garden Wall  in the Killing Zone to find out how broad the original wall was at the time of the Battle. [caption id="attachment_3515" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Garden Wall[/caption] The site of the new Car Park The area proposed for the new Car Park has been filled up again, after providing us with an interesting collection of musket balls, buttons, and coins, and some finds which might relate to the medieval history of Hougoumont.. [caption id="attachment_3522" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Mike and Peter ...

Dig Diary 7: Blazing Heat and Mystery Button

We’re getting a much clearer sense of the physical features of the battle landscape. In today’s dig diary we’re going to look at work on the wall, the search for a hedge, and more news from the North Gate. [caption id="attachment_3526" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Work continues in the Killing Zone, where we are filling in the gaps from previous excavations[/caption] Blazing Heat Working in the summer heat has not been easy, but it has been rewarding. We are continuing the excavations of the demolished barn at the Northern Gate. Between the rubble of the building and the broken slates, we are discovering more and more evidence of incredibly high temperatures from when the buildings burned down during the battle. The outlines of the original barn are becoming ever clearer as well, as we are discovering its original walls. [caption id="attachment_3528" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Some of the burn marks in Phil's trench[/caption] According to archaeologist and team member Phil Harding, when the barn was set on fire by French artillery, it likely reached temperatures of up to 200°C. Some building materials have been so heavily affected by the heat that they were glazed over. Additionally, pieces of flint that were found were crazed in the fire (shattered). Also remarkable is that the sediment in the trenches seems to have been unaffected. The roof would have collapsed and was left there, whereas the floor might have been recycled. Phil adds: “It must have felt like an inferno in here! It’s hard to imagine the fate of wounded soldiers who may have crawled intp the barn to seek shelter”. We are digging an extra m^2 around ...

WU People: Sam Wilson

[caption id="attachment_3550" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sam Wilson, explaining the lifecycle of a trench to participants[/caption] Sam Alexander Wilson (30) is a professional archaeologist from Basingstoke. He's been part of the Waterloo Uncovered team right from the start, and  has seen how much impact it can make a person -for the good.  For Sam, it's his fourth year on the dig as a supervisor. This year has been quite a different experience. "For the first time, we have been allowed to dig trenches at another key point of the Battle of Waterloo," he explains. "La Haye Sainte was an important outpost of Wellington’s line, right on the road which the French were taking to march to Brussels. Across the valley you can see the building from where Napoleon watched the battle developing -La Belle Alliance. From studying accounts of the battle, we think there might be some interesting finds in this area." One example is the Sand Pit, where a number of British soldiers might have been buried. Nearby is the position held by the Inniskilling Fusiliers, who were cut down by French cannon. It is Sam's mission to uncover archaeological evidence of either of these events. "We are fairly certain that we have located the Sand Pit, so I wonder what we will find! Personally, this location really speaks to me - I remember learning about it as a young child. That makes me really excited." During the interview, participants continuously walk up to Sam to have their finds checked out before being carefully bagged, labelled and their position plotted for further analysis.. The average age of his group of participants is ...

Dig Diary 8: New Trenches, Ancient Artefacts

Day 8 has been an exciting day with two new trenches dug in promising places! At the end of the Dig Diary, we will give you an insight into two more highlighted finds of the week. The end of the project is approaching rapidly. On Thursday, we will have completed most of our excavations, and on Friday, the trenches will be backfilled. There will still be a lot of work left for those working in the Finds Room or Photography Room though! Don't forget to check out our new profile feature of professional archaeologist Sam Wilson here: https://www.waterloouncovered.com/wu-people-sam-wilson/. [caption id="attachment_3570" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Backfilling the Killing Zone[/caption] Found it! (?) Following a promising preliminary exploration, we think we are getting closer and closer to finding the Sand Pit. The Sand Pit is located near La Haye Sainte, which played an important role in the Battle. It’s possible that some British casualties were buried here. The new trench has been dug at the foot of the Hanoverian Monument. The Hanoverian Monument itself honours the 4000 German soldiers that fell while fighting for the Allies against the French occupiers of their homeland. A sand sample was taken using an archaeological instrument called an 'auger'. It is a long, hollow metal tube that can be twisted into the ground using the handle on top. In looking for the Sand Pit, we are trying to find a piece of ground in which some of the sand layers have been disturbed -the sort of thing that would happen where sand has been extracted, for example, for building and road making. What we’re trying to find is what would have been ...

Descendants: Battlefield Tour

At Waterloo Uncovered, we often get visitors whose ancestors fought in the battle. Last Friday, we were visited by a group who toured the battlefield and came to see us at our dig at Hougoumont. [caption id="attachment_3580" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] From left to right: Francis Seymour, Luke Ponsonby, Barney White-Spunner, Kazmer Szalay, and Kristof Szalay-Bobroviczky[/caption] Here are their stories: Francis Seymour is a descendant of Captain Horace Beauchamp Seymour, who was on Lord Uxbridge’s staff. Luke Ponsonby is descended from Frederick Ponsonby of the 12th Light Dragoons. He was severely wounded in the battle. Another relative, William Ponsonby, was killed. Luke himself served in the 9/12th Lancers. Kristof Szalay-Bobroviczky, The Hungarian Ambassador to the UK and his father, Kazmer Szalay, Their ancestor at the battle was William Fricke, Lieutenant in the 1st Light Dragoons of the Kings German Legion.  

