Arquebus Yoke
Physical Object
1986.008.3029a
Santa Margarita (1622)
circa 1620
| The iron fork of a musket rest recovered from the wreck of the 1622 galleon Santa Margarita. The musket was a long and heavy weapon, and a forked rest was of assistance in firing it. The muzzle end of the musket barrel was placed in the rest, which took some of the weight of the piece and allowed the user to take a more relaxed and careful aim. The iron fork sat on the end of a wooden stake, at a height of approximately five feet. The bottom end of the stake had an iron point, and, in a pinch, the long shaft itself could have been used as a weapon. This fork has an overall length 22.6 centimeters. |