What a lot of balls

[wittsy1]

 Probably Like many on here, I find the odd musket ball and over the few years I've saved quite a few. But recently, I've been going into a new field, been there 3 times now, and in those 3 visits, so far have collected 20 out of the ground. I'm pretty sure there are many more there because I have no where near covered the whole field yet. Is this amount of musket balls significant. I mean could there have been a bit of a skirmish there or perhaps just a good field for rabbits. I know there was civil war activity in Pembroke town and this field is about 6 miles from Pembroke.

Oh and changing the subject completely, I found this little chap in the same field and I quite like it.

[Chef Geoff]

It could well be significant and would depend on which era they date from Those from the Civil War period tend to be far larger than those from later dates and one of the easiest ways of dating them is to place one on a one pence piece if you now look directly from above if from the Civil War matchlock then you'll no longer be able to see the 1p, I have my doubts if muskets were ever used to shoot rabbits or at least with any success.
One important thing if you think you may be detecting a skirmish site is to accurately record (GPS if poss) the position of each ball as conflict archaeology is one area where we Detectorists can be of the most help and cause the greatest damage, a battle is a moment in time with no real stratification and so each musket ball is important in relation to the next with their position, number and the lie of the land giving clues to how big the skirmish may have been and also the position of both sides.
Matchlocks only had and effective range of up to 100 yards with most orders to "fire" being given within the 25-50yrd range which isn't so much being able to "see the whites of their eyes" more taking their inside leg measurement
Also you need to know if they have been fired the best way to tell this is that a fired ball will have a faint trace of a flattened ring running around it this is the band of compression which is caused by the ball being compressed in the musket barrel as it's fired.
So map your finds and it can easily lead you to the firing point where you can find coins, usually rose farthings, and powder measures.

[dingdong]

Well done Wittsey1!!! You sure got a lot a "balls" by the sound of it....LOL!!
And by the looks of it a bit of old "truc" as well LOL !!
You gotta be detecting some where near me,with being only six miles outside of Pembroke !!!going to have to keep an eye out for ya !!!after all you might be after my (musket)...BALLS...LOL!!!👍

[Val Beechey]

I think this post has sent one or two of us diving into the history books (on line, of course)  not to mention the musket ball box.
Oddly, I found one last week, a real clonker. I did Geoffs test with the penny and yes, spot on so I've been reading up on the action around here during the Civil War. 1644 seems a significant date with an attack from Pembroke on Carew. Nice to be able to date one though I wouldn't like to think of the damage one would do.

[wittsy1]

Thanks very much for that Geoff, very interesting. I did'nt think to gps the locations, but I have got quite a few visits to do and will make sure I do from now on.

I did the penny test but I can just very slightly see the rim of the penny.

Dindong don't worry I will not be after your round bits, unless invited of course   

Val, the civil war makes interesting reading for the Pembroke area, apparently we were parlimentarians. Naughty us.

[david995]

I did a post last year,  i was finding musket balls all over 2 fields i ended up with several hundred untill i really got fed up with digging them and nothing else, so stopped, the consensus of opinion was it was a training area for drill practises etc

[Val Beechey]

wittsy, there were some Royalists over here. Hence the skirmish at Carew Castle. Not to mention Tenby. Have you come across a reference to General Thomas Horton ? He was in the New Army and knocked 7 shades out of the Royalists at Tenby, and was granted a Knighthood for his efforts.  

Guess what my Maiden name was ?. Let that be a lesson, it's in the blood.

[dingdong]

Hooray,Hooray,for OLIVER CROMWELL !!!👍

[Val Beechey]

Chris, you creep 

[dingdong]

No Val definatly NOT a creep,and definatly NOT a royalist,my family were,and still are all Parliamentarians,...... AND THATS THE TRUTH !!!,so no creep please!!👍

[JBM]

Here are a few unused ones that Oliver`s lads left behind  after  smashing up the local Manor house.

All left on the same spot when they moved on with their Rabinet Cannon.  Jerry.