As many as 282 skeletons of Indian soldiers, who were part of India’s first war of independence in 1857, were found during an excavation near Amritsar on Wednesday.

Dr. J S Sherawat, assistant professor at the department of Anthropology of Punjab University informed about the discovery. The soldiers had revolted against the use of pork and beef-greased cartridges, reported ANI.

Sherawat said, “These skeletons belong to 282 Indian soldiers killed during India's first freedom struggle against the British in 1857. These were excavated from a well found underneath a religious structure in Ajnala near Amritsar in Punjab.”

“These soldiers were revolting against the use of pork and beef greased cartridges, a study has suggested. Coins, medals, DNA study, elemental analysis, anthropological, radio-carbon dating, all point towards the same,” he added.

It may be noted that the revolt of 1857 has been called the first war of India’s independence. Indian sepoys recruited under the British Indian army had revolted against the use of pork and beef cartridges for firearms, citing religious beliefs.