Size and shape analysis of gunflints from the British shipwreck Deltebre I (1813), Catalonia, Spain: a geometric morphometric comparison of used and without use artefacts

Abstract

The results of the geometric morphometrics analysis applied to a sample of 200 gunflints with no evidence of use, recovered from the British shipwreck Deltebre I, are presented. This naval transport integrated an allied convoy that unsuccessfully tried to liberate Tarragona city from the Napoleonic forces, and sunk in the Ebro river delta in 1813. This kind of stone artifacts were used to ignite the powder of fire portable firearms (e.g. rifles and pistols) with a flintlock mechanism. It is noteworthy that gunflints integrate a worldwide dimension of the lithic technology, covering a chronological range from the middle of the 17th century until the beginning of the 20th century. This study, which is novel in Historical Archaeology, gives some insights of the potential of geometric morphometrics for the quantitative analysis of the gunflints' morphological and metrical variations and their implications on their functionality. A first approach to the sample under study allowed, on the one hand, evaluating the degree of standardization in the design and manufacture of the specimens, and, on the other hand, establishing the presence of flaws in the gunflints and its impact on their efficiency during firing.