The Archaeology of the Battle of Culloden (English)
The Jacobites were decisively defeated near Inbhir Nis (Inverness) in the Scottish Highlands.
The story of the battle has been retold in numerous works of poetry, fiction, theatre and on screen, and continues to be an emotive and much talked about event today.
The Jacobite Memorial Cairn at Culloden Battlefield (© VisitScotland / Kenny Lam)
Cùil Lodair (Culloden) was one of the first battlefields in Scotland to undergo archaeological investigation. Since first breaking ground in 2001, excavation has continued under the guidance of the National Trust for Scotland as part of the Culloden Battlefield Memorial Project.
Many sources record locals in the immediate aftermath of the battle collecting bullets and fragments of armour and preserving them as valuable relics, so it was unclear how much there was still to find. But despite eighteenth-century looting, archaeologists have found a wealth of material including musket balls, mortar fragments, buckles and buttons, many of which are on display as part of the permanent exhibition at Battle of Culloden visitor centre.*
Also found was a small pewter cross near Leanach Cottage, potentially a good luck charm or gift from a loved one. In mapping these finds it has been suggested that the battle took place over a larger piece of land than originally anticipated.
Old Leanach Cottage on Culloden Battlefield (© VisitScotland / Kenny Lam)
Close to the area where the two armies met face to face were fragments of mortar bombs which would have been fired into the charging Jacobites to stop their attack. The power of these bombs could take out up to twenty men at a time, making it remarkable the Jacobites made it to the Government front line at all. The fact that the mortars were set off at such close range, risking the lives of the English forces, suggests that the English did not anticipate the Jacobites to get as close as they did and that the Jacobite charge was much stronger than first thought.
This skull is the only know human remains from Blàr Chùil Lodair and is held in the collections of the Surgeons’ Hall Museums. The individual was killed by a musket shot, and the entry and exit wound can clearly be seen in this Sketchfab model. It is impossible to say whether the skull fragment belongs to a Jacobite or one of the Hanoverian troops.
From the angle of the wounds, it appears that the person was looking down at the time of impact. Suggestions as to how this happened include the victim looking at the ground as they charged forward, or an individual who had already been wounded being hit crawling on their hands and knees, or the impact occurring while the soldier focused on reloading their musket.
The Blàr Chùil Lodair site continues to fascinate archaeologists, and its finds help to piece together the events of one of the most pivotal days in Scottish history. Though the battlefield faces an uncertain future it is open for all to visit and pay their respects to the fallen. It is important to remember that the artefacts left behind after the fighting are not only the remnants of the last hopes of the Jacobite cause, but also fragments from the last moments of the individuals on both sides of the fight who lost their lives on that site.
By Sally Pentecost, Dig It! Communications and Events Officer
*If you think you have found something of archaeological significance in Scotland, you are obliged by law to report it to Treasure Trove.
Header Image: © VisitScotland / Kenny Lam
