The lead ball, which is over an inch wide, is believed to be one of the biggest and heaviest such shots ever found in the Island.
It would have been fired from an arquebus, a form of long gun which began to be used in Europe from the early 15th century.
Some guns were so big and heavy that they were stood on fork rests when fired.
Ken Rive, the metal detectorist who found the ball, said: ‘This is definitely the largest arquebus ball I have found. In fact it was so big that at first it was thought it was from a small cannon.’
He has found numerous other items in the same field, including a curse tablet, a small lead parcel which was used by the Romans to try to bring misery to an enemy.
- Anyone who discovers an unusual item can take it to the Société Jersiaise’s Archaeology Section at 7 Pier Road. All items will be recorded and returned to the finder.
