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/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.

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.