Conservation of a Roman Lock Pistol from Jamestown, Virginia

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Opening the Vault: What Collections Can Say About Jamestown’s Global Trade Network", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

A flintlock pistol was excavated from an early well at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. The pistol was intact and consisted of waterlogged wood, iron lock plates and machinery, and a copper alloy barrel and trigger. Initial investigations revealed the firearm to be a Roman lock pistol deposited into the well fully charged and double loaded with two lead shot. Conservation of the pistol involved extraction of the lead shot and black powder, the removal of iron salts from the wood stock, cleaning the lock plates, and removing post excavation corrosion from the copper alloy barrel. Lastly, the wood had to be dried and the pistol prepared for exhibit. This paper will discuss the process and results of the conservation treatment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023   •
• Opening the Vault: What Collections Can Say About Jamestown’s Global Trade Network

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow