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Gun that identified the Mary Rose

70A0001

Starting on 24th April 1965, a team of divers led by Alexander McKee searched the Solent for the wreck of the Mary RoseIn 1970 they found this wrought iron gun, which could have only come from a ship earlier than the late 1500s.

Finding this narrowed the search area, and in 1971 the first timbers of the ship were found. This particular gun is a sling, found in the bow area of the Mary Rose. Long and thin, with a very big powder chamber and loaded with cast iron shot, slings were an attempt to make a long-range gun in wrought iron.