Cannons versus Pipes

[Mark Knowles]

It is often said that these illustrations on the 9 rosette page are of "pipes" while I think they are actually "cannons".(Claudette Cohen comments that there are often illustrations of artillery on maps.)

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If they are indeed cannons it illustrates an opposition between the top left rosette and the central rosette.

[Mark Knowles]

This drawing should make this a little clearer, I hope:

[RobGea]

If they are cannons, why (in the VMS images) is there no ribbing?  Why are the sides parallel? Why do they occur in groups?

[Mark Knowles]

If they are cannons, why (in the VMS images) is there no ribbing?  Why are the sides parallel? Why do they occur in groups?

You could ask why the cannons don't have wheels and why aren't there drawings of people manning the cannons. I mean, what good are cannons that are not mounted on wheels? And how can cannons be useful without people to fire them?

[ReneZ]

You could ask why the cannons don't have wheels and why isn't there drawings of people manning the cannons

He could but he didn't.

[Mark Knowles]

You could ask why the cannons don't have wheels and why isn't there drawings of people manning the cannons

He could but he didn't.

Exactly.

[ReneZ]

The questions he did ask are much more relevant and remain unanswered.

[RobGea]

OK, I will.
why don't the cannons have wheels? Why aren't there drawings of people manning the cannons?

Show me what reasons support the argument that the tube shaped things on the Rosette folio are cannnons.

[Mark Knowles]

The questions he did ask are much more relevant and remain unanswered.

I am not sure that they are more relevant. In both cases the questions relate to the absence of the drawing of certain specific details. I wouldn't view it as an objection to the "pipes" idea that there is no illustration of the water flowing into the pipes(certainly not from the central rosette), as with many illustrations these are not exact copies of reality, but generally simplified. I don't view what RobGea mentioned as problematic at all.

[Mark Knowles]

OK, I will.
why don't the cannons have wheels? Why aren't there drawings of people manning the cannons?

Show me what reasons support the argument that the tube shaped things on the Rosette folio are cannnons.

One could ask why there aren't drawings of cannon balls next to the cannons and why there are drawings of a military supply chain etc. In a modern context of illustrations the idea that they are cannons seems unlikely, but these drawings weren't made in a modern context they were simplifications for illustrative purposes.

If you are asking me to prove definitively that they are cannons then you are out of luck. I think as always the question is what are the alternative explanations and which amongst them is more plausible and why.