Examining lead bullets from the siege of Novi Zrin in 1664

Abstract

ABSTRACT The fortress of Novi Zrin is a unique location, not only in Hungary, but also more generally in Europe. It was constructed by Miklós (VII) Zrínyi, the seventeenth-century poet, general and military scientist, and was a thorn in the side of the Ottoman Turkish armies occupying parts of Hungary at that time. This led to the subsequent destruction of the stronghold, and the abandonment of its location essentially left a time capsule that was only rediscovered in the 2000s. The remains of the fortress provided archaeologists with hundreds of artefacts, and in particular, more than 300 untouched lead projectiles from the late seventeenth century. This discovery led to the creation of this work where the aim is to analyse in detail the projectiles found, scientifically categorize them and, with the help of battlefield archaeology, answer previously unanswered questions about the 1664 siege of Novi Zrin.