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Researchers in Arizona have discovered what they believe to be the oldest gun found in the continental US.
The bronze gun, known as a wall gun or cannon, is tied to the earliest European expedition in the Southwest. It was uncovered in 2020 in the remains of a Spanish building made of stone and adobe. This site is located near the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona, according to a study in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology.
Experts used advanced dating methods to confirm the weapon’s age. They estimate it lay untouched for nearly 480 years inside the ruins. The building was part of San Geronimo III, a European settlement established in 1540, marking one of the earliest footholds of Europeans in the region.
Excavations started in late 2021 to uncover the history behind the gun and find more evidence of the Spanish settlement, according to researchers Deni J. Seymour and William P. Mapoles.
The design of the firearm matches those made in the mid-to-late 1400s. By the time the expedition took place, the weapon was already outdated, the researchers explained.
OLDEST FIREARM IN U.S. FOUND: A 500-YEAR-OLD CANNON UNEARTHED IN ARIZONA
This is pretty wild, in southern Arizona, archaeologists uncovered a bronze cannon dating back nearly 500 years—the oldest firearm ever found in the continental U.S.
The relic was unearthed at San… pic.twitter.com/nEPPRBFIEE
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 26, 2024
Evidence suggests the gun was never used. It was likely abandoned after the Sobaipuri O’odham people, an Indigenous group, successfully attacked the settlement. This event forced the Spanish to avoid southern Arizona for the next 150 years.
Researchers described it as a significant discovery. They believe it is the oldest gun found in the US and possibly one of the earliest in the Americas that can be traced back to a specific historical context.
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish conquistador, was the governor of New Galicia, a province in what is now Mexico. In 1540, at just 27 years old, he led an ambitious expedition across the southwestern United States. His goal was to find wealth and new trade routes to Asia, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Coronado’s group included 240 soldiers on horseback, 60 on foot, and about 800 Native Americans and enslaved individuals. The journey, however, was ultimately deemed a failure. They found no gold or silver, and the small Indigenous communities they encountered could not support the Spanish colonial ambitions for profit, the study explains.
As the expedition neared its end, the settlement of San Geronimo III faced a devastating attack by the Sobaipuri O’odham people. The town was destroyed, and its residents either fled to Mexico or lost their lives in the assault.
Researchers believe the site they uncovered in 2020 near the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona is the location of San Geronimo III. At this site, they found a remarkable collection of artifacts. Among the discoveries were the bronze cannon, arrowheads, lead bullets, and parts of weapons.
