Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1990, Page 86

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
10. Lovsamlingfor Island, Kbh. 1853, bls. 133-134. Forordning om Vrag. Kjöbenh. 20. Mai
1595.
11. Alþingisbœkur íslands VII, Rvk. 1944-1948, bls. 109-110.
SUMMARY
FRAGMENTS OF TWO CANNON.
A radiological examination.
In 1627, pirates from Algeria raided several places in Iceland.
The Governor of Iceland (at that time a part of the kingdom of Danmark) resided at
Bessastaðir, now the residence of the President of Iceland. As the pirates were expected
to attack Bessastaðir, fortifications were hastily erected on the shore near Bessastaðir and
armed with cannon.
The pirates did attack, but gave up the attempt after one of their ships had run aground.
The shore battery fired on the pirate ships. Although the fortifications were later improved
and more guns added, this was the only time the battery was in action.
In the National Museum of Iceland there are two iron objects found at Bessastaðir and
possibly connected with the battery. The objects are pieces of iron tubing, encircled by
iron hoops, see Figures 1 and 4.
In 1990, the two objects were examined, using industrial radiography. (Fig. 2 and Fig.
5).
The radiographs showed a very different construction of the two objects, but in both
cases the construction was typical for wrought iron cannon.
In the case of one object, BES 1987/200, the radiographs show a construction of iron
staves or bars with iron hoops. (Fig. 3).
The other object, no. 2467, seems to be constructed of four longitudinal metal plates
or gutters, joined side to side, as the innermost layer. Outside of this layer there is a layer
of iron cylinders, with iron hoops on the outside of the junctions between the cylinders.
(Fig. 6).
This object is very similar to the front part of a breech-loading cannon in the Royal
Arsenal Museum in Copenhagen (Fig. 7).
In that museum there is also a wrought iron cannon, similar in size to object no. 2467,
where corrosion has caused a separation of the layers in the barrel, disclosing a construct-
ion very much like that seen on the radiographs of object no. 2467.
It is concluded that both BES 1987/200 and no. 2467 are pieces of wrought iron
cannon, probably breech loading and dating from the 15th or 16th centuries.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank:
NDT-inspector Stefán Jóhann Björnsson of the Technological Institute of Iceland for
the radiological examination.
And:
Curator Björn A. Nielsen of the Royal Arsenal Museum, Copenhagen, for his advice
and especially for his permission to use Fig. 7.