Esmeralda Concretion

3D Model

This large concretion likely represents the shot locker of the Esmeralda, within the concretion formed by Iron cannon balls were several breach chambers as well as the barrels of bronze arquebuses and several wooden canister shot.

The concretion was full of peppercorns

Nineteen copper-alloy breech chambers, known by the Portuguese as a câmara, were found within the confines of the main concretion. This is quite possibly the largest number of bronze breech-chambers ever recovered from a single shipwreck and thus provides the basis for an interesting comparative study about their use on an early 16th century warship