Cannon Balls?

[cmart63]

I really would appreciate your ideas, opinions, and thoughts regarding the item in the photos. I believe it to be a revolutionary war cannon ball, but really have no idea. I have literally found over 100 of these type items (larger and smaller) on our land. Our family was granted this land in 1814 for service in the Revolutionary War. (This was Cherokee-Creek Indian land -so maybe ...?)

I can not get these finds out of my mind -what little mind that I have remaining. Hopefully, this land will stay in my family for many more years. PLEASE let me know what you think. PM me and I will tell you what part of NE Georgia I am finding all of these items.

Thank you for any help that you may provide.
Carl

 

[Tony in SC]

What are they made of? Don't look much like a ball. Is it a rock?

 

[cmart63]

What are they made of? Don't look much like a ball. Is it a rock?

Tony, I do not believe these are your typical rocks. I have not had the material tested but it almost seems to be lead.
Thank you for replying.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Definitely not a cannonball or artillery projectile, too bumpy and odd shaped. No idea what it actually is though

 

[cmart63]

Definitely not a cannonball or artillery projectile, too bumpy and odd shaped. No idea what it actually is though

Thank you for your reply.
Carl

 

[sawmill man]

Maby a petrified egg LOL i know its a long shot. could you cut into it somehow to see if its metal or what?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Cmart63, I'm responding to your request. NOLA_Ken already said part of it for me... cannonballs were never lumpy, nor bumpy, nor out-of-round. They MIST be truly spherical, in order to load without jamming, and especially to not to jam when shot out of the cannon's barrel at extremely high speed and high pressure.

The object appears to be too short-bodied to be a cylindrical artillery projectile. Those projectiles tend to have a smoothly symmetrical body, and although they can have ridges or bands, they are without lumps or bumps.

Also, cannonballs were always made of cast-iron. That metal is easily tested with a magnet. What you've found looks like lead or a similar "white-metal" which doesn't get much oxidation on it from being in the ground for decades/centuries, such as solder or pewter. I must ask, did you partially clean the object? It looks like about half of a dirt-colored encrustation layer on it has been cleaned off.

Knowing the object's size and weight might help.

It's an interesting mystery. Especially since you say you've found hundreds of them. In a pile, all (or mostly all) in a pile, or scattered piecemeal over your land? Are they on the surface, slightly buried, or deeply buried... and if the latter, how deep are they buried?

 

[Berton]

I am sure that these items are not cannon balls. But if you think these items connected with military it can be catapult stones.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

If you have 100's of them, try cracking one with a hammer.... might be some strange geode?

 

[cmart63]

Thank you Cannon Ball Guy

Cmart63, I'm responding to your request. NOLA_Ken already said part of it for me... cannonballs were never lumpy, nor bumpy, nor out-of-round. They MIST be truly spherical, in order to load without jamming, and especially to not to jam when shot out of the cannon's barrel at extremely high speed and high pressure.

The object appears to be too short-bodied to be a cylindrical artillery projectile. Those projectiles tend to have a smoothly symmetrical body, and although they can have ridges or bands, they are without lumps or bumps.

Also, cannonballs were always made of cast-iron. That metal is easily tested with a magnet. What you've found looks like lead or a similar "white-metal" which doesn't get much oxidation on it from being in the ground for decades/centuries, such as solder or pewter. I must ask, did you partially clean the object? It looks like about half of a dirt-colored encrustation layer on it has been cleaned off.

Knowing the object's size and weight might help.

It's an interesting mystery. Especially since you say you've found hundreds of them. In a pile, all (or mostly all) in a pile, or scattered piecemeal over your land? Are they on the surface, slightly buried, or deeply buried... and if the latter, how deep are they buried?

Hi Cannon Ball -First, let me thank you for your reply and I apologize for my slow response.
(1) Yes, I did partially start cleaning one of them (simply spraying and brushing) and then the color you see starting appearing. So, I decided to take it over to one my son's house who has several grinders. I told him, not really knowing, that it was probably a cannon ball and he said no way -that it was too elongated (with his sa laugh). Well, he started to grind into vertically and it seemed to be metallic like. The one in my photograph ways about 12 lbs.

