Pikemen

One of the original weapons of the the Massachusetts militia was the pike, a 16-foot wooden pole topped with a metal point. This pike point was found during archeology at Saugus Iron Works NHS, near the workshop of Swordsmith Joseph Jenks.

Snaphance Pistol

Pistols were used by cavalry units in the early Massachusetts Militia. These parts came from a snaphance pistol, and early form of flintlock. Besides the barrel of a pistol, there is the breech plug, which closes the end of the barrel next to the powder charge, and the lock plate, which is mounted to the wooden stock and holds the firing mechanism. In 1646, the Saugus ironworks was authorized to buy broken firearms, why is why gun parts were found there during archeological digs.

Small Sword Hilt

In the 17th and 18th centuries, militia soldiers where required to carry a bladed weapon. This fragment of a gentlemen’s small sword hilt was found during archeology at the Narbonne House at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.