EXCAVATION works at the historic Fort Cornwallis in George Town, Penang, has unearthed two East India Company (EIC)-era cannons over two centuries old.

Both bear the insignia “GR” – Georgius Rex which is Latin for King George – suggesting they were from the reign of King George III (1760 - 1820).

One of the cannons measures 2.35m while the other is slightly shorter at 2.2m. The cannons will be sent for conservation and further analyses.

The pair were found yesterday afternoon in the western side of the 232-year-old British fort during the ongoing excavation of the monument’s moat and outer defence structures.

Archaeologist Prof Mohd Mokhtar Saidin, who is in charge of the excavation, said they found the cannons while they were digging for the main entrance.

“Suddenly, we found the cannons. Before this, we found cannon balls.

“They have the clear markings of ‘GR’, which refers to King George. It is like the others that were found on Penang Hill and other parts of Malaysia.

“The insignia points to the era the cannon was from,” he told reporters at the site.

Another clue on the age of the cannons was a 1877 map of the fort, which had no records of such weapons, the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Global Archaeology Research Centre director said.

“We will have to check further to know how old the cannons are, how they got there and why.

“We have permission from the state to take the cannons back to USM for further analyses,” Mokhtar said.

He also said further investigation into the cannons could reveal more about the history of the fort itself.

“What we find from our investigations after this may change the early interpretation of the fort.

“We may have to relook and rewrite the interpretation,” Mokhtar said.

Fort Cornwallis, named after the then Governor-General of Bengal Charles Cornwallis, was built by the EIC in the late 18th century.

The fort started as a stockade made of palm trunks after Captain Francis Light took possession of Penang Island from Kedah for the EIC in 1786.

It was then rebuilt by Indian convict labourers using bricks and stones during Colonel R.T. Farquhar’s term as Governor of Penang, and was completed in 1810.

Though intended for military use, Fort Cornwallis never engaged combat during its operational history. Today, it remains to be the largest standing fort in Malaysia.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng described the double discoveries, which coincided with the Chinese New Year celebrations, as two “ang paus” for Penang.

He also said the cannons were fortuitous discoveries for George Town, which was marking its 10th anniversary this year as a Unesco World Heritage site.

“I think this is an important find with international significance.

“We will continue to preserve and protect the excavation area. We believe there are more artifacts to be found,” he said.

The ongoing excavation is to restore the moat, which was dug around the fort for defence and drainage use but backfilled in 1922 – a move that altered the site’s landscape and caused drainage issues.

Before it was filled following a malaria outbreak in the area, the moat surrounding the fort measured 9m wide by 2m deep.

The ongoing moat excavation to restore the authenticity and heritage importance of the site is an initiative by the Penang government.

The works are overseen by the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation and are endorsed by the National Heritage Department. – February 20, 2018.