Spatially resolved neutron texture measurements of copper bolts from the Deltebre I (1813) site

MALAMUD, FLORENCIA; NORTHOVER, PETER; NORTHOVER, SHIRLEY; NNEJI, STEPHEN; KELLEHER, JOE; CIARLO, NICOLÁS C.; GELI MAURI, RUT

MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2022 vol. 192 p. 1 - 17

1044-5803

Spatially resolved neutron texture analyses were performed on several copper bolts used to fasten different wooden components of the hull of the Deltebre I (1813) shipwreck. Since 2008 this site has been the subject of a thorough archaeological study by the Catalan Centre for Underwater Archaeology of the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia. It has been identified as one of the transport ships of a combined British, Sicilian and Spanish fleet that ran aground in the Ebro delta, off the coast of Catalonia, after an unsuccessful expedition to liberate the city of Tarragona from Napoleon´s forces. In this paper, the texture and texture gradients of five different bolts recovered from this site were examined non-destructively, using the TOF neutron scanner ENGIN-X and analysing the data using the NyRTex methodology. The spatially resolved texture results indicate that at least three different methods were probably used to manufacture the bolts: drawing, casting, and forging and/or rolling. These results can both shed light on the processes of manufacture of fastenings of the early 19th century and contribute to identifying the ship.