Page 6 | My mum found this in the garden...

TreacheryPepper · 2022-07-27T11:31:45+00:00

My mum moved into a rental property last year. The garden was in a bit of a state when she moved in, and she's been gradually digging areas in preparation for seeding a lawn. She's removed loads of crap from the soil, but yesterday came across this. It appears to be made of iron and is very heavy for its size. It's like a small cannon ball. Has anyone come across anything similar? Lime included for scale.

PhotoDad · 28/07/2022 21:00

TheElderleyBrothers · 27/07/2022 17:42

Husband says it's a small cannon ball - cannonade ?

A mini cannon used (almost exclusively) on ships was a "carronade" as they were mainly made at the Carron ironworks in Scotland! A "cannonade" means a whole volley of shots from an artillery battery. I think it's more likely to be grapeshot or canister shot!

Cheesecakeandwineinasuitcase · 28/07/2022 21:15

It looks like a meatball

berksandbeyond · 28/07/2022 21:18

I definitely thought it was a meatball when I saw the picture

Discovereads · 28/07/2022 21:32

TreacheryPepper · 28/07/2022 19:36

It's definitely too big to be a musket ball.

It weighs 229g

I'm working 12hr shifts for the next three days so don't have time to go to a museum. I might try emailing a picture to the museum?

I don't know of any nearby civil war battles. The Jacobite Rebellion (Bonnie Prince Charlie's lot) troops passed nearby. I don't know if that could be relevant.

We aren't bothered how much it is worth in monetary terms, especially since my mum's house is rented so it wouldn't belong to her any way!

I don't know for sure but I'd say it was too spherical to be a pyrite nodule.

Yes they still used grapeshot in the 1740s when the Jacobite Rebellion happened.

stayathomer · 28/07/2022 21:34

I'm a professional appraiser and can confirm that's a lime, probably early 21st century.
Just snorted at this! OP so cool!!!

Muminabun · 28/07/2022 21:40

Hi op I found similar at the foot of the South Downs. I thought it was a meteorite. I showed it to some geologists that I worked with. Turns out it was something called an iron pyrite. Not from space but the earth crust instead and a bout a gazillion years old. I still have it it’s really heavy.

Magnoliablue · 28/07/2022 23:49

Rusty Road bowling ball?

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 29/07/2022 01:00

DH says it could be a heavy Arquebus shot or a cannonade. But DH is one of those civil war black powder nerds and I’ll be honest, I stopped listening. He even writes supplements for role playing games with this stuff. Dear Lord, he’s still chuntering in the background about ‘primitive flintlock weapons’ as I type this.

Nat6999 · 29/07/2022 01:30

I can remember finding one of those in my parent's garden as a child.

JimJamBoy · 29/07/2022 12:25

Or it could be a projectile, fired from a sling-shot or a hand-held catapult. Could be modern or ancient.

Dizzywizz · 01/08/2022 08:24

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 29/07/2022 01:00

DH says it could be a heavy Arquebus shot or a cannonade. But DH is one of those civil war black powder nerds and I’ll be honest, I stopped listening. He even writes supplements for role playing games with this stuff. Dear Lord, he’s still chuntering in the background about ‘primitive flintlock weapons’ as I type this.

😂 😆

GoT1904 · 01/08/2022 10:24

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 29/07/2022 01:00

DH says it could be a heavy Arquebus shot or a cannonade. But DH is one of those civil war black powder nerds and I’ll be honest, I stopped listening. He even writes supplements for role playing games with this stuff. Dear Lord, he’s still chuntering in the background about ‘primitive flintlock weapons’ as I type this.

😂😂😂😂

Dustyblue · 01/08/2022 11:02

Awesome replies. DH & I are voting mortarball.

Or the biggest Prince Albert piercing ever.

Binglebong · 01/08/2022 18:57

Did you make the mistake of listening to this lot and call in the bomb squad OP? www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-62368557

ScreechingEchoChamber · 01/08/2022 19:04

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 29/07/2022 01:00

DH says it could be a heavy Arquebus shot or a cannonade. But DH is one of those civil war black powder nerds and I’ll be honest, I stopped listening. He even writes supplements for role playing games with this stuff. Dear Lord, he’s still chuntering in the background about ‘primitive flintlock weapons’ as I type this.

😂

I love you both.

Original poster

TreacheryPepper · 11/08/2022 13:12

I heard back from our local museum today. I've attached a redacted copy of the email.

No bomb squad required after all. No like MN to be dramatic.

Still a pretty cool find though!

OP posts:

LadyEloise1 · 11/08/2022 15:54

Thank you for the update @TreacheryPepper

DinosApple · 11/08/2022 16:18

Fabulous OP, I love garden archaeology! Good find!

HesterShaw1 · 11/08/2022 19:58

Cool!

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 12/08/2022 09:41

Fascinating. Thank you for the update!

Gilead · 12/08/2022 11:31

Thanks for the update, that’s really cool, hope your Mum has some more fabulous finds!

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 15/08/2022 22:12

Thank you for updating

PrimAndProperPearlClutcher · 15/08/2022 22:35

A rabinet, eh? I thought as much.

DownNative · 15/08/2022 23:24

Fladdermus · 27/07/2022 14:03

I asked DH who's a weapon's nerd and he's quite confident that it is a canister shot, ie a mini cannon ball. Sometimes cannons were used more like shotguns so were loaded with canister shots, multiple smaller balls, rather than a single cannon ball. Or so nerdy DH says. Having now googled 'canister shot' I think he might be right.

A canister shot is one possibility. Ball-bearing is another since its misshapen.