Physical Characteristics, Including Digital Models, of Seventeen Revolutionary War Cannons from the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP)

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Conservation of Archaeological Materials from Submerged Sites", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

A total of nineteen cannons were recovered from the Savannah River during the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) in 2021. It had been assumed that these cannons were from a British scuttled ship during the American Revolutionary War in 1779. Seventeen of these cannons were later transported to the Conservation Research Lab (CRL) at Texas A&M University. Physical characteristics (such as markings and reinforcement band patterns) have been revealed during the conservation process. Each of the cannons were laser scanned and 3D modeled to digitally preserve and document their condition. These characteristics could indicate foundry manufacturer, country of origin, weight, age, or identification number. Preliminary analysis indicates an inconsistent blend of cannon types from this site. While all the cannon are 6-pounders, there is a variety of markings, weights, lengths, band patterns, and ages. This paper will discuss these physical characteristics to provide a holistic analysis of the collection.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Conservation of Archaeological Materials from Submerged Sites

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow