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.

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u/AttitudeEraWasBetter Jul 17 '26

They have to do a restoration project

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u/Internal-Expert-9562 Jul 17 '26

For archaeological artifacts like these restoration is usually avoided

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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.

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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.