19 cannons from the 18th century were found at the bottom of the Savannah River

Researchers exploring the waters of the Savannah River have found 19 cannons from the 18th century that date back to the American Revolutionary War.

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The cannons that the Americans found at the bottom of the Savannah River probably came from sunken British ships. Their age is estimated by experts to be about 240 years and the period of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). As a result of this conflict, the USA became independent from Great Britain for good.

Cannons covered in mud and rust were discovered by accident by workerswhen they were dredging a shipping channel. At one point one of the machines brought a cannon to the surface. Not long after, two more cannons were recovered in the same place.

At first, archaeologists thought they had found the remains of a sunken vessel from the Confederate fleet. However, US Navy experts said they did not match any known cannons used during the American Civil War. Further research indicated that they are probably almost a century older and date from the American Revolutionary War.

It has been about a year since the discovery and during this time specialists have excavated a total of 19 cannons. All the artefacts were found in the same place where the workers encountered the first cannon. It is worth noting that nearby, in 1733, the British founded their 13th and last colony in North America, which was Georgia.

The cannons are in exceptionally good condition. Many of them were buried in clay and covered with silt and rubble. This protected them from the destructive influence of time and external conditions – said archaeologist Andrea Farmer.

19 cannons will go to the museum

Officials representing the US and UK, as well as representatives from the state of Georgia, are working together on a solution. All parties want to work together to reach an agreement that will allow the cannons to be displayed to the public. The consensus is that the best place to do so would be the Savannah History Museum.

For the moment, all the guns are being stored in water to prevent further damage. In the meantime Researchers are looking for further evidence linking them to British ships from the period and the American Revolutionary War.

Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

For technical divers from around the world, the Donegal coast has become synonymous with wreck diving. Among others due to the wreck of the SS Empire Heritage, which we wrote about in issue 17. the DIVERS24 quarterly magazine! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while the printed version can be purchased from our online shop.