Searching for a Buried Cannon in Pakistan

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The sister of a cannon named the Zamzama which was cast 260 years ago sank while being ferried across a major river in Pakistan. i need help / advice on how to locate it and what would be the best detector to use. The Zamzama is on display in Lahore and its barrel is made of copper and bronze, weighs 4.5 tons and is 14 feet long. The river as changed its course since the sister of the Zamzama sank and the area identified for the search is now heavily cultivated and the soil is loam (clay, silt & sand). The floodplain of the river is prone to flooding and depositing layers of silt/loam and the barrel may be 10-15 feet below the surface. i have marked out an area of 6 km by 3 km and i presume a grid would have to be surveyed and marked before commencing the search. I have no experience of searching for buried objects and would certainly need expert help / advice. [SUB] Zamzama.jpg WAZIRABAD XING.png [/SUB]
 

Upvote 0

Coinboy

Sr. Member
Dec 4, 2019
346
727
Iowa
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Nokta Makro Simplex, pulsedive, Garrett Ace 200, Nokta pinpointer, Brute Magnetics 888 pound Fishing Magnet
Predatortools
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I cant give you too much advice but youre gonna need a 2-box metal detector for something that deep if its even reachable.
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
thanks alot.......... regards
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,173
14,461
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I cant give you too much advice but youre gonna need a 2-box metal detector for something that deep if its even reachable.

Yup, that would be the most economical way to start. GPR is also another option, but, much more expensive.
 

GoDeep

Bronze Member
Nov 12, 2016
2,120
4,515
Detector(s) used
Whites, Garrett, Minelab
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Also, keep in mind, being its been a couple hundred years, rivers meander and it may actually be on "land", not in the channel. I was just reading about a Steam Boat from the 1850's found in a Missouri Corn field 45 feet deep in the dirt! It was recorded that it rammed a log and sank in the channel and the channel is now a half mile away from where it used to run!
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks........ came and join me. i could do with some experienced advice:help:
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
i read that GPR work best in dry sandy soil. The old river bed where i will search is loam (clay+silt+sand)
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks...... i desperately hope that the cannon is not that far down. as you would notice from the two maps that i have attached above....... the river seems to have meandered westwards since 1849 when the old map of a battle was made. the gun however sank around 1760.
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks...... i desperately hope that the cannon is not that far down. as you would notice from the two maps that i have attached above....... the river seems to have meandered westwards since 1849 when the old map of a battle was made. the gun however sank around 1760.
 

chub

Bronze Member
Apr 23, 2017
1,503
2,242
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Minelab Soveriegn XS 2
Nokta pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting ! If you were a ferry where would you sink? Was it a ferry with two fixed points (trees) and a cable or rope? Or possibly tied to a rock? If so there must have been a road either side of the ferry for the Oxen and the cannon? With a landing either side?

Im not sure what the terrain looks like on the ground, but try to be mindful of any kind of clues as to where the river ran - tree lines etc.

A two box detector would be best. Meteorite men ( google the show) use a large square PVC pipe (with coil inside). It has great depth and large area. Ive tried to look for a circuit diagram as it looks homemade...but only came across a very expensive commercial unit.



Good luck. Please keep us posted. Did things calm down there after they opened the border?

Chub
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,156
130,945
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
JW Fisher 8x - V2... with skid.

Only detector for the job.

Don't waste money and time on anything else.
 

chub

Bronze Member
Apr 23, 2017
1,503
2,242
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Minelab Soveriegn XS 2
Nokta pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Are you thinking that they would have rather ferried it in one go (where the river isnt split into 2 or 3). There must have been a "supply line" road or railway for troops, food, ammo etc? And it must have been wide enough for wagons etc. Where would that have been? Nearest port, mountain pass etc.

chub
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hey Chub...... thanks for your interest ..... it sank in 1760 so no railways then,....the flood plain of the river was 3 miles broad..too wide for an anchored ferry......but i take your point for clues ...... will give it a think.. meanwhile have asked a govt space org to do some satellite imaging to locate the old bed. they did it in the desert to locate the bed of a river that dried up 2000 years ago. am attaching the image of that for your interest....Thanks for your advice on the two box detector...will educate my self on it and get back to you with questions. RIVER HAKRA.png
 

OP
OP
Z

Zamzama

Jr. Member
Apr 21, 2020
23
9
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ok AARC....thanks for the advice .checked out its credentials and seems like a very versatile detector.......
 

TheGreenBoy

Sr. Member
Nov 10, 2017
399
462
Countryside
Detector(s) used
DBP2010, eeTH, tx850
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Deep seeking PI with large frame coil and settings to ignore small objects is worth trying.

Take a look at Golden Mask Deep Hunter or similar (DBP2010, xr71, Beringer Upex 728, pulse star II, etc.).

or, of course, Nokta Invenio, if you do not care to blow 5K..

I am quite offently looking for large and deep objects, and DBP2010 is my favorite tool of choice for it.
 

Last edited:

chub

Bronze Member
Apr 23, 2017
1,503
2,242
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75, Minelab Soveriegn XS 2
Nokta pinpointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Do you know what time of year it sank? River high or river low?

Chub
 

EccentricInTexas

Hero Member
Jan 14, 2013
944
659
Central Texas
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800 11DD coil 11x15DD coil 6DD coil
Schiebel AN-19/2,
Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro,
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505,
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
A Twobox Detector would be a good choice but you may want to use a Resistivity Survey Meter. It should put off a MASSIVE signature but you may have to search a large area. If you can locate any old maps or first hand reports that show where the river and crossing were when the canon was lost that may be very helpful. An item that massive it probably sank straight down and didn't move very far from where it originally went down. Best of luck if you do find it post photos!!!
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,156
130,945
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ok AARC....thanks for the advice .checked out its credentials and seems like a very versatile detector.......

I am speaking from decades of experience on one.

Your looking for a cannon correct ? ? ?

There is no better detector for the job... Period.


You must spend the money to get the honey.

So you are looking at almost $2,500 for unit... and another $1,500 for the 4 foot coil on tow skid with 100 foot cable.

But let me tell you this...

IF you run it over that cannon... you will know it.... again... period.

And EVEN IF IT IS under 8-12 foot of sand.

No other detector can even come close to that.... mark my words.

Listen.. I have no stake in your game here... so I am not just suggesting something I know nothing about in some hope of something. heh
 

Coinboy

Sr. Member
Dec 4, 2019
346
727
Iowa
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac, Nokta Makro Simplex, pulsedive, Garrett Ace 200, Nokta pinpointer, Brute Magnetics 888 pound Fishing Magnet
Predatortools
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you find it be sure to share it with us!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top