Twin cannons uncovered by British East India Company fort

Excavations uncovered twin cannons buried beside Fort Cornwallis, in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The cannons are at least 200 years old.

The twin cannons (by The Star Online)

The discovery was made as the archaeological team was re-examining the fort based on a 1877 map as they were looking for the structure’s main entrance. The cannons measure 2.2 metres and 2.35 metres in length. The diameter of the cannon’s opening measures around 10 centimetres. They were found during the excavation of the fort’s moat and outer defensive structures. According to Mokhtar Saidin, leading the excavations, the cannons could be even older than two centuries as there were markings of “GR” (George Rex), the symbol of King George III, who reigned in Great Britain from 1760 to 1820. Fort Cornwallis is a star fort built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century and is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. Last year part of the fort’s fortifications were uncovered by archaeologists.

(after The Star Online)

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