French or Russian? Lead bullets from the Pułtusk battlefield

The article is a discussion of issues related to the newly discovered lead gunpowder bullets obtained during archaeological prospection by means of metal detectors in a field near Pułtusk that witnessed a battle in 1806. Archaeologists took initial interest in the battlefield of Pułtusk back in the early 21st century. As a result of the research activity, the venue has been granted conservation protection and has been entered in the register of monuments. Surface exploration has been carried out by a team of a dozen or so people. After the discovery of the artefact, its location was measured in three dimensions with the help of a GPS receiver operating in the RTK (Real Time Kinematic) mode. The aim of the analysis has been to link the artifacts with a confrontation of Napoleonic and Russian armies. The observations included registration of marks on the bullets, identifying the methods of removing the casting sprue, traces of a worm used to remove unspent powder and traces of animal teeth. The acquired data were spatially visualized and combined with historical knowledge about the course of the battle, providing a complementary picture. The described research procedure, from field prospection using spatial GIS analyses to observations on artifacts, highlights the potential of drawing conclusions about historical events in the light of discovered archaeological sources.