https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/medieval-hand-canon-0018662
Quote from: davidb on June 20, 2023, 04:10:01 PMObviously the person who wrote the heading, can't do simple arithmetic. The heading says 600 year old hand cannon, but the article states that the cannon dates to the 1400s.
600 years ago is 1423, definitely within "the 1400s", so I am not quite sure of your point.
I found the switching between pounds and dollars confusing. I've not been to a fleamarket in Hertfordshire but I doubt they price in dollars.
Chronologically, the author seems unsure whether to go for first global use or first European use. The auctioneer was also confused how it went together too "Originally this cannon would have been mounted on wood with a powder bag and ram rod." Mounting a powder bag on the stock would have struck even a medieval person as a bit of a health and safety no-no :)
The point is don't post before having your morning coffee.
Removed the statement.
;D
We saw these being used in a re-enactment of the (potentially mythical) 15th century siege of Predjama Castle in Slovena some years ago. As a qualified range officer my major thoughts were - 'health and safety nightmare' and I would not want to be at either end! Some of them were a a fair bit bigger than the one featured here. Fortunately all went well, at least for the reenactors - in the original the robber baron Erasmus is supposed to had been killed on the garderobe!
poor fellow :o