At left, two of the cannon lie in situ on the seabed. Above right, Archaeological Director Mensun Bound, with a morion helmet, stands in front of the holding tank, which contained artifacts prior to conservation. Photographs illustrating this article by Paolo Scremin, John de Garis, Graham Wright, Mensun Bound and Tim Dingemans.
right amount was therefore critical. But in a fire-fight in which every second was at a premium, there was no time to measure out powder. To overcome this, musketeers carried pre-measured amounts in small conical containers which they hung from a bandoleer across their chests. Because there were usually 12 of them, they were popularly known as 'apostles.' Often they were made from wood and leather, but the Alderney examples, which numbered over twenty, were of copper alloy. Apostles have come from several other shipwrecks of the period; particularly close in size and design were examples excavated last year on the wreck of the Dutch East Indiaman Nassau which sank during the Battle of Cape Rachado in 1606 beside the Bambek Shoal in the Straits of Malacca. In addition to the apostles, two large, wooden, triangular powder flasks were found. These were usually slung over the right hip at the end of the bandoleer. There were also numerous bladed weapons on board. Although their grips and non-ferrous pommels were in relatively good condition, the blades survive only as voids between the wooden lathes of their scabbards, which were themselves encrusted in corrosion. Study of the voids showed that the blades included single and double-edged swords, rapiers and daggers. The vessel was also carrying body armor, which survived only in concreted form. The two breast plates-found packed
one within the other-were of the so-called peascod type. Only one back plate was recovered. Helmets were of the rounded ' morion' shape and the higher burgonet type with prominent central combs. Both had flaring rims. When x-rayed, one of the breast plates was found to contain a long bone within its concretion. Although the press has leapt on this as proof that some of the armor was being worn at the time the vessel sank (and therefore that the vessel was lost in combat), there is not yet any archaeological confirmation. The greater likelihood is that this bone is another of the great number of animal bones that litter the site. It is interesting to compare the armaments of this ship with those that were found on the Mary Rose which sank in 1545. The Mary Rose was full oflongbows, but so far none have been found on the Alderney wreck, which went down approximately fifty years later. It is illuminating to think that the weapon which had decided the great battles of Crecy in 1346 and Agincourt in 1415 had been so quickly replaced by firearms . Ceramics and Other Finds The pottery found on the wreck is of northwest European origin. There are Dutch lead-glazed earthenwares, CologneFrechen salt-glazed stonewares, Beauvaisware saucer-dishes, albarelli, a green-glazed northwestern French chafing-dish, a Normandy stoneware storage jar and a Breton jug. Other finds of note include: a pewter flask with a galloping centaur on its touchmark; a trefoil-eared pottinger bowl with the name A de Pource (or A de Bource) scratched into its underside; pewter spoons; a pair of stirrups; a spur; several shoes; tobacco pipes; a razor; and a comb.
Diver Chris Fitton displays one of the wreck' s muskets. The photograph at thefar left shows two of the apostles (which are about 99-106mm high) used to hold premeasured amounts of gunpowder.
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SEA HISTORY 78, SUMMER 1996