Accession Number

1986.008.2235

Alternate object names

Shot;Ammunition

Creation Date

circa 1620

Description

Wired lead split shot from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Santa Margarita. This type of shot – two lead hemispheres joined by twisted bronze wires – was designed to open after firing and cut a wider swath than a regular round ball. The broader aim increased the likelihood of injuring enemy combatants. The diameter of the joined halves is 2.1 centimeters, roughly the size of musket shot. But this type of ammunition could also be fired in quantity from a cannon, delivering a multi-projectile blast. Overall length is 8.1 centimeters.

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):

Split Shot
Lead (c.1620)
Gift of Jamestown Inc.
1986.008.2235

This type of shot—two lead hemispheres joined by twisted bronze wires—was designed to open after firing, increasing the size of the injury that could be inflicted.