Archaeologists have discovered America’s first firearm that was used by explorers searching for the “Seven Cities of Gold” nearly 500 years ago.
The bronze cannon, or wall cannon, was part of the Coronado expedition led by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, who traveled to the New World in search of a legendary city full of treasure.
The 40-pound weapon was designed to fire round projectiles, or pellets, that would attack enemies like “a swarm of hornets.”
The team performed radiocarbon analysis on the artifact and found that it was made between 1500 and 1520 with metal indicating it was cast in Mexico due to the lack of traditional Spanish ornate designs.
It is “an important artifact,” the study said, “and is undoubtedly the oldest known firearm in the US and one of the first, if not the first, found in a reliable context in the New World.”
The cannon was discovered at the site of San Gerónimo III, a town founded by members of the Coronado expedition.
The settlement was attacked by the Sobaipuri O’odham people, marking “the oldest and most consequential Native American uprising in the continental United States.”
The battle forced the Spanish to abandon the town, leaving behind the cannon that was never fired.
The bronze cannon was discovered in the floor of a Spanish adobe house used by settlers who embarked on the Coronado expedition nearly 500 years ago.
In 1540, Coronado led an armed expedition of more than 2,500 Europeans and Mexican Indian allies through what is now Mexico and the southwestern United States in search of riches.
Previous research suggested that the first cannons in the continental United States were used in colonial Boston during the Revolutionary War.
But the latest discovery pushes that timeline back about 300 years.
Deni Seymour, an independent archaeologist and lead author of the study, said Gizmodo: ‘Until this particular cannon was found, no firearms from the Coronado Expedition had been discovered.
“There are no known firearms from this early period in the US or the continental landmass as a whole.”
In 1540, Coronado led an armed expedition of more than 2,500 Europeans and Mexican Indian allies through what is now Mexico and the southwestern United States in search of riches.
The two-year journey took them as far north and east as present-day Kansas and brought them into contact and conflict with centuries-old indigenous cultures along the way.
Historians believe the expedition took Spanish explorers along the Sonora River through northern Mexico and the San Pedro River to what is now Arizona, settling in the now-ruined San Gerónimo III.
The cannon was 42 inches long and weighed 40 pounds, making it ideal for transporting across vast stretches of land as the expedition searched for the seven cities of gold.
Archaeologists discovered that the cannon had never been fired because it was missing a black residue that would have been consistent with corrosion of the ammunition.
The team discovered thousands of artifacts at the site, including arrowheads, lead bullets and other weapons, but the prize was discovering the cannon.
Researchers used radiocarbon and luminescence dating techniques to link the canyon to the expedition, determining that it took place 483 years ago.
The weapon was ideal for the expedition because it was lightweight and had “a durable nature and ease of use,” according to the study, adding that “a pair of them could have been tied to a horse or mule, with one or more on each one”. side to maintain balance during transport.
Despite its small size, the cannon could handle heavy round lead bullets, called shot, accompanied by gunpowder and a wad of paper or grass that prevented the ammunition from rolling away.
The cannon was found at San Gerónimo III in 2020 and radiocarbon dating has linked it to the Coronado expedition.
The lack of design of the cannon indicated that it was probably made in Mexico during the mid to late 15th century.
The lack of black residue on the inside of the barrel, which was often due to corrosion from firing the gun, indicated that it had never been used.
He studyPublished in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology, he said the weapon’s design was consistent with those made in the mid- to late 15th century, making it obsolete by the time the Coronado expedition departed, which could indicate why the group left it behind. back when they fled the area.
Researchers speculated that the cannon was abandoned because the Spanish did not have time to load it when the Sobaipuri O’odham tribe launched a successful attack against them in late 1541.
The tribe attacked early in the morning, killing many of the Spaniards in their beds, while the gunners were “killed, captured or fled,” according to the study.
He added that under normal circumstances, giving up the gun would have been too expensive.
“All the professionals who have seen this evidence and been to the site agree that this is a Coronado site, and that it is evidence of a battle and an agreement,” Seymour told Gizmodo.
“From an interpretation standpoint, this canyon and the battle that took place around it are significant because they represent the first successful Native American uprising in the continental United States since the Spanish did not return for 150 years.”