About This Artifact
A small round stone ball spotted by metal detectorist Gary Drayton on Lot 16, near the swamp. Drayton recognised it immediately as an old gun stone, a type of projectile fired from small deck-mounted cannons.\r\n\r\nGeologist Dr. Robert Raeside analysed the composition and identified it as an olivine-bearing rock containing olivine gabbro and basalt, confirming it was volcanic in origin and could not have come from Nova Scotia. Raeside concluded the stone most likely originated from the Canary Islands or the Azores, both heavily associated with early trans-Atlantic voyages by Spanish and Portuguese navigators.\r\n\r\nA second, nearly identical gun stone was found the following year along a possible pathway between the swamp and the Money Pit, with the same volcanic composition. The Portuguese were among the first to use these types of small shipboard cannons, and the Azores were a Portuguese territory and a key staging point for Atlantic crossings.
Historical Context
Dr. Robert Raeside, geologist; History Channel Season 9
Where It Was Found
Found at Lot 16, near the swamp — Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
