WORCESTER, ENGLAND—According to a BBC News report, artifacts thought to be related to the final battle of the English Civil War have been discovered under layers of silt in the bottom of a river valley in the West Midlands. The artifacts include musket balls, pistol shot, horse harness fittings, belt buckles, a powder container cap, a musket trigger guard, and a piece of metal that may have been the cross hilt of a sword. The opening skirmish of the war, fought by Royalists and Parliamentarians, took place on horseback to the north of Powick Bridge in 1642. On September 3, 1651, King Charles II was defeated by Oliver Cromwell in a battle that occurred to the south of the same bridge. The king escaped, however, and fled to Europe, where he lived in exile until he was restored to the throne in 1660. Lead archaeologist Richard Bradley said the distribution of the artifacts, such as pistol shots fired by the cavalry and musket shots fired by infantry, reflect the different troops that had been fighting in the last battle, and indicate that it took place even further south than previously thought. “Many of the lead musket and pistol balls show evidence of firing or impact and these tangible signs of the conflict offer a poignant connection to the soldiers who fought and died here,” he explained. To read about the aftermath of the English Civil War's Battle of Dunbar, go to "After the Battle."