APRONS OF LEAD : EXAMINATION OF AN ARTIFACT ASSEMBLAGE FROM THE QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE SHIPWRECK SITE

Abstract

In terms of artillery from shipwreck sites, gun tubes are typically the most well researched artifacts. Small finds like lead cannon aprons get significantly less attention but they too can reveal a great deal of information about past technologies and behaviors. The goal of this project is to shed light on this little researched class of artifacts, using the assemblage from the Queen Anne's Revenge shipwreck site as a case study. Historical accounts agree that an apron's primary function was to serve as a touchhole cover to keep powder dry and chambers debris free when a ship's guns were not in use. Beyond this, little is known about aprons. Interestingly, more than half the aprons in the QAR assemblage bear inscribed markings that are not explained by this primary function. Documentation and analysis of the Queen Anne's Revenge aprons will not only fill gaps in the current knowledge of 18th century naval ordnance, it will also help tell the story of the unknown sailors who marked them.