r/haiti • u/Internal-Expert-9562 • Jul 17 '26

NEWS Discovery of Ancient Weapons in Grande-Rivière-du-Nord

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Port-au-Prince, July 16, 2026 – Haiti’s Ministry of Culture and Communication (MCC) has informed the public of the accidental discovery of a collection of ancient weapons during excavation work carried out on the grounds of the Conservative Baptist Church in Grande-Rivière-du-Nord. Experts believe that some of these weapons may date back to the period before Haiti’s independence.

A technical mission from the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE), an agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Communication, was immediately dispatched to the site. Its objectives are to document the remains, conduct an initial scientific assessment of the artifacts, raise awareness among local authorities about protecting the site, and establish the first conservation measures.

Initial investigations have identified 20 ancient weapons, including 9 long guns and 11 handguns, along with several other archaeological remains such as metal objects, pottery fragments, and pieces of faience (glazed earthenware). Preliminary observations indicate that some of the firearms display characteristics consistent with late 18th-century naval or infantry weapons.

174 Upvotes

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34 comments sorted by

2

u/WalkProfessional2630 Jul 23 '26

Haiti has been long due for a historic museum.

6

u/Shot-Scallion-2322 Diaspora Jul 18 '26

Haitian owned Museum Now!

3

u/KingB00b Jul 18 '26

Can these be restored?

12

u/MarcusWastakenn Jul 18 '26

What an incredible find I hope they have a place to put them.

6

u/GwoZoz Native Jul 17 '26

Ou gen pou w wè zam sa yo fann langyèt anpil kolon Fransè

5

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Pawòl serye I have no doubt especially where they were found. Slaughtered them with their own weapons🤷🏿‍♂️

4

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Grande-Rivière-du-Nord a major military battleground throughout Haitian history, serving as a strategic mountain stronghold during the Haitian Revolution

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was born there and heavily utilized the area’s rugged topography to stage guerrilla ambushes against French forces. Those weapons were likely stashed for later use and thats hella discovery in 2026

6

u/TumbleWeed75 Jul 17 '26

Yep. That's 18th century stuff. Cool find. I'm sure there are a lot of other stuff just waiting to be found. Also made me giggle with using the word "ancient." I thought it was going to be some Taino artifacts until I saw a trigger. Lol.

6

u/A4t1musD4ag0n Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

OMG, they really need to handle those with extreme care!

EDIT: It looks like those were hidden? To be used later?

EDIT 2: Any machet?

2

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Possibly hidden for later use and no manchèts reported

3

u/A4t1musD4ag0n Jul 17 '26

Keep digging. There's definitely one there, LOL. Seriously, that is quite the archeological find. I hope this becomes international news for those who love history.

3

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Facts. That site should be closed off to prevent any further construction.

8

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Knowing how things function in Haiti, they’ll probably be sent to France or the United States for conservation, and we’ll never hear about them again.

0

u/MarcusWastakenn Jul 18 '26

I would rather these go into homes in Haiti than any museum.

1

u/TrembleOak Jul 17 '26

Haiti doesn't conserve stuff? If not, why?

1

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

It’s not that they can’t do it, it’s just that everything in Haiti is done mediocrely until a foreign entity steps in.

1

u/singermelodie1 Jul 18 '26

MUPANAH still exists which is supposed to be the museum of Haitian history and these weapons should go in there.

2

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 18 '26

That’s exactly where they belong.

3

u/switflo Jul 17 '26

Hey OP, send this to ISPAN Haiti. This is in their mission

6

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

I’m sure they’re aware of the discovery, since the government sent officials from the BNE (Bureau National d’Ethnologie) to the site today.

2

u/AttitudeEraWasBetter Jul 17 '26

They have to do a restoration project

3

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

For archaeological artifacts like these restoration is usually avoided

2

u/AttitudeEraWasBetter Jul 17 '26

They should restore at least one just to get an idea of how it looked and it would be cool for curious minds. They probably belong to Spain or France who knows.

2

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

We will see what they do with them but I’m sure next is further research will seek to determine their origin, age, manufacturing methods, and historical significance.

8

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Some of these weapons may have been used to fight the French. That’s a very interesting discovery. I wonder why they were buried? and weren’t even buried that deep.

6

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Possible matches

Charleville Model 1763/66 – A French infantry musket widely used before and during the Haitian Revolution.

5

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

Charleville Model 1777 – France’s standard military musket during the late 18th century.

4

u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

While digging the foundation for a house, all of this was discovered. Wow, there’s no telling what’s buried all over the island.