PENNSYLVANIA: Archaeologists recovered musket balls and other artifacts at Fort Necessity National Battlefield that were left behind during a brief skirmish on May 24, 1754, which precipitated the outbreak of the French and Indian War. During the battle, British troops were commanded by a young Virginian named George Washington, who led an ambush on a French encampment at Jumonville Glen. Although the encounter lasted only 15 minutes, it inadvertently sparked the global conflict known as the Seven Years’ War, during which European powers clashed around the world from North America to India.