Descendants: Julian and Ben Parker

Julian and Ben Parker, a father and son duo on site have a very tangible link to the battle of Waterloo. Julian, an ex army captain grew up in the military, as his dad was a Colonel in the army as well. Ans it turned out, there were more military men in the family's history. [caption id="attachment_3583" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Ben and Julian excavating part of the wall of what used to be the barn.[/caption] In 2015, Julian’s family discovered that his great great great grandfather fought at waterloo. But that wasn’t everything. James Robinson, who was around 20 at the time, was a private in the Light Company, Second Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. This Battalion was stationed at Hougoumont and was tasked with its protection. During the battle, James was wounded in the eye, but survived the battle. He died 63 years later. Except for the loss of his eye and the noise in his head because of the damage, he felt fine and lived to his eighties, dying of old age. [caption id="attachment_3584" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Ben and Julian in front of the memorial[/caption] Julian came to site in 2015 and said that “to be part of finding objects that haven’t been seen for over 200 years is fantastic. To know our ancestor came up and down this road and maybe he helped shut the gate, it is very moving.” He came back this year for a couple of days and brought his son, Ben, with him. Ben said about his experiences digging at Hougoumont: “It is quite surreal actually, digging up the same site my ancestor fought on, ...

The Last Dig Diary of 2018

It has been wonderful to be on site and to be part of this amazing community. Who knew that such a diverse group of strangers could become so close in only two (intense) weeks? Thank you for reading, following, liking and sharing us!   The Chestnut Deception Did we find out what caused the geophysical anomalies? Yes. Was it related to Napoleon? Well… No. Archaeologist Stuart Eve and other members of our team did some great research in the area around the chestnut trees on Thursday. They found a piece of bone – which caused quite some excitement. After consulting some experts, however, it became clear that the piece of bone belonged to... a cow. The cow likely carried a contagious disease, and was burnt to prevent it from spreading. This became clearer when we found residues of quicklime, which was likely poured over the carcasses after burning them. The anomalies, shaped like dark circles, are probably the leftovers of burnt ground. This is the most disappointing barbecue ever. The Builders’ Secret As we have written before, we found lots of modern rubble in the trenches near the Northern Gate. Most of it consisted of building materials, which are probably leftovers of the renovation of Château d’Hougoumont. The good news is: we have been able to uncover  significant remains of the  barn burned down in the battle, and now know its length and width. The bad news is: during the renovations, the digger that was used was not as careful as ours – the modern builders dug through and destroyed parts of the brickwork. Despite this, there were still some ...

An Evening with Waterloo Uncovered

[cs_content][cs_element_section _id="1" ][cs_element_row _id="2" ][cs_element_column _id="3" ][cs_element_text _id="4" ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id="5" ][cs_element_column _id="6" ][cs_element_video _id="7" ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id="8" ][cs_element_column _id="9" ][cs_element_text _id="10" ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id="16" ][cs_element_row _id="17" ][cs_element_column _id="18" ][cs_element_content_area _id="19" ][cs_element_gap _id="20" ][cs_element_content_area _id="21" ][cs_element_gap _id="22" ][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][cs_element_row _id="23" ][cs_element_column _id="24" ][cs_element_headline _id="25" ][x_slider animation="slide" slide_time="7000" slide_speed="1000" slideshow="false" random="false" control_nav="false" prev_next_nav="true" no_container="false" ][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][x_slide] [/x_slide][/x_slider][/cs_element_column][/cs_element_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Waterloo Uncovered at Chalke Valley History Festival

The Duchess of Richmond's Ball by Robert Alexander Hillingford. This year, Waterloo Uncovered and a team volunteers from UCL will, once again be at Chalke Valley History Festival. This year, we're doing something slightly different, we're looking at the Women of Waterloo. Find out more about the project below. We will have an array of finds on display from our last four years of excavation, re-enactors, a chance to learn about one of the most decisive battles in history. CEO Mark Evans will be hosting a talk about our work on Friday June 28th, 10:15am. Come and find us during the week! Women of Waterloo: A multi-disciplinary project highlighting the role of women in the Battle of Waterloo and addressing gender imbalances in history. Board Game designCharacter CardsGame play extrasValue cards Women of Waterloo is a tabletop adventure and survival game which provides players with intense strategic and tactical decisions at every turn. Players collect cards of various types which they use to survive and accomplish missions in order to earn the most points, all in the days running up to the Battle of Waterloo. The Team: Beth Collar - Figurine sketches. Beth Collar is a contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and performance. She has been involved with Waterloo Uncovered for several years, running art workshops for veterans.  Juan Hiriart has worked in a broad range of creative industries, and currently lectures in the school of arts and media at Salford University. His current Ph.D. research focuses on the potential of games beyond their use as pure entertainment, seeking to explore their representation of historical knowledge. Katy Moran ...