IC to keep historic cannon barrel for inspection

An old cannon barrel found at a roadwork site in Fai Chi Kei over the weekend will be kept for further inspection by the bureau, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has said in a statement.

The IC learned of the discovery last Friday and immediately deployed officers to investigate.

They conducted 3-dimensional scans, noted the item’s exact location and surveyed the surrounding area, among other activities.

The barrel measures 1.38 meters in length and the diameter of the inner outlet is 80 mm, but the barrel is missing a trunnion.

Inspection of the site revealed no further antiques, the IC said. The construction at the site has resumed.

After discovery of the barrel Friday, construction workers contacted the security forces. Officers from the Public Security Police Force (PSP) confirmed the barrel was not dangerous.

After inspecting the item, the IC officers relocated the barrel, which was covered with earth and other wrapping. However, the first attempt to move it to a truck was unsuccessful due to its weight. Construction vehicles had to be used to successfully lift the barrel.

About four years ago, on Nov. 22, 2020, another cannon barrel was discovered at a construction site in Cotai, one of the largest pieces of reclaimed land in Macau.

Due to the massive scale of the construction site, over 100 construction workers had to be evacuated. That barrel measured 1.2 meters in length and 200 mm in caliber.

On April 16 the same year, an antique cannon was discovered at a construction site in the Inner Harbour. The IC decided to permanently keep the armament due to its historic value.