Description

The canister was discovered in the stern complete with shot.  With a post-conservation diameter of 82mm at the base suggesting that it was fired from a 4 pounder gun. Given the anti-personnel properties of this ammunition the guns that fired the shot would have been mounted higher up in the ship.

The canister consists of a single hollowed out round wooden tube made from Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocasteneum) measuring 251mm in length with a 21mm thick base, the other end of the canister has been narrowed to create a lip 10mm tall with a diameter of 77mm which would allow a cap to be fitted to contain the shot.

Similar sized case shot were recovered from the Batavia (1627) [BAT4435 & 6384] however rather than a single hollowed out tube these case shot consisted of four wooden sections held together by iron bands and filled with scrap iron rather than lead shot (Green, 1989).  A similar 4 sectioned canister was recovered from the Swan (1641) (Martin, 2004).

The canister contained 109 ordinary lead shot of varying calibres mainly in the 16mm range as well as one link shot consisting of two 16mm balls and a single strand of wire. This mix of calibres is somewhat consistent with the mix shown in the other shot assemblages SCW40.

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