The cannon is 2.5 meters long, 60 centimeters wide, and weighs an estimated 700 kilos. According to archaeologist Sven Van Haelst of the Flemish Institute for the Sea, the cannon is at least 400 years old.
“The gun is covered in corrosion, so we don’t have more details yet,” he says. “We will first go through all the steps to conserve the thing. This is done in demineralized water. Later we can then determine any stamps, makers or origin. ”
The cannon from the 17th century was 5 meters below the beach and close to the high tide mark. “Most likely, the gun came from a ship that ran aground on a sandbank. The location, close to the coast, indicates this. If a ship ran aground, as much ballast as possible was thrown overboard to come loose again at high tide. So also such a cannon. “
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