Musket Balls From 'Shot Heard Round the World' Are Found

Archaeologists working at a historical site in Massachusetts have made a remarkable find—five musket balls fired by members of a Colonial militia in a battle memorialized by the line "the shot heard round the world." The 250-year-old musket balls were discovered at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, reports WBUR. Based on where they were found by the North Bridge, archaeologists concluded they were fired by militia members against British forces during their battle on April 19, 1775—the first armed conflict of what would become the American Revolution, per NBC News.

"It's incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world almost 250 years ago," says Minute Man Park ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss in an NPS release. Ralph Waldo Emerson immortalized "the shot heard round the world" in his 1837 poem "Concord Hymn" about the conflict, one of a series of skirmishes in Lexington and Concord. The North Bridge fighting stands out, however, because it marks the first time militia leaders told their troops to fire on soldiers from their own government, notes WBUR. (More discoveries stories.)