Danish type rifle rock

Found at site No. 5 in Płoń, in the south-eastern part of Szczecin, a Danish-type rifle rock was used to initiate a propelling charge in a black-powder rifle. Items of this type were in common use in the 18th and first half of the 19th century. Mounted in special holders in the cocks, they were often wrapped in small pieces of leather to provide a firm hold and prevent the flint from crumbling. When the trigger was pulled, the released cock caused the rock to strike the metal and ignite a spark, falling onto the powder-fuelled pan and consequently initiating a powder charge in the chamber of the weapon. Sometimes the spark would only ignite the ballast, without initiating a charge in the chamber, which became the source of the saying 'to backfire'.

The rocks were mass-produced in specialised workshops with two standard dimensions: larger rifle rocks (about 1 - 1 ½ inches long) and smaller pistol rocks (about ½ - ¾ inches long). The length of the piece on display is just over 1 inch, indicating that it is a rifle rock. Its surface is covered with a characteristic glaze left by the leather, the edges show crushing caused by striking the metal parts of the breech, while the edges of the negatives show carbon deposits from burning black gunpowder.

The rifle rock was discovered at a Stone Age site, suggesting that prehistoric material was already on the surface several hundred years ago. It is likely that the rock was thrown there by an 18th- or 19th-century hunter, after adapting another piece of flint at the site to his weapon. Most rocks had to be replaced every few dozen shots before they ceased to give a spark of the right temperature and size, after which they were repaired or replaced with new ones.

Michał Adamczyk