Geometric morphometrics analysis of gunflints from the British shipwreck Deltebre I (1813), Catalonia, Spain

NICOLÁS CIARLO; GUSTAU VIVAR; JUDITH CHARLIN; ALBERTI, JIMENA; BUSCAGLIA, SILVANA

Buenos Aires

Simposio; 11th International Symposium on Knappable Materials; 2017

IMHICIHU-CONICET

The results of the geometric morphometrics analysis applied to 200 gunflints with no evidence of use are presented. The assemblage was recovered from the British shipwreck Deltebre I, that integrated an allied convoy that unsuccessfully tried to liberate Tarragona city from the Napoleonic forces, and sunk in the Ebro river delta in 1813. Gunflints were used to ignite the powder of firearms such as rifles and pistols, through a flintlock mechanism. It is noteworthy that gunflints integrate a worldwide dimension of the lithic technology, covering a chronological range from the middle of the 17th century until the beginning of the 20th century.This study, which is novel in Historical Archaeology, gives some insights of the potential of geometric morphometrics for the quantitative analysis of the gunflints? morphological and metrical variations and their implications on their functionality. This approach allows evaluating the degree of standardization in the design and manufacture of the specimens, and establishing the presence of flaws in the gunflints and its impact on their efficiency during firing.