I've got a friend who's recently taken up metal detecting in our local area, and he's come across what appears to be a cannonball in a field.  It's only 5.5cm diameter and around 1.5lbs / 680g in weight though, so quite small.  Does the size indicate an earlier period, so pre-18th C?

We've not had many engagements in this area so hard to know why it's here.  The only ones we know about are a few ECW battles with less than 1000 per side, and artillery was present at both of those.  One of them (Yarm) was about 5 miles to the south-west of this cannonball's location.

This is the ball and also the other items found in that same spot:



(I've attached the pic as well in case folks can't see the one above.)

Interesting mix of stuff Leon

No indication of any dates etc on the 3 coins? Although their size might indicate an C18th date (possibly).

There is no guarantee that the iron ball is actually a cannon ball of course - weights like that can be used in all sorts of situations.
Not sure if you can actually carbon-date an iron cannon ball - I suspect you can but it might be expensive.

Were all the items found in very close proximity? If so it might be somebody collecting scrap for sale or re-melting, then going off the idea & just leaving them.

But interesting all the same

Quote from: Big Insect on 05 October 2021, 11:38:24 AM
No indication of any dates etc on the 3 coins? Although their size might indicate an C18th date (possibly).

Were all the items found in very close proximity? If so it might be somebody collecting scrap for sale or re-melting, then going off the idea & just leaving them.

The other items in this location were all early 1900's, so women's vote badges, some dated coins and a couple of bullets.

Having been on a few digs with an archaeologist colleague from the campus, it was drummed into me that the key is the "context of the find."

Where it was found AND what it was found with.

If all these items were found in close proximity and at the same level in the soil, it suggests that they were deposited around the same time.

The women's vote badge would suggest 20th century. I have heard of other little piles like this that were accumulated for scrap salvage during WW2, and - as has been suggested - forgotten about.

Maybe a suffragette had it handy for lobbing at a window.

Quote from: Leman on 05 October 2021, 04:13:22 PM
Maybe a suffragette had it handy for lobbing at a window.

Suspect it might be a tad heavy for that.

Come off it, it's weighs less than 2lbs!

Quote from: Leman on 05 October 2021, 04:25:03 PM
Come off it, it's weighs less than 2lbs!

How could the frail frames of the gentler sex sustain such a burden without succumbing to a fit of the vapours!?

The Portable Antiquities scheme may be of use.

https://finds.org.uk/

Quote from: Big Insect on 05 October 2021, 11:38:24 AM
Interesting mix of stuff Leon

No indication of any dates etc on the 3 coins? Although their size might indicate an C18th date (possibly).

There is no guarantee that the iron ball is actually a cannon ball of course - weights like that can be used in all sorts of situations.
Not sure if you can actually carbon-date an iron cannon ball - I suspect you can but it might be expensive.

Were all the items found in very close proximity? If so it might be somebody collecting scrap for sale or re-melting, then going off the idea & just leaving them.

But interesting all the same

Carbon dating works on organic matter.
The dating works on atmospheric carbon locked into the material while alive.

Carbon in an iron or steel casting will have come from the charcoal or coke used in manufacture.
You may be dating a fossil.

Quote from: Ithoriel on 05 October 2021, 05:37:32 PM
How could the frail frames of the gentler sex sustain such a burden without succumbing to a fit of the vapours!?

There speaks a man who has yet to 'enjoy' a cast iron griddle upside the head.

Dave wondered if it could be from a falconet gun, which had a lighter calibre and was commonly used in the ECW: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falconet_(cannon)

Falconets fired a roughly 1lb shot, approx 2inches in diameter so this is a little on the big size for a Falconet but not impossibly so. Sakers fired, on average, a 3 inch ball so it's a little small for a Saker round.

Not far out of the ranges for a small 16th/ 17th cannonball though.

Sods Law says it'll turn out to have been lost by the Ingleby Barwick and Great Ayton Petanque Society during a match in 1996, or something similar!!

Agh! I'm forgetting my long ago Archaeology course .... this is , of course, a ritual object  

Quote from: Ithoriel on 06 October 2021, 12:55:41 AM
Agh! I'm forgetting my long ago Archaeology course .... this is , of course, a ritual object  

Isn't everything ?