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THE FIRST KNOWN CANNON FROM THE CORONADO EXPEDITION

Two bronze (copper alloy) cannon have been found at the 1541 Coronado expedition site of Suya, located in the Santa Cruz Valley. These are small, weighing less than 40 lbs. These were referenced in the documents as versillos, which are small versos, a type of cannon. Specifically these are hackbuts (German) or hookguns which distinguish them from the types of guns mounted on the railings of ships that are often referred to as swivel guns.  Lacking trunnions (a cylindrical or conical projection that acts a a pivot or mounting point for rotation) they would not have been mounted, but shot from a wall, rampart, tripod, back of a saddled animal, or the fork of a tree.

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VERSILLO (SMALL VERSO/CANNON) WITH A HOOK

Historical images provide additional information about how these were made, how they related to similar cannon at the time, and how they were transported and used. Archaeological evidence, both from the context and the attributes of the guns themselves, provide hints about their life history.

Cannon Types of the 16th Century

One of several types of cannon made at the time, this small cannon was perfect for a traveling expedition. It was larger than a hand cannon but smaller than guns that were mounted on carriages. This image shows a wall gun on the floor, including the hole in the hook and the flair of the muzzle.

Sand Casting Foundry

Analysis of these cannon indicate that they were made by sand casting. Molten metal was poured into a sand mold to form the gun. It was then reamed to smooth the bore.

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Sprue Marks Left on Cannon Surface

The sprue marks left on the surface of the cannon during the manufacturing process provide evidence that these were sand cast. They were not removed while still hot, nor were they carefully removed but rather broken. These attributes indicate that this was not made in a reputable foundry.

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Carrying Artillery in Mexico

During Cortes' conquest, Natives were enlisted to carry gear, including cannon. As shown in this codex, they were sometimes carried on a porter's back or they were loaded onto a litter. This image shows that these cannon were mounted on a wheeled cart or gun carriage.

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Transporting Artillery in the Southwestern US

As far as we know, there were no wheeled carts, carriages, or wagons on the expedition. The documents do not mention them, while they do mention loading items on horseback. Also, no oxen shoes have been found, while horse and possible mule shoes have. This image shows the common practice of transporting cannon on horseback.

Ancient Damage

Scuffing and gouging on the exterior of the cannon attest to rough handling, probably during transport and also perhaps during previous battles

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Vintage Illustrations

This historic illustration from 1502 of similar types of cannon demonstrate how they were steadied with a tripod. While one person could have shot this gun, two people were more effective, so that one could steady and aim the gun while the other used a slow match to ignite the powder.

One man holds the weapon steady on the tripod while the second uses a match cord to ignite the powder to fire the weapon.

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Touch Hole

The touch hole or vent is where the ignition source, burning match in this case, was exposed to the gunpowder to initiate the firing process. It is set above a flat pan. The absence of dishing means the powder would have been vulnerable in wind and movement.

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Wall Gun

These small cannons were often shot from ramparts or the tops of walls, which is why they are referred to as wall guns or rampart guns. They are also called hook guns because of the distinctive hook, that absorbed the recoil when fired. This image showing a similar gun is from a codex prepared in relation to the Cortes conquest.

Hook as an Important Attribute

These hook is the basis for the name and makes this a distinctive type of gun. The hook absorbed some of the recoil when placed on the rim of the wall or rampart, hence the name wall or rampart gun. This type of gun was suited to a terrestrial expedition, while swivel guns would have worked well on boats.

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Other Cannon Types Commonly Mistaken for These

These versillos from Suya are frequently confused with a type of small cannon often imported from SE Asia. These are known by a variety of names and were regularly imported (especially around the turn of the 19th century) for use in a variety of capacities, including to protect remote mining operations. Notice these imports have trunnions and are often swivel guns, while ours is not.

Experts familiar with historical arms have verified the antiquity of the Suya guns and have been helpful in differentiating them from these later SE Asian ones. So before you email me to tell me I need to research this more completely, please know that the Historical Arms Society of Tucson and other experts from around the nation, the continent, and the world have weighed in on this.

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