A statue of d’Artagnan at the tomb of Alexandre Dumas in France.
Wim Dijkman has already become doubly famous in recent weeks. He says that the Chamber is interfering too much in the discovery.
The first surprise was just over a month ago: the , perhaps the best-known musketeer on the planet, had been discovered.
He died more than 350 years ago, but a skeleton was discovered in the Netherlands that is most likely that of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, a close collaborator of the Sun King Louis XIV of France, known as Count d’Artagnan.
The discovery took place in a tomb in front of the altar of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, in Maastricht. A musket ball and a small bronze coin minted in 1660 were also found.
The independent, local Dutch archaeologist who found the skeleton is called Wim Dijkman – which is now… detained.
Wim Dijkman refused to hand over the remains to the City Council from Maastricht and, therefore, he took this unexpected turn: he was arrested.
According to , the archaeologist says that the City Council is interfering too much in the discovery and its work is receiving little recognitionwho are not giving you the credit you deserve.
On the other hand, the Maastricht City Council warns that the responsibility of the project is precisely the Chamber. And, in fact, this is what the local Heritage Law dictates.
“They are with a friend”
There is context here: Wim Dijkman was an archaeologist working for the Maastricht City Council for over 40 years. And the researcher claims that former colleagues in the Chamber have envy of its discovery.
“That’s why they’re now sending heritage inspection after me. As if I were a member of a criminal organization.” “The city and the church are mistreating me, slandering me!”, he lamented, in an interview with the local newspaper.
Heritage inspectors knocked on Wim Dijkman’s door. They demanded that he hand over his arm bone and two teeth. But, according to him, had left the remains with a friend. “Unfortunately, this is how I have to play the game”, he explained.
The City Council accuses the archaeologist of the excavations were not carried out according to standards and that they may have destroyed evidence vital information needed to identify the remains.
The archaeologist acknowledges that it has infringed to her by hiding the bone remains. But, he assures, he acted with integrity, driven by a sense of history. “It became a question of principle”.
D’Artagnan was murdered during the Siege of Maastricht in 1673, but would be immortalized as the “4th Musketeer” in Alexandre Dumas’ famous adventure stories of “The Three Musketeers”.
It had long been said that his remains were buried in this church, but until now no proof had been found.
