Maritime archaeologists have studied what might be Europe's oldest shipboard cannon. The cannon was found in the sea off Marstrand on the Swedish west coast and dates back to the 14th century. The findings from the interdisciplinary study contribute new knowledge about the early development of artillery on land and at sea, but also bears witness to a troubled period for seafarers as well as coastal populations.
An international research team led by maritime archaeologist Staffan von Arbin of the University of Gothenburg has studied what might be Europe's oldest shipboard cannon. The cannon was found in the sea off Marstrand on the Swedish west coast and dates back to the 14th century.
"Thanks to the preserved remains of the charge, it has been possible to use radiocarbon dating to establish the age of the find," says Staffan von Arbin, maritime archaeologist at the University of Gothenburg. The researchers documented the find with 3D scanning, and also conducted a chemical analysis of the metal used to cast the cannon. The analysis showed that it was a copper alloy containing about 14 weight per cent lead and only small amounts of tin.
"Clearly, the person who cast the cannon did not have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the properties of various copper alloys," says Staffan von Arbin."This shows that the noble art of cannon casting had not yet been fully mastered at that time, and that production was largely based on trial and error."
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