Suspected bones of iconic musketeer result in arrest of Dutch archeologist

A Dutch archaeologist who believes he may have discovered the grave of the legendary French musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore, better known as d’Artagnan, was arrested after refusing to hand over part of the skeletal remains to local authorities.

Wim Dijkman was later released after personally delivering part of an arm bone and two teeth to officials, as Dutch media reports.

The remains were discovered at St Peter and Paul Church, located next to a former French military camp in Wolder that was used during the 1673 French siege of Maastricht. Because the bones were excavated within the city, they legally belong to the Maastricht city council.

Dijkman argued that authorities had asked for the remains to be returned from laboratory testing by regular post — something he considered far too risky given their potential historical significance.

He later handed over the bones, which had reportedly been kept by a friend, and was subsequently released from custody.

Archaeologists announced in March they may have uncovered the skeletal remains of d’Artagnan, the famed captain of King Louis XIV’s elite musketeers and the historical figure who inspired Alexandre Dumas’ fictional character in The Three Musketeers.

D’Artagnan died during the 1673 siege of Maastricht, reportedly after being struck in the chest by a musket ball.

Although no burial record exists in church archives, the theory gained traction in February when part of the church floor collapsed, revealing a skeleton with remnants of a musket bullet at chest height. Researchers also found a French coin linked to the bishop who attended a mass for Louis XIV.

DNA extracted from the skeleton’s teeth is now being compared with samples from a descendant of the De Batz family. Other remains are being analyzed in Germany and in the Dutch city of Deventer to determine the skeleton’s age, origin, and sex.

By Nazrin Sadigova