1986.008.0710
Sounding Weight
Physical Object
1986.008.0710
Nuestra Señora de Atocha (1622)
circa 1620
This heavy sounding lead, or plummet, from the Spanish 1622 galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha served as a weight to carry a line from the ship’s side down to the sea floor. The length the line traveled to the bottom told the ship’s pilot how deep the water was, an important measurement for maintaining a safe course. The recessed bottom of the lead was designed to hold tallow or wax. When the weight hit the bottom, the sticky substance would collect a sample of bottom material – whether sand, pebbles, or shells (if it came up clean, the bottom was rock). The sample could be compared to records of sea bottom composition charted by previous voyagers, which helped to establish a ship’s location.
3.2 kg Weight