What do you think this strange device is, why did it gain popularity in the 18th century, and for what purposes was it generally used?
At the beginning of the 18th century, fresh graves regularly became the subject of loot for plunderers. The intruders dug up coffins, stole jewelry, and sold the bodies, because they were in constant demand for medical research. It was then that various protective equipment appeared that helped to keep the grave intact and safe.
Such firearms could be installed in the immediate vicinity of the grave, around which thin threads of wire were pulled, attached to the trigger mechanism of the camouflaged weapon. Since grave robbers usually worked at night in poor visibility conditions, these guns, loaded with shot or buckshot, posed a serious threat to them.
It is also worth noting that a specially thought-out mount on the axis made it possible to attach a wire to the weapon in different places. By the time the shot was fired, the "cannon" had time to turn in the direction where the stretch was hit or torn off.
Sometimes such weapons were also installed in the coffin with the body itself, and the shot occurred at the moment when the thieves opened the coffin lid.
Promotional video: