Very interesting find! Roman lead sling 'bullets'

[M ELEY]

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/...tish-fort.html

I guess I always assumed most of the sling weapons of that era would have used only stones or perhaps clay missiles (like the clay grenades of the period). Very interesting article!

[Timo Nieminen]

The Greeks and Hellenistic states used lead bullets a lot. AFAIK, Xenophon, Anabasis has the earliest literary mention, and they become common in the Greek world at about that time (including the Greek end of Persia).

The Romans followed in Greek footsteps.

Lead sling bullets are effective ammunition, and if I was an ancient military slinger, I would be pleased to have a plentiful supply. I never measured the performance difference between stones and lead bullets, but on the very few times I used them, I felt they gave better range and accuracy compared to stones.

[fernando]

Most interesting topic, Mark -

[Henk]

I do remember the explanation of a historian of using lead bullets in stead of stone by the Romans. The impact of a lead bullet was proven to be a heavier injury also by the fact that lead was toxic.

[Kmaddock]

Being a more dense material it would definitely be a better projectile
However,
I do not think the toxicity of lead was any way relevant to it being a projectile material.

The Romans used lead acetate as a sweetener for their wine and lead containers for their drinks, this would imply they had no knowledge of the lead toxicity

Regards

Ken

[kronckew]

...and they used lead water pipes, some suspect the effects of lead poisoning is a contributing reason for the decline and 'fall' of the western empire.

many slingers cast their own shot from lead in holes poked in a convenient clay surface in holes poked in it with their thumbs, cast shot even can show the thumbnails. (as below)

slingers could (and can) propel lead shot at speeds that provided penetrative bone destroying wounds more like modern-ish musketry, not like someone throwing stones that bounce off. the toxicity is not a factor, compared to the sheer physical damage. lead bullets are still often left alone and not removed if not near vital structures as they get encysted - walled off - by the body so lead absorption is minimal. acidic beverages in chalices however produce nice easily absorbed lead salts and may be why some emperors were a bit mad.

like the atlatl, slings can still provide lethality, and they are cheap and easy to make. just because it's ancient tech doesn't mean it's not effective within it's range.

heck, col. churchill* even used his longbow with noted effect in ww2, and special forces still have crossbows available for special purposes.

*- mad jack churchill even went ashore from his landing craft, claymore in hand, followed by a piper, he captured a german unit with just his sword, one at a time.