Comments on: Mystery Back Yard Iron Ball Archaeology

By: Juniper

Juniper — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:29:01 +0000

Looks to me like it came from a pinball machine. Those are solid iron, right?

By: Damen

Damen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:37:17 +0000

I think it’s only a possibility of being Grapeshot if JClifford lives in a coastal town, Draconicus. Though Grapeshot was known to be used in artillery cannons, so…maybe.

By: Draconicus

Draconicus — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:04:45 +0000

Err… Well if it’s iron, maybe not. Check anyway!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeshot
Maybe a ball from this? Look for more – if you find them, it’s a good possibility.

By: Draconicus

Draconicus — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:01:08 +0000

It’s probably a musket ball from a very early rifle. Depending on where you live, it may have even been part of a war! Bring it to a historian right away.

By: Damen

Damen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:50:42 +0000

If it were made of lead rather than iron I’d suggest it may be an old musket ball. As it stands, I’m stumped.

By: jenniearcheo

jenniearcheo — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:22:29 +0000

Haven’t seen anything like that before, but I suppose it could be from an early lawnmower or tractor. If there’s a barn nearby, and it was in the farm lane, it could easily have fallen from some big ugly bit of farm equipment. The nail is a cut nail, which were made from the 1790s, and are still used. However, the wire nail came around in the 1870s, and gradually took over the market. Cut nails began as sheets, which is why they’re the same thickness in one dimension, and narrow in the other dimension.