Archaeologists recovered musket balls and other artifacts at Fort Necessity National Battlefield that were left behind during a brief skirmish on May 24, 1754, which precipitated the outbreak of the French and Indian War. During the battle, British troops were commanded by a young Virginian named George Washington, who led an ambush on a French encampment at Jumonville Glen. Although the encounter lasted only 15 minutes, it inadvertently sparked the global conflict known as the Seven Years’ War, during which European powers clashed around
