Soldier's remains found at Waterloo

Almost 200 years after Prussian and English troops defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, Belgian archeologists have unearthed the complete remains of a young soldier in what they dubbed a rare find. 

A handout photo provided on June 12, 2012 by the Archeology Services of the Brabant Walloon Province (SPW-DGO4) shows a spoon found next to the complete remains of a young soldier found on June 8, almost 200 years after Prussian and English troops defeated Napoleon in Waterloo [Credit: AFP/Getty Images]

"You can almost see him dying," Belgian archeologist Dominique Bosquet said of the skeleton, lying on its back with the spherical musket bullet that felled the soldier still between his ribs. 

"The skeleton is intact," Bosquet told RTL television on Tuesday. 

Believed to have died June 18, 1815, the remains were found under 40 centimetres (15 inches) of soil as if the young soldier's comrades had hurriedly buried him when he fell on the battleground. 

A handout photo provided on June 12, 2012 by the Archeology Services of the Brabant Walloon Province (SPW-DGO4) shows a spoon found next to the complete remains of a young soldier found on June 8, almost 200 years after Prussian and English troops defeated Napoleon in Waterloo [Credit: AFP/Getty Images]

His uniform had been eaten away but archaeologists were studying a spoon, a coin, a leather strap and a piece of wood carved with the initials C.B. to see whether they might help to identify the skeleton. 

It was found last week on land held at the time by English troops by a team of archaeologists investigating the site ahead of major renovation. 

Bulldozers rolled into action a month ago to spruce up the site in a project that will see the demolition of restaurants, stores and parking lots. 

Source: AFP [June 12, 2012]