Scottish snaphaunce found at Jamestown

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have uncovered a rare but perfectly preserved early 17th-century Scottish pistol at the historic former British colony known as the birthplace of the United States, making the firearm one of the oldest artefacts of European origin ever discovered in North America.

The weapon probably belonged to one of the first settlers to arrive at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and was recovered from a well at the site with several other "hugely significant" artefacts. . .

The pistol, leather shoes, a ceremonial axe known as a halberd and a small lead tag engraved with the archaic spelling "Yames Towne" are some of the earliest European artefacts to be discovered in the United States, according to William Kelso, the site's director of archaeology.

Posted by David on July 26, 2006 9:17 PM