Post by UKarchaeology on Jan 25, 2016 0:08:17 GMT
While conducting archaeological investigations at Fort Meigs in 2001, Ohio History Connection archaeologists uncovered two forgotten casualties of the War of 1812.
A large draft horse and a smaller cavalry horse were buried together in a shallow grave a short distance southwest of the fort in Wood County.
The archaeologists, assisted by local volunteers, had been testing the area where a new museum would be constructed when they discovered the horse bones.
After several weeks of careful excavation, the team recovered the part of the story of this equine odd couple, but much about this unique grave remains a mystery.
William Pickard, assistant curator of archaeology at the Ohio History Connection, shared what we’ve learned in the Autumn issue of Northwest Ohio History.
The large draft horse was wearing horseshoes with cleats to create better traction on muddy ground. The smaller horse had only one horseshoe — a “traditional hunting shoe.”
The missing shoes apparently had been salvaged just before the horses were buried; several bent horseshoe nails were found around their feet.
The large horse had a broken leg and its neck might have been injured. It likely sustained these injuries in a fatal fall. The small horse had a load of buckshot in its chest, and it appeared to have been shot at close range.
In spite of their different pedigrees, these horses were buried together in a common grave. Pickard writes that “they were arranged in an almost heraldic pose facing each other in opposition with their necks crossed and legs intermingled.”
Were they intentionally posed this way or was that just the way their bodies ended up after being unceremoniously rolled into the grave? We don’t know.
The mystery deepens, however.
Full story: www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2016/01/03/1-fort-dig-uncovered-war-of-1812-horse-mystery.html
A large draft horse and a smaller cavalry horse were buried together in a shallow grave a short distance southwest of the fort in Wood County.
The archaeologists, assisted by local volunteers, had been testing the area where a new museum would be constructed when they discovered the horse bones.
After several weeks of careful excavation, the team recovered the part of the story of this equine odd couple, but much about this unique grave remains a mystery.
William Pickard, assistant curator of archaeology at the Ohio History Connection, shared what we’ve learned in the Autumn issue of Northwest Ohio History.
The large draft horse was wearing horseshoes with cleats to create better traction on muddy ground. The smaller horse had only one horseshoe — a “traditional hunting shoe.”
The missing shoes apparently had been salvaged just before the horses were buried; several bent horseshoe nails were found around their feet.
The large horse had a broken leg and its neck might have been injured. It likely sustained these injuries in a fatal fall. The small horse had a load of buckshot in its chest, and it appeared to have been shot at close range.
In spite of their different pedigrees, these horses were buried together in a common grave. Pickard writes that “they were arranged in an almost heraldic pose facing each other in opposition with their necks crossed and legs intermingled.”
Were they intentionally posed this way or was that just the way their bodies ended up after being unceremoniously rolled into the grave? We don’t know.
The mystery deepens, however.
Full story: www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2016/01/03/1-fort-dig-uncovered-war-of-1812-horse-mystery.html