Archaeologic finds

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Excavation in the St. Peter-and-Paul Church in -Maastricht in februari 2026
Searching for the grave of the musketeer Count d'Artagnan.

This excavation was carried out by Maastricht archaeologist W. Dijkman. He expects that the musketeer Charles Count d'Artagnan is buried in the chancel of this church. The skeleton found could be his. Its DNA is currently being analyzed in Muenchen, Germany. A result may come in by mid-June of this year.

The Municipality of Maastricht expects to be able to announce preliminary results in early July. This may be followed by additional DNA testing at KU Leuven. Definitive identification could take several months.

Opgraving in de Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk in Maastricht. Foto Piroschka van de Wouw; Reuters

Excavation in the St. Peter and Paul Church in Maastricht, 2026

Skeleton found during excavation in the St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Maastricht, suspected to be that of the musketeer d'Artagnan; photo Piroschka van de Wouw; Reuters.

The found skeleton

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These three members of the Marres family are buried in the chancel of this church. At the time, they lived a few kilometers to the north in the valley of the river Jeker in the house "Het Pannenhuis".

These three are listed in the church's burial register:

Aegidius Marres
Servatius Marres
Joannes Marres

in choro ecclesia Wilrensis sepultus,
buried in front of the high altar in the church,
in Choro, for which 2 barrels of grain are coming to me,

May 29, 1722
March 22, 1725
Dec. 30, 1751

B

Found under the brewery of Eugène Marres at Maastricht
during the renovations in the year 1894

Around 1894, the brewery of Eugène Marres greatly expanded around the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein in Maastricht. At the Havenstraat is built a new factory. At the Plein a new house is built at the place of two older ones.
New cellars were dug under the Havestraat and under the houses and gardens on both sides of the Plankstraat and the Stokstraat. There will be a new residential block of four floors for employees.

The brewery is located in the oldest part of the city of Maastricht, just outside the foundations of the former Roman castellum. During the renovation a lot of historical material comes upwards.

Een Keltische grafsteen die in de Romeinse tijd hergebruikt is als fundering voor een nieuw gebouw collectie Bonnefantenmuseum te Maastricht, foto T.A.S.M. Panhuijsen.

Celtic-Germanic tombstone

First one encounters medieval building remains and a wide draw-well, where the former St. Nicholas Panhuis pulled out his water. Besides lots of pottery is found some deer antlers.

Below the gardens in the Plankstraat one finds Roman building remains from the 1st century AD, and what is its most special, two carved stones.

The first is a tombstone that is reused in Roman times as a foundation for a new building. In this is chiselled: Ammacae sive Gamaledae  (....)undi. Translated: to Ammaca or Gamaleda (? daughter of Verec ?)undus. Ammaca is a Celtic name, Gamaleda is Germanic. (1).

Gladiatorial combat

A unique find is the image of a gladiatorial combat. This concerns the outcome of the battle for the sword of gladiator right lies on the floor behind his right leg with trembling knee, he leans on his shield and he turns away. (2)

Possibly this concerns two female gladiators. The body structure and the position of the legs look according to some female. It is in such a case in Europe the only find thereof. (3)

Both stones are used as foundation for buildings in the Roman castellum, for which they used old bricks and tombs. (4)

Het einde van een gladiatorengevecht collectie Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht

Gladiator fight

The historically very valuable and interesting gravestones are given to the city of Maastricht and make now part of the archaeological collection of the city.

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Last edit:  — Boed Marres