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Within the collections of the Museu de Angra do Heroismo (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 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 . |
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