Need help with this ship part

[kenbrackins]

I found this item attached to a 12 inch by 12 inch beam under the sand near a reef in the Carribbean. It weighs about 50 pounds and is either brass or bronze. There were numberous spikes of the same material ranging from 12 inches to 36 inches long. What was this item used for and any idea of the age of the wreck.

 

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[mojjax]

That looks very interesting ! Can you post a few more pics ? , different angle would be good . Nice find !

 

[mojjax]

I found a picture in a book I have full of illustrations of the components of old sailing ships . It looks very similar to a piece of hardware called a ''masthead housing '' . It's where the lower mast was spliced to the upper mast . They were also called a '' mast cap '' or a '' dutch cap ''
Keep looking ... maybe there's treasure nearby !

 

[Desertdigger]

It could also be what is called I believe a "SCUPPER GUARD" it let water flow off of the deck and kept other items from being lost over board. Does it have holes in the edges?