Execution Gallows – Long Island

On Long Island in the Abrolhos, hundreds of iron fastenings were found in a small area believed to mark the site of the gallows used for the execution of Jeronimus Cornelisz and his followers after the Batavia mutiny of 1629.

Among the finds was a piece of lead sheathing shaped into a ball, with holes where iron nails were once embedded. This object is thought to be a weapon known as a “morning star,” a brutal close-combat weapon used in the 17th century. These discoveries offer rare archaeological evidence of one of Australia’s most infamous maritime tragedies.