After spending nearly 400 years on the ocean floor artifacts show many signs of erosion. Some
artifacts, due to how they came to rest on the ocean floor, may have been slightly more protected
than other artifacts. This allows us to see more detail on these artifacts and understand more
about how they were used such as on one recently recovered arquebus barrel. The octagon barrel
itself is still in excellent condition along with the flash pan. The rear sight is still attached
and the wood stock is also very well preserved. The trigger mechanism for the matchlock is still
in tact, which is interesting to see. We are currently in the process of separating the iron barrel
and trigger from the wood stock because the conservation processes for metal and wood are quite
different. Since the wood and the metal are so tightly fitted together we are beginning to remove
as much corrosion from the metal as possible using small dental tools in an effort to loosen
the pieces. This is to avoid any potential gouging of the wood stock during the disassembling
process. We are currently doing research on some other interesting components of this unique
piece and we will be sure to provide updates as soon as we uncover more information. Take a
look at the pictures below!
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