Accession Number

1986.008.2015

Creation Date

circa 1620

Exhibition Label

Case Caption (2023):

Firearms

Firearms replaced crossbows by the late 1500s. They were extremely heavy and not very accurate, but they were powerful. To improve accuracy, each man carried a pole with a yoke at its top to steady the muzzle while he used both hands to aim and fire.

Arquebuses and muskets both fired lead balls but each had their own advantages. Muskets had a longer range, but arquebuses could be reloaded faster. Neither had a built-in firing mechanism, so the soldiers carried lit slow-burning cords with which to ignite the gunpowder behind the ball.
Object Caption (2023):

Ingot
Lead (c.1620)
Gift of Jamestown Inc.
1986.008.2015

Several lead bars were found on the shipwrecks. They were used for various purposes but casting new lead shot was certainly one of them.