When I use my Pin Pointer, it goes crazy over it. However, my metal detector, set on "All Metals", projects a weak signal of 02. When I place a magnet on it, it simply does not feel as though the object is magnetic. I am just going to have to start cutting some of them open. I have found one that looks as though the outer shell has broken away and therein lays a more rounded object -much smaller than the what the outer shell would indicate. Unfortunately, I do not have it with me

 

[cmart63]

If you have 100's of them, try cracking one with a hammer.... might be some strange geode?

I will try to do so with a sledge hammer (normal hammer does nothing).

 

[cmart63]

I am sure that these items are not cannon balls. But if you think these items connected with military it can be catapult stones.

Hi Berton, I have never heard of catapult stones but you can make book that I am just about to research.

 

[cmart63]

I am sure that these items are not cannon balls. But if you think these items connected with military it can be catapult stones.

Berton, after a slight bit of research, you may be spot on. I just cannot imagine that form of ancient technology being used in the South East USA?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Umm... yeah. Apparently Berton didn't read your first post, where you say you found them in NE Georgia. I'm not aware of any historical record of catapults being used there. Except, maybe, punkin' chunkin'.

Thanks for returning to this discussion thread with answers to my questions.

But you didn't answer two of them. I asked:
"It's an interesting mystery. Especially since you say you've found hundreds of them. In a pile, all (or mostly all) in a pile, or scattered piecemeal over your land? Are they on the surface, slightly buried, or deeply buried... and if the latter, how deep are they buried?"

Your additional description of the "material" of them prompts me to say the greyish exterior resembles heavily Graphitized iron... which is a peculiar form of corrosion that occurs when iron is exposed for many decades to Tannic Acid in surface groundwater, such as a swamp or marsh or other "low ground." That might not be the case with these objects... I'm just saying what the greyish material looks like. But as we all know, "Appearances can be deceiving." I'll look forward to seeing photos of the one you say cracked open, revealing a smaller rounded object inside the thick outer layer. Also, please try a magnet on the smaller rounded object.

 

[augoldminer]

Early ball mills used very hard rock for milling everything from grain to soft rock.

Also some mills for mixing/making black powder used rock that did not spark.

As the mill rock wore they could look just like what you found.

Being in NE Georgia This could be from a civil war black powder factory.

 

[cmart63]

Umm... yeah. Apparently Berton didn't read your first post, where you say you found them in NE Georgia. I'm not aware of any historical record of catapults being used there. Except, maybe, punkin' chunkin'.

Thanks for returning to this discussion thread with answers to my questions.

But you didn't answer two of them. I asked:
"It's an interesting mystery. Especially since you say you've found hundreds of them. In a pile, all (or mostly all) in a pile, or scattered piecemeal over your land? Are they on the surface, slightly buried, or deeply buried... and if the latter, how deep are they buried?"

Your additional description of the "material" of them prompts me to say the greyish exterior resembles heavily Graphitized iron... which is a peculiar form of corrosion that occurs when iron is exposed for many decades to Tannic Acid in surface groundwater, such as a swamp or marsh or other "low ground." That might not be the case with these objects... I'm just saying what the greyish material looks like. But as we all know, "Appearances can be deceiving." I'll look forward to seeing photos of the one you say cracked open, revealing a smaller rounded object inside the thick outer layer. Also, please try a magnet on the smaller rounded object.

Thank you Cannon -
All of the ones that I have found have been adjacent to a large creek or in the creek itself (20'-30' wide creek). Hopefully I will be able to get some 'real' free time to try and crack one of these open.

 

[history preserved]

Kinda looks like a big meteorite!

 

[lockster99]

Maybe slugs or pigs from some type of a foundry?

 

[history preserved]

If it is metal, It could also be a stone grinder. Look up the aquachigger's new video about them on youtube. They do look a lot like cannon balls, but they are often not perfectly round like yours.

 

[seadoodiver]

They look like some type of milling stone. The photo on the right, the object appears to have some type of grove going around it where it has worn down.