Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.
The TAMU conservation lab faced a unique challenge in conserving a cannon from the Battle of the Alamo.
The cannon in question, a bronze four-pounder cast in Mexico, was used in several key battles during its lifetime — including the Battle of Medina in 1813 and the Battle of Concepción in 1835 — and ultimately saw action during the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. However, this artifact has recently faced a unique challenge: a white, chalky substance growing on its surface, a phenomenon that had not been observed in other bronze cannons.
“We’ve spent the better part of a year and a half trying to work out why this substance is growing,” Dostal revealed. “It turns out, this might be a byproduct of the chemicals used in the cannon’s conservation process back in 2008 and again in 2019. The substance is a precipitate of these chemicals starting to crop up on the outside of the cannon.”
To replicate the results, Dostal and Breyfogle created their own bronze blocks with a composition resembling that of the cannon. They then applied identical methods and treatments to these blocks.
“This is a rare occurrence, and we spent a large amount of time figuring out the exact cause,” Breyfogle said.
The breakthrough came courtesy of a dilute solution of formic acid, which effectively removed the chalky deposits that formed on the cannon’s surface without damaging the underlying metal. The team applied this solution to the cannon, using a tennis ball on a stick as their weapon of choice and watching as the white substance essentially vanished on contact.,,
Here is the link for the rest of the article.
Texas A&M's Quest To Save An Alamo Cannon - Texas A&M Today (tamu.edu)
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Researchers from the University of Michigan's Notion Archaeological Project have struck gold. The team of archeologists discovered a "hoard of gold coins" from the Persian Empire in western Turkey.
The researchers announced the "very rare" find in a news release on Friday.
The design of the coins – which features the figure of a kneeling archer – is consistent with the daric, a type of gold coin used in the Persian empire, according to the release. The coins were used from the late 6th century B.C. until Alexander the Great's conquest of the Persian empire in 330 B.C. Researchers believe the daric was mainly used to pay mercenary troops.,,
Gold hit $2500 for a short time one day not long ago and is still high.
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| Source: nhc.noaa.gov |
So Debby has left Florida and it looks like nothing new to threaten the Treasure Coast for a while.