Oldest Gun Found in the U.S. Tells the Story of a Forgotten Battle

[Zeedox]

Oldest Gun Found in the U.S. Tells the Story of a Forgotten Battle

Researchers discovered a bronze cannon that may have been used by Coronado, preceding the Second Amendment by 250 years.

gizmodo.com

The long cannon, or wall gun, was found on the floor of a Spanish stone-and-adobe building in southern Arizona. It probably required two people to operate, and would’ve been supported by a structure or tripod—as opposed to it being carried like a hand cannon. The research team dated the gun to Coronado’s era and speculated on how such an expensive piece of weaponry in good condition would be left abandoned by the Spaniards, who went to such lengths to haul it there in the first place. The team’s findings were published last week in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542. Vázquez de Coronado had hoped to reach the Cities of Cíbola, often referred to now as the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. His expedition marked the first European sightings of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, among other landmarks. His name is often Anglicized as Vasquez de Coronado or just Coronado.

 

[Gomez Adams]

First, I had no Idea Coronado made it that far. I thought his excursion was limited to Mexico and Central America.

Second, they must be stupid if they can't figure out why they left it behind. That part is simple: They were getting their asses kicked and took off running for their lives.

Wonderful stuff, that.

All the way to Kansas. Jesus. That's amazing.

 

[Zeedox]

My thoughts exactly about why the gun was there.