Is this a cannon? Object found at historic fort in North Carolina being investigated Mark Price, The Charlotte Observer Jan. 14—Something resembling a cannon has been found buried in the sand near historic Fort Caswell on the North Carolina coast. The Fort Caswell Environmental Stewardship Program posted a photo of the object on its Facebook page Wednesday but did not divulge its exact location on Oak Island. The state's Underwater Archaeology Branch is expected to offer an opinion later Thursday, according to the nonprofit program that offers students environmental field trips near the 19th-century fort. "There has been a lot of chatter the last couple days about what this may be. Someone posted about finding a cannon on our beach. And many believe it does look like a cannon, which alerted the Underwater Archaeology Branch," the program said.