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Archaeologists preserve recovered iron cannons by planning for the change from a waterlogged burial environment to exposed air, assessing each cannon’s condition and burial history, and having conservators manage corrosion, chloride contamination, protective treatment, and long-term storage or monitoring. There is no single recipe: documented cannon projects use different methods because the objects, sites, and practical constraints differ.
Why recovery can put a cannon at risk
A cannon that has spent decades or centuries underwater or in wet soil has experienced a particular balance of moisture and oxygen. Burial conditions can limit oxygen exposure and physically support fragile material. Excavation changes those conditions, so the risks need to be considered before the object is lifted.
Iron is especially vulnerable when chloride salts, water, and oxygen are present. The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) explains that chloride contamination can persist in corrosion products and that corrosion may continue after excavation. Its guidance states, “Iron will corrode rapidly in the presence of chloride salts, water and oxygen.” Cleaning the visible surface alone does not address that underlying risk.
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Preserving an object in situ—leaving it in place—is different from conserving it after recovery. Historic England advises that decisions about waterlogged archaeological sites account for changes to site conditions. For metals from waterlogged environments, its guidance recommends keeping the site wet with limited or no water-level fluctuations; when examination of corrosion products is planned, recovered metals should be kept oxygen-free between recovery and analysis. These are assessment and handling considerations, not instructions to keep every recovered cannon wet indefinitely. The appropriate approach depends on the object and the planned investigation.
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How conservators plan recovery and treatment
Recovery and treatment are conservation work, not simply excavation followed by cleaning. The cannon’s burial history, condition, corrosion products, size, and intended examination all inform decisions. Conservators may coordinate field recovery, first aid, packing, and field storage with later laboratory treatment or specialist stages. The Canadian Conservation Institute describes these services and specifically includes treatment and storage of archaeological iron in its research.
For actively corroding iron, CCI says chemical treatment is necessary for further stabilization. Keeping an object dry can slow corrosion risk, but dry storage is not a substitute for treatment when contamination and active corrosion require it. A conservator determines what treatment is appropriate; processes such as electrochemical treatment or abrasive cleaning are not do-it-yourself procedures.
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What two National Park Service cannon projects illustrate
Published projects show how treatment responds to a particular object and setting. The Castillo de San Marcos and Dry Tortugas accounts are not a controlled comparison, and neither establishes a universal method or a generally superior one.
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A National Park Service (NPS) page describes a multi-year project that began in 2018 for 25 iron cannons. In its first phase, 14 cannons were moved to Texas A&M University’s Conservation Research Laboratory. The project page was last updated June 23, 2020; those figures describe the project as reported then, not its present status.
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The documented sequence began with mechanical cleaning. The cannons were then immersed in a caustic electrolyte and given a negative direct-current charge to remove corrosion products and drive out chlorides. The project description next specifies boiling in de-ionized water, several coats of tannic acid, and corrosion-resistant paint. The NPS explained that chloride removal was necessary because contamination could cause electrochemical corrosion in cast iron. This is the process described for that project, not a treatment prescription for other cannons.
Dry Tortugas: outdoor treatment and a protected bore
At Fort Jefferson in Dry Tortugas National Park, the NPS documents a different approach for large cannons exposed outdoors in a marine environment. Conservators mechanically removed delaminating corrosion using pneumatic chisels and needle scalers, followed by abrasive blasting. They applied a zinc-rich epoxy primer and a siloxane coating selected for the marine setting. The bore was cleaned and given a dielectric barrier coating.
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The project also used a monitored microclimate inside the cannon bore, with conditioned silica gel. The NPS says that this specific bore microenvironment should be maintained at or below 15% relative humidity. That target applies to the documented installation, not to every cannon, storage space, or treatment plan.
Why site logistics affect the choices
The Dry Tortugas account describes constraints that shape treatment and future care: a remote location, limited utilities and staffing, heat, humidity, rain and storms, cannon weight and placement, corrosion condition, the possibility of retreatment, and long-term sustainability. The site’s examples include Rodman guns of approximately 25 tons and rifled Parrott guns of approximately 11 tons. These are weights for the cannons discussed in that account, not typical weights for all cannons.
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| Documented dimension | Castillo de San Marcos | Dry Tortugas |
|---|---|---|
| Object and setting | Project covering 25 iron cannons; first phase moved 14 to a conservation laboratory. NPS project page last updated June 23, 2020. | Large outdoor cannons in a marine environment; the account discusses approximately 25-ton Rodman guns and approximately 11-ton rifled Parrott guns. |
| Mechanical cleaning | Mechanical cleaning is described before immersion treatment; the page does not specify the tools. | Delaminating corrosion removed with pneumatic chisels and needle scalers, followed by abrasive blasting. |
| Chloride or electrochemical stage | Caustic electrolyte immersion with a negative direct-current charge to remove corrosion products and drive out chlorides. | No chloride-removal or electrochemical stage is stated in the treatment account. |
| Surface and bore protection | Several coats of tannic acid and corrosion-resistant paint; no separate bore treatment is stated. | Zinc-rich epoxy primer and siloxane coating; bore cleaned and given a dielectric barrier coating. |
| Storage, microclimate, or maintenance | Not stated in the cited project description. | Monitored bore microclimate using conditioned silica gel; NPS specifies at or below 15% relative humidity for that bore. The account discusses future retreatment and long-term sustainability. |
Storage and monitoring after treatment
Treatment does not end when a coating is applied. Collection-care conditions and monitoring are part of preservation because corrosion can resume if moisture and oxygen reach chloride-contaminated iron. CCI recommends keeping chloride-contaminated iron and its alloys as dry as possible, using desiccants in tightly sealed enclosures made from materials with low moisture permeability. For this category, its preventive-conservation guidance recommends 0–10% relative humidity. CCI also discusses anoxic environments with desiccant as an often-effective option for actively corroding objects. These are collection-care recommendations, not instructions for an unsupervised full-size cannon treatment.
Where a cannon remains outdoors or has a protected internal space, monitoring may focus on the conditions and maintenance needs of that particular installation. The Dry Tortugas bore microclimate is one example; its humidity target should not be transferred automatically to another object or environment. The treatment plan needs to account for ongoing exposure, access for inspection, and whether future retreatment is practical.
Quick Recap
What a reader should take from the case studies
- Burial history and condition matter: recovery changes the object’s environment, so assessment should begin before lifting.
- Chlorides, moisture, and oxygen are a central corrosion concern for archaeological iron.
- Conservators may combine cleaning, chloride reduction, coatings, and environmental controls, but the specific sequence varies by project.
- Storage, inspection, and monitoring remain part of preservation after treatment.
- The Castillo and Dry Tortugas projects document particular decisions, not a single process for every river- or wetland-recovered cannon.
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