“National Park Service archeologists working at Minute Man National Historical Park recently discovered five musket balls that were fired during the world-changing event known as ‘The Shot Heard Round the World’ on April 19, 1775. Early analysis of the 18th-century musket balls indicates they were fired by colonial militia members at British forces during the North Bridge fight.”

“The North Bridge battle site in Concord, Massachusetts, is a key location within Minute Man NHP and marks the moment when provincial militia leaders ordered members to fire upon their own government’s soldiers for the first time. The event was later termed ‘The Shot Heard Round the World’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his 1837 Concord Hymn because it immediately escalated an already boiling conflict between colonial rebels and British forces. The musket balls were discovered by archeologists conducting compliance activities in preparation for the park’s Great American Outdoors Act project. The musket balls were found in an area where, according to contemporary accounts, British soldiers formed up to resist the river crossing. Further analysis of the musket balls indicates that each one was fired from the opposite side of the river and not dropped during the process of reloading,” says a National Park Service press release about the old bullets.

Yeah. Old bullets, huge deal. The whole press release is almost friggin 900 words long. They just keep going on and on about them. You will learn far, far more than you ever needed to know about these goddamn 18th century musket balls by reading the whole thing. At least they didn’t give away what the bullets look like. No, they saved that for Saturday’s big debut in a display case at the North Bridge Visitor Center. From 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM you can see the bullets for yourself in real life if you happen to be in eastern Massachusetts. Or you could just start driving now and be first in line.