San Antonio, Texas Archaeologists uncovered a cannonball that may have been fired during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, just three months after another such rare discovery.
According to The Alamo Trust, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Alamo Mission, the ordnance was found outside the northeast corner of the Alamo Church, adjacent to the excavation area that another intact cannonball was unearthed in March.
Baltimore, Maryland A Civil War-era Schenkl artillery shell was safely recovered from a Baltimore residential area after being unearthed by an online content creator searching for historical artifacts.
Following the discovery, the artifact hunter contacted local law enforcement. U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians from the 316th Civil Engineer Squadron, based out of Joint Base Andrews, partnered with the Baltimore Police Department Bomb Unit to assess and secure the scene.
Culloden, Scotland Archaeologists discovered an unexploded cannonball from the bloodiest battle in Scotland's history. According to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), it was located at Culloden Battlefield, just outside Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.
The mortar was found during excavations in October 2025, but officials did not announce the discovery until April 16, the date which marked the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden.
Apple Valley, California The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department was forced to close its Apple Valley Police Station after a resident brought in what was likely Civil War-era cannonballs.
According to deputies, the cannonballs appeared to have fuses attached, prompting the closure out of an abundance of caution. The department's bomb squad responded to examine the ordnance which was then removed for safe disposal.
The department thanked the resident for handing over the cannonballs but reminded anyone who may discover potential military ordnance or explosives to leave them in place and call law enforcement immediately.
Castine, Maine Unexploded cannonballs from the War of 1812 were safely removed from the Castine Historical Society in Maine. Kate McMahon, the society's executive director, said that she believes someone donated the cannonballs decades ago and that the UXO sat in storage until recent concerns arose about their explosive threat.
According to McMahon, the news that Fort McHenry in Baltimore was evacuated recently after unexploded cannonballs were found during utility work, prompted museum staff to examine the cannonballs. The examination revealed that three were likely black powder cannonballs.
The Maine State Police bomb squad responded to remove the three large cannonballs, along with 16 smaller cannonballs which appeared inert. McMahon said that the smaller munitions were "unlikely to contain explosive powder," but the museum "wanted to ensure both the safety of our collections and facility, as well as the general public."
The bomb squad wasn't done there, they also removed two dozen cannonballs from the Wilson Museum in Castine on that same day. All the ordnance was slated for controlled detonation.
Pickens County, GA. A device resembling a cannonball was discovered near Swan Bridge Road, prompting a swift response from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Bomb Disposal Unit. Their mission was to safely dispose of the ordnance.
The area's history is deeply rooted in the legacy of the Civil War. Although General Sherman's Army did not directly traverse this region during his 1864 campaign, local Confederate Home Guard units were overtaken by the Union's Third Kentucky Cavalry near Talking Rock, only a few miles from where the cannonball was discovered.
While the excitement of uncovering a historical relic is palpable, the cannonball's exact origin remains unknown.
Staunton , Virginia Landscapers were a bit shocked when they unearthed a Civil War cannonball while working in a client's yard in Virginia. Real estate agent, Jasin Singh, was looking on as one of the workers picked it up and cleaned it off.
Singh said, "As soon as I saw that, I thought 'oh my God this is a cannonball.' I had something similar happen up in Front Royal, and so I was more familiar with what to do. I'm thankful that I have that experience."
Columbia, South Carolina Hundreds of Civil War relics were discovered during the cleanup of the Congaree River in South Carolina. The artifacts, dating back more than a century and a half, were discovered while crews removed toxic tar-like material from the river.
The finds, believed to be evidence of Union Gen. William T. Sherman's Southern campaign near the end of the war, included bullets, cannonballs, and swords.
Onslow County, North Carolina
The evacuation of the Onslow County Learning Center was issued after district officials notified authorities that a suspicious item had been found by OCS grounds crew who were clearing vegetation around the school. EOD from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune responded to the scene.
Camp Lejeune EOD informed law enforcement and the school district that the ordnance was likely a Civil War re-enactment cannonball and contained no explosives, according to a statement from OCS.
York, Pennsylvania A Civil War-era UXO was found at Gettysburg National Military Park on the battlefield area of Little Round Top, according to Jason Martz, a spokesman for the park service. The artillery shell dates back to the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought July 1-3, 1863.
The 55th EOD Company from Fort Belvoir, Virginia responded to remove the shell for safe off-site disposal. The team carefully washed off the mud so the shell could be photographed.
The shell appears to be a Federal 3 Inch Dyer Shell with a Schenkl percussion fuze - Thank you BulletPicker.com for the ID.
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