Archaeologists discovered an unexploded Civil War artillery shell buried underground at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO) in Georgia last month.
Per a Facebook post from the National Park Service’s (NPS) Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC), archaeologists and four local volunteers discovered the 157-year-old, ten-pound Parrott shell while using a metal detector to survey the park on February 28.
“There is an old ‘truism’ in archaeology—the most exciting find is almost always on the last day. And this project was no exception,” the center wrote on Facebook.
Meredith Hardy, one of the archaeologists who found the explosive, tells Newsweek’s Catherine Ferris that the group conducted the survey ahead of the creation a planned hiking trail. Before the path can open, experts must clear it of any historical artifacts. In addition to the shell, the team discovered buttons and buckles from Civil War–era uniforms.
