16TH CENTURY CAST-BRONZE ORDNANCE AT THE MUSEU DE ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO A Thesis by SARA GRACE HOSKINS Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2003 Major Subject: Anthropology 16TH CENTURY CAST-BRONZE ORDNANCE AT THE MUSEU DE ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO A Thesis by SARA GRACE HOSKINS Submitted to Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved as to style and content by: Kevin Crisman Filipe Vieira de Castro (Chair of Committee) (Member) Joseph G. Dawson David L. Carlson (Member) (Head of Department) December 2003 Major Subject: Anthropology iii ABSTRACT 16th Century Cast-Bronze Ordnance at the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo. (December 2003) Sara Grace Hoskins, B.A., Texas A&M University; Chair of Committee: Dr. Kevin Crisman Within the collections of the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo (Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal) are nine cast bronze guns from the 16th century. Most were raised from the seafloor between the 1960s and 1990s, but this study comprises the first in- depth research into their design and manufacture. The importance of this kind of study lies in the fact that ordnance is commonly found on shipwrecks of this time. A greater knowledge of guns will help provide information about the ships from which they came. Careful documentation and study of the Museu de Angra cannon will add greatly to their value as museum exhibits, by allowing museum patrons to better understand where the guns came from, how they were cast, and why they were important. This documentation adds to our knowledge of Western European gunfounding technology during the sixteenth century, as four different countries commissioned the guns: Portugal, Spain, France, and England. With detailed documentation and publication, the Museu de Angra bronze guns can be added to the bibliography of ordnance of this period, which will aid future researchers who encounter similar pieces. The Museu de Angra bronze guns, as symbols of the military and naval power of iv the countries that commissioned them, were sent aboard ships, into the field, and mounted on fortress walls. Bronze guns of this time period are particularly important, as bronze was an expensive commodity, and the demand for ordnance was increasing rapidly. Countries developed more effective ways to make use of iron for the founding of guns, and the use of bronze became more symbolic of wealth. The information that each gun contains includes both the cutting-edge military technology of the time and the artistic statement of the founder. Some of the finest metalwork of the period was displayed in cast bronze guns, and due to the founding techniques, no two are the same, making each an important piece of history. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the generous help of numerous people. First, I would like to thank all of the members of my committee, especially Dr. Kevin Crisman, who introduced me to this project and supported me throughout its duration. I would also like to thank the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo, with a special thanks to Dr. Heliodoro Silva, for allowing me to carry out the research and documentation of these guns in the museum’s collection, and providing me with all of the support and information that I needed from the museum. I must also thank Ana Catarina Garcia for the assistance that she provided while I was in Angra. I want to express my great appreciation to the Tower of London (with special thanks to Bridget Clifford), Fort Nelson in Portsmouth (with special thanks to Nicholas Hall), the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth (with special thanks to Alex Hildred), the Musee de l’Armee in Paris, the Museo Naval in Madrid, the Museu da Marinha in Lisbon, and the Museu Militar, also in Lisbon for allowing me access to their collections, which made my comparative research possible. I have to give many thanks to Katie Custer who provided me with much-needed assistance while traveling to the various museums. Your help not only expedited the documentation process, but also kept me in a sane state of mind. Thank you for being willing to learn more than you ever wanted to know about guns. I wish to express my gratitude to Cristina Lima for all that she has done for me over the years. She provided me with a bed in a warm home during my stay in Angra, vi and helped with my research after my return to Texas. She has proved to be a good friend and a wonderful person. In addition, I would like to thank Ruth Brown, Robert Smith, and Javier Martin Lopez for their generous help in answering some of my research questions. And finally, I want to thank all of my friends and family for supporting me throughout my graduate career, especially while researching and writing this thesis. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................1 II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ..................................................................6 Brief History of Ordnance ..........................................................................8 Introduction of Ordnance on Ships.............................................................9 III STANDARDIZATION .................................................................................14 Gun Types...................................................................................................15 Cannon........................................................................................................17 Culverin ......................................................................................................17 IV GUNPOWDER AND GUN DESIGN...........................................................20 V GUN USE......................................................................................................25 Placement on Board....................................................................................25 Loading and Aiming...................................................................................25 Effects of Use.............................................................................................26 VI GUNFOUNDING..........................................................................................29 Concerning the Clay ...................................................................................29 Making the Model ......................................................................................29 Making the Mold ........................................................................................34 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) CHAPTER Page Making the Core .........................................................................................36 Collars or Castles........................................................................................38 Making the Breech......................................................................................40 Pouring the Mold ........................................................................................41 Finishing the Gun .......................................................................................42 The Touchhole............................................................................................44 Proof Firing.................................................................................................44 Composite Construction .............................................................................45 Gunfounders ...............................................................................................46 VII THE MUSEU DE ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO 16TH CENTURY CAST-BRONZE GUN PROJECT ...………………………………….. ......52 VIII MUSEU DE ANGRA GUNS........................................................................59 MAH 1........................................................................................................59 MAH 2…………..…………………………………………………..........67 MAH 3........................................................................................................73 MAH 4........................................................................................................78 MAH 5…………..…………………………………………………..........80 MAH 6........................................................................................................83 MAH 7........................................................................................................89 MAH 8……………..………………………………………………..........94 MAH R. 98. 14 ...........................................................................................98 Castle and Collars.......................................................................................102 Trunnions…………..………………………………………………..........103 IX CONCLUSION .............................................................................................108 WORKS CITED...........................................................................................................111 APPENDIX A RULERS OF THE 16TH CENTURY.............................................................118