Archeological Survey of India to display British cannonballs on show

KANNUR: Experts from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are busy carrying out chemical treatment on some 39,500 cannonballs unearthed from St Angelo's Fort here last year. The cannonballs from the British era were discovered on the premises of the 500-year-old Portuguese-built fort while digging a channel for underground cable laying as part of a light-and-sound show.

After the cleaning, they will be on display for the public at the Fort, Archeological Survey of India (ASI) officials said. "We have unearthed cannonballs of different sizes and weight. After chemical treatment to prevent rusting, they will be exhibited. However, we cannot clean all of them at a stretch as it is a time-consuming process. We will try to do it in multiple phases," ASI Thrissur circle superintending archaeologist T. Sreelakshmi told DC.

"After the preliminary wash to remove soil content, they will undergo acid wash and after removing the moisture, we will apply organic solvents to prevent rusting. After that they will be coated with microcrystal waxing to prevent further corrosion," added assistant archaeological chemist Sheeba N.T.

St. Angelo's Fort believed to be built in 1505 by Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese Viceroy of India, is the first fortress of Portuguese in India on the Arabian Sea coast about 2 km from Kannur town. The district administration has requested the ASI to establish a museum for preserving the cannonballs in Kannur. During the excavation last year, thousands of people had thronged the Fort to watch the pile of cannonballs.