A shipboard cannon, found off the west coast of Sweden, may be the oldest piece of artillery ever found in Europe! Discovered in the waters off Marstrand, the cannon has been crafted from cast copper-alloy and of small, muzzle-loading design. It was discovered by a recreational diver at a depth of 20 meters (65.6 ft) in the Marstrand Sea. A research and study conducted on this oldest cannon has determined it to be a shipboard cannon from a shipwreck, rather than cargo, from the 14th century.
Europe’s Oldest Cannon Locked and Loaded: Fiery Findings of the Study
Remnants of a charge within its powder chamber point to the cannon being fully loaded and prepared for combat when it came to rest on the seafloor. This, and other conclusions have been published in an interdisciplinary study in the journal The Mariner’s Mirror .
In Figure 5, a photograph displays the barrel’s bore, revealing what is believed to be remnants of a cartouche positioned at the entrance of the powder chamber. The diameter of the mouth measures 4.5 cm. ( Staffan von Arbin /The Mariner’s Mirror )
The outcomes of this interdisciplinary study advance our understanding of the early evolution of artillery on land and at sea. It also serves as a testament to a troubling period faced by both seafarers and coastal communities.
“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…
