Revolutionary War artifacts unearthed at site of infamous colonial American heist: 'Very surprised'

In this twelvemonth of America's 250th anniversary, archaeologists and assemblage students precocious discovered artifacts dating backmost to the American Revolution — including 1 infamous 18th-century robbery.

The excavation took spot successful Newtown, Pennsylvania, immoderate 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia, arsenic section outlet WFMZ reported. Students from Bucks County Community College worked alongside employees from the Mercer Museum during the excavation.

Though it seems an unassuming crippled of onshore successful suburban Pennsylvania, the tract was erstwhile location to colonial-era municipality buildings, including the region situation and courthouse.

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The excavation, which took spot from March 23 to March 28, focused connected the country wherever the treasury gathering erstwhile stood.

Images amusement archaeologists and volunteers moving astir the unfastened excavation pit, arsenic good arsenic assorted tiny 18th-century artifacts that were uncovered, including coins.

Researchers accidental the tract played a relation successful a 1781 robbery involving the Doan Gang, erstwhile thousands successful assemblage currency were stolen from the Bucks County treasury. A country involving the Doan Gang is pictured right. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society; Wikimedia Commons)

The excavation took spot connected onshore steeped successful Revolutionary War history, according to Clint Flack, an grounds specializer astatine Bucks County Historical Society.

Flack, who was progressive successful the excavation, told Fox News Digital the astir important finds included 3 British gunflints from the Revolutionary War era, which were utilized to spark gunpowder successful muskets.

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The historiographer said they besides recovered a tiny acceptable of keys — either utilized for furnishings oregon a padlock — arsenic good arsenic a Dutch copper coin called a duit and a New York penny from 1737.

Artifacts recovered from the excavation see coins, pottery and musket-related items dating backmost much than 200 years to assemblage America. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)

Excavators besides recovered a ample magnitude of porcelain, pottery and solid that had been beneath the ungraded for implicit 200 years.

The squad was "very surprised," said Flack, to find the treasury's instauration hidden conscionable beneath the aboveground arsenic well, which helium described arsenic being successful bully condition.

"The pack unlocked the doorway to the treasury, but had to interruption unfastened a locked table by prying the drawers unfastened with knives."

The instauration was a cardinal find, arsenic the gathering was the mounting of an infamous robbery by the Doan Gang, a radical of Quaker Loyalists who stole thousands successful assemblage currency successful 1781.

The robbery happened conscionable 3 days aft the British surrendered astatine Yorktown, Flack related.

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The gang, galore of whom were portion of the Doan family, robbed the Bucks County treasury of a ample sum — 1,200 metallic Spanish dollars and 400 metallic French crowns, arsenic good arsenic different cash.

"The robbery began astatine the location of region treasurer, John Hart, wherever the pack seized a bundle of currency that had not yet been deposited successful the treasury arsenic good arsenic the keys to the treasury," Flack said.

Artifacts uncovered during a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, excavation see a tiny acceptable of keys, coins, and metallic objects dating backmost to the Revolutionary War era, according to researchers. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)

The historiographer added that immoderate of the outlaws held Hart hostage, portion the different fractional of the pack robbed the treasury, conscionable fractional a mile away.

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"The pack unlocked the doorway to the treasury, but had to interruption unfastened a locked table by prying the drawers unfastened with knives," helium added. The table is presently connected show astatine the Mercer Museum.

Though the Doan Gang robbery remains a notable chapter, Flack said it's lone 1 tiny portion of the property's "incredible" history.

The excavation offers caller penetration into a historical Bucks County spot with ties to some subject enactment and transgression history. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)

He said the treasury was utilized to store gunpowder successful the aboriginal days of the American Revolution — and Continental Army soldiers were camped passim Bucks County.

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"Some of the Hessian [mercenaries] taken captive astatine the Battle of Trenton were imprisoned successful the jailhouse adjacent to the treasury," Flack noted. 

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"Multiple members of the Doan pack were imprisoned successful the jailhouse adjacent to the treasury."