Researchers in Arizona have discovered the oldest gun ever found in the continental United States, a bronze cannon associated with the first European expedition of the Southwest. The cannon was found in a Spanish stone-and-adobe building near the Santa Cruz River in 2020. Using carbon dating technology, researchers determined that the gun had been sitting in ruins for 480 years inside San Geronimo III, the first European settlement in the Southwest established in 1540. The design of the gun indicated it was from the mid-to-late 1400s and was likely abandoned without ever being fired during an attack by the indigenous Sobaipuri O’odham people, leading the Spanish to stay out of southern Arizona for 150 years.
The unsuccessful Spanish expedition, led by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1540, did not find the riches they were seeking and encountered resistance from native populations. San Geronimo III was attacked and destroyed by the Sobaipuri O’odham people, leading to the retreat of the Spanish from the region for over a century. The discovery of the cannon and other artifacts provided evidence of this significant event in US history.
The well-preserved wall gun found at the site was likely left behind by the Spanish during the attack, as they were surprised by the early morning assault and did not have time to use the weapon. The gun’s design and lack of black residue in the barrel suggest that it was never fired. Excavations also uncovered a second cannon that will be analyzed in a future study. The discovery sheds light on the early interactions between Europeans and Native Americans in the Southwest.
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