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480-year-old firearm discovered in Arizona described by researchers as the 'oldest' found in the US

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480-year-old firearm discovered in Arizona described by researchers as the 'oldest' found in the US

A firearm discovered in Arizona is what researchers believe to be the “oldest” ever found in the continental United States.

Excavations along the Santa Cruz River in Southern Arizona brought to light a bronze cannon, or a wall gun, used during the 1539-1542 expedition led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to the modern-day American Southwest.

The wall gun is the first ever to be found connected to the expedition, according to research published in the International Journal of Historical Archaeology on Nov. 21, 2024.

9-YEAR-OLD BOY FINDS 60,000-YEAR-OLD AXE AT SHOREHAM BEACH IN ENGLAND

“This wall gun is the first gun known to be associated with the Coronado expedition and is the oldest firearm ever found within the continental USA, and perhaps the oldest cannon currently known on the continent,” Dr. Deni J. Seymour and her colleagues wrote in the study. 

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The expedition was aimed at finding the riches of the rumored “Seven Cities of Cíbola,” according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. 

A bronze medieval-style gun was discovered in Arizona. The length of the ancient artifact is 42 inches with a weight of about 40 pounds. (Dr. Deni J. Seymour)

Though Coronado did find landmarks like the Grand Canyon, he did not find the cities of treasure, according to Britannica, and was instead met with Indian settlements. 

The firearm in Arizona was first found in the fall of 2020, at the settlement of San Geronimo III. It was found on the “floor of a Spanish stone-and-adobe structure,” according to the research. 

A combination of radiocarbon dating and optically stimulated luminescence techniques were used as methods of dating the firearm back to the era of the Coronado expedition.

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The firearm measures about 42 inches long and weighs 40 pounds.

It was likely cast in Mexico or the Caribbean, indicated by the simplicity in its design, the research said.

The map pictures above displays the general location of the site where the cannon was found. (Dr. Deni J. Seymour)

It was designed to be mounted on a wooden tripod, used to protect fortifications, according to the research. 

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A firearm like the one discovered could send lead balls flying over 700 yards. 

This particular example was found unloaded, with no evidence found to show that it was ever fired. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.

It was seemingly abandoned at the settlement and left for hundreds of years. A probable reason why the gun was left behind is that the “town was attacked and rapidly abandoned,” the research suggests. 

“This final blow seems to be the precipitating event that led to the abandonment of the wall gun, where it remained snugly encased in an eroded Spanish adobe-and-rock-walled structure [ruin] for 480 years,” researchers wrote.  

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When the wall gun was found, it was laid on the ground of a Spanish structure. (Dr. Deni J. Seymour)

Several other artifacts were discovered at the site, including pieces of broken swords and daggers, plus household items like fishhooks, clothing fasteners, pieces of copper vessels and more, per the research. 

Further analysis is being arranged to learn more about the history behind the gun, as well as to study the other artifacts found at the site for future publications. 

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Los Angeles, Ca

LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

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LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture

Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.

Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.

Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.

  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • A sinkhole opened up on a sidewalk in West Hollywood following a water main break
  • Aerial view of flooded Metro buses.
  • Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood.
  • Water floods out of an apartment in West Hollywood
  • A broken water main floods a parking garage in West Hollywood
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Residents stand with luggage and a dog at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush through a West Hollywood street.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • Rushing floodwaters pushes parked cars together on a flooded West Hollywood street after a water main break.
  • A broken water main floods the streets of West Hollywood

“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”

The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.

A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.

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The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.

“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.

The two men appeared to be uninjured.

As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.

LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.

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The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

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Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.

Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.

On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.

Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and Eric Washington are pictured in a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department bulletin. (LASD)

Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.

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“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.

The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.

Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.

Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.

Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.

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Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.

  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • Compton fatal shooting
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration
  • 2 dead, 3 injured at Compton July 4 celebration

Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.

The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.

“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.

“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”

The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.

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At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.

Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.

The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.

Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.

Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.

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Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.

They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

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Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars

A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]

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