A 16th century Iron Breech-Loading Swivel-Gun

Abstract

Early in May 2000, the Mediterranean gave up another of its jealously kept treasures. While pleasure diving off Malta's southern coast, Michael Spiteri, a technical staff member of the Museums Department Archaeology Section discovered a rare and unusual gun. Lying there on the seabed was a sixteenth century, breechloading swivel-gun. Seafarers of various nations used small swivel-guns of this type extensively on ships, for many centuries. However, not that many have survived and at the time it was found, this was the first officially recorded discovery in Maltese waters of an early, breech-loading gun. Certainly not as sensational as the Riace Bronzes, this fascinating relic is nonetheless of considerable importance even by international standards.