Archaeologist in the Netherlands was detained for transporting d'Artagnan's bones

In the Netherlands, archaeologist Wim Dijkman was arrested for independently transporting remains that may belong to the legendary Musketeer d'Artagnan. This was reported on May 21 by the newspaper DutchNews.nl .

In March 2026, researcher Wim Dijkman announced the possible discovery of the remains of Count Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan. The skeleton was found under the sagging floor of a church in Wolder, a suburb of Maastricht. According to historical data, it was in this place that the captain of the royal Musketeers, who was mortally wounded in 1673 during the siege of the city, could be buried. As key evidence, the scientist pointed to a bullet hole in the chest at heart level and an ancient French coin found nearby.

The conflict with the authorities occurred after Deikman personally brought part of the ulna and two teeth from the German laboratory. The Municipality of Maastricht, which is the formal owner of the artifacts, demanded that they be sent by regular mail. The archaeologist explained that he considered this method of shipment too risky for valuable finds. The police detained the scientist on May 20, but after he handed over the bones to officials through an intermediary, he was released.

At the moment, the results of comparing the DNA of the teeth with the genetic material of the alleged descendant of d'Artagnan have not been made public. The researcher has so far refrained from commenting on the case. If the hypothesis is confirmed, the find will be the first reliably identified grave of the prototype of the hero of the novels of the writer Alexandre Dumas.

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