Small dropped lead shot with visible dimple

Notes

This lead ball is a piece of shot. This particular shot was produced by the dropping method. In this process, molten lead was dropped from a height into a container of water. The greater the height from which the lead was dropped, the rounder the shot. Various forms of this technique were developed over the seventeenth and eighteenth century, but all shot produced this way lack the evidence of mold seams or stems.

Shot were used in a variety of firearms in the eighteenth century, including muskets, rifles, and pistols. The presence of this and other firearms related artifacts at the House for Families, and faunal remains of wild mammals and birds indicate residents of the House for Families would have had controlled access to guns for hunting.

This shot represents the most common diameter size found in the House for Families lead shot assemblage. The measurements were recorded in the following fashion: length measured perpendicular to the dimple on one plane, width measured perpendicular to the dimple on another plane, and height measured from the dimple to the opposite end.

Object Type

All Other Artifacts

Has it Been Conserved?

No

Where Was It Found?

Project Site: House for Families    [more details]