What may be Europe's earliest shipboard cannon has been researched by an international research team under the direction of maritime archaeologist Staffan von Arbin of the University of Gothenburg. The 14th-century cannon was discovered in the water near Marstrand on Sweden's west coast.
The Marstrand Cannon – a unique 14th century shipboard cannon.
The results of the interdisciplinary study add to our understanding of the early development of artillery on land and at sea, but they also shed light on a trying time for mariners and coastal residents.
The small, muzzle-loading cast copper-alloy cannon was discovered by a recreational diver off the coast of Marstrand at a depth of 20 meters. It is thought to have been recovered from a shipwreck. Because it still had some of a charge in its powder chamber when it was discovered, the researchers believe that the cannon is one that was mounted on a ship rather than one that was being transported as cargo. This indicates that when the cannon landed up on the ocean floor, it was loaded and prepared for use in battle.
“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 study’s findings show that the Marstrand cannon is probably from the 14th century, making it one of the oldest artillery pieces ever found in Europe.”
An examination of the metal's chemistry
The item was 3D scanned by the researchers, who also chemically analyzed the metal that was utilized to cast the cannon. According to the examination, it was a copper alloy with just trace levels of tin and around 14% weight lead.
According to the experts, this alloy is far from ideal for casting cannon, and it is possible that the cannon would have broken and been useless if used heavily for a longer period of time.
“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.”
The investigation also shows that the lead most likely came from England or the area along the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic, while the copper ore used to make the cannon was mined in modern-day Slovakia.
The researchers report the findings of their investigations in this interdisciplinary study, which was published in the English maritime history magazine The Mariner's Mirror. They also discuss the discovery in light of historical, iconographic, and archaeological sources. The town of Marstrand, renowned for its superior harbor, served as a crucial commercial shipping hub between Western Europe and the Baltic Sea region in the fourteenth century. However, the sea served as a battlefield and a battleground, and civilian communities along the coast were frequently severely impacted. Additionally, there was always a possibility of pirate raids.
Which vessel did the gun belong to?
The novel rifle designs created at this period offered significant tactical benefits in naval warfare. The late Middle Ages saw the introduction of cannons aboard merchant ships as a means of self-defense against pirates and other hostile ships, so it wasn't just warships that were armed. The investigation of the Marstrand cannon offers fresh insights and viewpoints on the evolution of this military technology.
The Marstrand cannon type's funnel-shaped cannons are typically dated to the 15th and 16th centuries, however this discovery proves that the model was already in use in the 14th century. The cannon's powder chamber's well-preserved remnants of the charge also demonstrate that cartouches, a type of textile packing for the powder charge, were used considerably earlier than previously thought.
“Now, of course, we also want to try to locate and document the ship that the cannon belonged to. Although it is probably severely degraded and broken up, it should be possible to find scattered remains of the wreck if we conduct a thorough inventory of the site and its surroundings,” mentions Staffan von Arbin.
